INIT enters autonomous fleet management market
Karlsruhe-based public transport specialist INIT is acquiring a majority stake in Norwegian technology company Applied Autonomy. Its xFlow platform does not develop autonomous driving itself but organises the monitoring, remote support, and control of autonomous vehicles. The software is already in use in Stavanger.
Control center for autonomous driving
Image: Applied Autonomy
INIT, a globally active provider of IT solutions for public transport, is entering the market for autonomous fleet management. To this end, the company acquired 67.74 per cent of shares in Norwegian technology provider Applied Autonomy on 1 October 2026. The Kongsberg-based company, founded in 2017, develops software for the operation, monitoring and management of autonomous vehicles in public transport, at airports and in logistics. Applied Autonomy will become part of INIT’s Integrated Systems business unit.
At the heart of the offering is Applied Autonomy’s xFlow platform. It enables the integration of autonomous vehicles from different manufacturers into operational workflows, real-time monitoring of their deployment and remote support when needed. The software also provides operational data for other systems and, in the future, will work alongside INIT’s MOBILE-ITCS control system to enable the management of mixed fleets comprising both autonomous and conventional vehicles.
Fleet management, not autonomous driving technology
The technological distinction is crucial: Applied Autonomy does not develop autonomous driving technology, such as that offered by Mobileye or Wayve. Instead, the company has created software for the underlying operational level—focusing on how autonomous vehicles can be integrated, monitored and coordinated within the daily operations of a transport company. In other words: fleet management with a focus on the specific requirements of autonomous vehicles and fleets.
An example of how this division of labour works can be seen in a project in Stavanger, Norway. Since 2022, a battery-electric autonomous bus named e-ATAK from Turkish manufacturer Karsan has been undergoing trials there– and, since May 2026, it has even been operating in public scheduled services without a safety driver. The autonomous driving technology is provided by Adastec, which uses its flowride.ai automation platform for this purpose. Applied Autonomy complements this technology with xFlow to monitor the vehicle from the control centre and provide remote operational support. xFlow is also being used – again in cooperation with Karsan and Adastec – in an autonomy project at Rotterdam Airport.
INIT aims to strengthen its market position
“The development of automated, autonomous vehicles has advanced significantly in recent years. Successfully establishing autonomous vehicles as part of public transport is also an important building block for the future viability of Germany and Europe – both in terms of technological leadership and climate protection goals, as well as the desire for better, sustainable mobility solutions. With the acquisition of Applied Autonomy, we are now even better positioned to capitalise on new market opportunities arising from the necessary introduction of autonomous vehicles in public transport and thus create added value for our shareholders,” stated INIT’s executive board in a press release.
INIT has been involved in researching autonomous driving solutions for years. Currently, INIT is leading the BRAVE10k project, which aims to create the conditions for integrating more than 10,000 autonomous vehicles into Germany’s public transport system by 2030. The focus is on standardised interfaces, digital processes and issues related to procurement, approval and economic scaling—not the development of its own autonomous driving function. In September 2026, INIT also joined the MILA.mobility research project (link in German). Coordinated by Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB), around 30 partners are working on an open, manufacturer-neutral platform designed to connect autonomous vehicles with control centre, dispatch and booking systems.