Munich Startup: What is your StartupWhat problem are you solving?
Hendrik Kramer, CEO and co-founder: Fernride is driving the future of autonomous logistics. Our goal: to replace dangerous, monotonous tasks currently performed by humans with safe and efficient automation solutions, while creating better, safer, and more skilled jobs.
With our Ground Autonomy Platform We offer scalable automation for industrial applications: from container terminals and factory logistics to defense transport and autonomous long-distance transport. Our technology combines AI-based autonomy with remote human control and modular, vehicle-independent hardware. This enables companies and government agencies to implement automation safely and flexibly.
Fernride was founded in 2019 based on over ten years of research at the Technical University of Munich and currently has over 150 employees. Our goal: to set the European standard for autonomous logistics, with Europe's first fully certified autonomous truck system starting in 2025.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Hendrik Kramer: Autonomous vehicles exist as pilot projects, but real, scalable solutions for industrial logistics in mixed traffic that are safe, certified, and economically viable are still lacking. This is precisely where Fernride comes in.
What sets us apart: We don't just bring autonomy, but combine it with human intelligence through remote control technology. This allows for a safe and gradual transition to full automation, without the radical step that many others initially attempt without success.
And: We're the first in Europe to put a certified autonomous trucking system into operation in accordance with the Machinery Directive. That definitely doesn't exist yet, but now it does, with Fernride.
Fernride was born from a vision at TUM
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Hendrik Kramer: We founders met at the Technical University of Munich, where we spent years researching teleoperation and autonomous driving technologies. Fernride was born from this shared vision and scientific foundation in 2019.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Hendrik Kramer: The challenges we address with our solution, such as skills shortages, security risks, and efficiency issues, are significant and affect entire industries. Demand for our technology is correspondingly high. For us as a startup, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining focus among all the opportunities and scaling specifically where we can have the greatest impact.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Hendrik Kramer: In one year, we aim to successfully scale our first use cases and further advance the operational rollout. In five years, we aim to expand into additional industries and scenarios, with the clear goal of bringing autonomous trucking to the open roads in Europe.
Munich location: Tradition meets innovation
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Hendrik Kramer: Munich is an ideal location for us. The city combines a strong tradition in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries with a growing tech and startup ecosystem. We particularly benefit from access to excellent talent, especially due to our proximity to the Technical University of Munich, as well as from strong industrial partners who are open to innovation. The network, infrastructure, and support for deep-tech startups make Munich a true innovation hub for autonomous mobility.
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Hendrik Kramer: We have a wealth of expertise in autonomous driving, but we need a variety of strong partnerships to scale successfully. We don't develop hardware (compute, sensors) or trucks ourselves, so we partner with the best possible manufacturers in these areas. Only together can we scale autonomous driving.
