IOKI GMBH

Their core work

IOKI is a Frankfurt-based digital mobility platform operator specializing in on-demand public transport and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solutions, operating as a Deutsche Bahn subsidiary. They develop and deploy software platforms that enable public transport authorities to run flexible, demand-responsive transit services — making buses and shuttles behave more like ride-hailing while keeping them within the public transport ecosystem. In EU research consortia, IOKI contributes live operational capacity and real-world deployment experience, participating in large-scale demonstrations of autonomous and shared mobility systems in actual urban environments. Their core value to any consortium is practical: running platforms, established city partnerships, and hands-on experience launching mobility services commercially.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IOKI entered H2020 participation through AVENUE (2018) with a focus on autonomous vehicles as a disruptive new urban transport mode — the emphasis was on proving the concept in city environments, with keywords centred on autonomous vehicle deployment and disruptive mobility services. By SHOW (2020), the framing had shifted substantially: autonomous vehicles became one component of a broader shared mobility ecosystem, with equal weight given to service models (MaaS, LaaS), equity, accessibility, and real-world scalability across multiple cities. This reflects a maturation from technology demonstration toward service integration — moving from the question of whether autonomous vehicles can work in cities, to how shared automation can be made available to everyone at scale.

IOKI is moving toward integrated mobility platform roles — combining autonomous transport with service-layer orchestration (MaaS, LaaS) and inclusive design — suggesting future collaboration interest in city-scale multimodal systems, demand-responsive transit, and equitable mobility policy projects.

How they like to work

IOKI participates exclusively as a consortium partner rather than a coordinator, consistent with their role as an operational platform provider bringing deployment capacity to research projects rather than driving the scientific agenda. Both projects sit within large, multinational consortia — 106 unique partners across 15 countries from just two projects signals comfort working in broad, diverse groups rather than small, recurring teams. This suggests they are efficient contributors of a specific operational perspective without requiring a leadership mandate.

IOKI has connected with 106 unique consortium partners across 15 countries through only two projects, reflecting the scale of the large-scale demonstration consortia they join. Their network spans public transport operators, municipalities, automotive technology firms, and research institutions across Europe.

What sets them apart

IOKI occupies a rare niche as a commercial on-demand transport operator with active EU research participation — most similar actors are either pure technology firms or academic institutions, not companies that actually run live mobility services in cities. Their Deutsche Bahn lineage gives them credibility and existing relationships with public transport authorities, which is difficult for startups or research groups to replicate. For a consortium that needs a partner who can both contribute to research and deploy a real mobility service during the project, IOKI is a high-value participant.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AVENUE
  IOKI's first and largest H2020 project (EUR 92,558), testing autonomous vehicle integration into urban public transport across multiple European cities — an early real-world demonstration that established their EU research presence.
• SHOW
  A globally-framed shared automation project with the broadest thematic footprint — spanning MaaS, LaaS, electric vehicles, equity, and accessibility — marking IOKI's transition from AV demonstration toward platform-level mobility orchestration.