MOTOR Ai Raises $20M to Deploy Certified Level 4 Autonomous Driving on German Roads

Berlin-based startup MOTOR Ai has raised $20 million in seed funding to deploy its certified Level 4 autonomous driving system on public roads in Germany. The funding round was led by Segenia Capital and eCAPITAL, with participation from mobility-focused angel investors. The company’s unique approach combines neuroscience-inspired cognitive architecture with regulatory-first development to meet the highest safety and transparency standards.

MOTOR Ai’s system is grounded in active inference, a neuroscience-based decision-making model that allows the vehicle to reason rather than merely react. This makes the AI more structured, explainable, and certifiable—essential characteristics for deployment in regulated environments like Europe.

Starting this year, MOTOR Ai-equipped vehicles will begin operating across multiple German districts. While initial rollouts will include onboard safety drivers, they are expected to be phased out by 2026. The full-stack autonomy platform already fulfills stringent European and international safety requirements, offering a plug-and-play path to regulated autonomous transport for municipalities.

Unlike many U.S.-based competitors that rely on black-box machine learning models, MOTOR Ai has emphasized transparency, traceability, and legal accountability from the start. CEO Roy Uhlmann emphasized that their design not only complies with Europe’s tough safety laws but also builds trust among authorities and the public.

Having developed its entire system in-house since 2017, MOTOR Ai has worked closely with European certification bodies, setting itself apart in the global race toward autonomy. According to investors like Michael Janßen of Segenia Capital and Lucas Merle of eCAPITAL, this in-house “Made in Germany” technology positions Europe to reduce dependencies on foreign tech and lead in safety-focused innovation.

With road tests underway and compliance at its core, MOTOR Ai now plans to expand its team, scale deployment, and begin cross-border expansion across Europe. The newly secured funding will fuel this growth, supporting hiring, regulatory efforts, and broader commercial rollout.