Navya SAS
Navya Mobility, previously known as Gama and Navya, is a French enterprise focused on the development and production of electric and autonomous vehicles. Established in Lyon in 2017, the firm was acquired from insolvency in April 2023 by the autonomous vehicle manufacturer Gaussin alongside semiconductor company Macnica, after which it was renamed Gaussin-Macnica-Mobility (Gama). In June 2024, Gaussin sold its shares in Gama.
History
In June 2014, entrepreneur Christophe Sapet—who co-founded Infogrames and Infonie—partnered with Robolution Capital to acquire the assets of Induct, which was undergoing liquidation. Induct had created Navia, an electric self-driving shuttle that was showcased at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show and trialed at the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant in 2015.
After this acquisition, a team of six engineers established Navya, operating out of Paris and Lyon. Within twelve months, Navya introduced Arma, its first independently produced autonomous vehicle.
Pierre Lahutte replaced Etienne Hermite as CEO in June 2021. The following month, Navya obtained €7.5 million in funding from the French government's France Relance initiative to support its technological advancements.
Experiencing financial strain, Navya entered receivership on February 1, 2023. The subsequent takeover by Gaussin and Macnica resulted in a rebranding to Gaussin Macnica Mobility (Gama), initiating a new chapter for its business expansion and international presence.
Pilot studies
- France. In 2016, Navya initiated a trial electric autonomous minibus service within Lyon’s Confluence neighborhood. By September 2021, the company tested its Autonom Tract 135 autonomous tractor for baggage logistics alongside French firm Geodis.
- USA. Since January 2017, Navya’s driverless shuttle has been operating on a 0.6-mile loop in downtown Las Vegas through a collaboration with Keolis and AAA of Northern California, Nevada & Utah. By May 2018, this shuttle had served approximately 25,000 passengers.
- Singapore. As part of Singapore’s efforts to explore self-driving technologies, Navya’s autonomous vehicles have been trialed within the city-state.
- Norway. In April 2019, Navya deployed self-driving buses for commercial use in Oslo, broadening its global footprint.
- Japan. November 2020 marked the launch of Japan’s first public autonomous transport service on open roads in Sakai using Navya’s vehicles. After a successful pilot phase, Softbank-backed Boldly expanded this network in August 2021.
- United Kingdom. September 2021 saw Navya partner with Darwin to introduce the UK’s inaugural autonomous shuttle project operating on public roads.
- Sweden. From 2021 onward, Navya began testing autonomous shuttles with Västtrafik in Gothenburg, further strengthening its presence across European markets.