Berlin’s Nox Mobility Raises €2 Million to Revitalize Europe’s Night Trains

In a significant move to revive the allure of night travel across Europe, Berlin-based startup Nox Mobility has successfully secured €2 million in pre-seed funding. The infusion of capital is earmarked for expanding the team, constructing a full-scale mock-up, and laying the groundwork for its first routes set to launch in 2027.

A Promising Venture with Strong Backing

The funding round was spearheaded by IBB Ventures, a prominent Berlin-based investor, with additional support from Italian investor Tommaso Lucca and industry stalwarts like HomeToGo Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Patrick Andrae. Artur Hasselbach, co-founder of Nox Mobility, expressed optimism about the venture's potential: “Night trains are one of Europe’s last big untapped mobility opportunities. The infrastructure already exists and the market is waiting. Raising this round shows that investors believe in our approach to create a loveable product with a business model that works.”

Redefining Night Travel

Founded in 2025 by Thibault Constant, Janek Smalla, and Artur Hasselbach, Nox Mobility aims to reinvent the night train experience by offering fully private rooms, thereby providing a viable alternative to short-haul flights for both leisure and business travelers. Unlike traditional overnight rail services, which often involve shared compartments, Nox Mobility's trains will offer private spaces for each passenger. Departures are scheduled from central stations in the evening, with arrivals the following morning at the destination’s city center.

“For leisure travelers, the journey becomes a night’s rest and skips the extra hotel stay altogether. Business travelers, who already make up 30% of night train users in France, avoid early morning departures to catch the first flight, overnight stays, and lost working time. With thoughtful design, personalized service onboard, and consistent timetables, Nox Mobility makes overnight rail predictable, affordable, and genuinely enjoyable,” the company stated in a press release.

Innovative Accommodations

Nox Mobility offers three room categories tailored to different needs. The Single and Double Loft rooms feature upper beds accessible by ladders, with separate seating and table areas. These rooms provide wide single and double beds, allowing passengers to sleep facing the travel direction, offering a loft-like view. The Double Vista rooms, on the other hand, have low-floor, chest-height beds for easy access, convertible into two seats, with views directly from the bed.

Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox Mobility and creator of the influential Simply Railway community, emphasized the startup’s customer-centric approach: “More than six hundred thousand people follow Simply Railway because they believe in the potential of night trains. They tell me every week what’s broken: the shared compartments, the delays, the prices. Nox Mobility is the result of years of riding night trains, discussing with customers, and seeing what works and what doesn’t.”

Strategic Implications for the Startup Ecosystem

Nox Mobility's initiative is a testament to the growing interest in sustainable and innovative travel solutions. For startups and investors, this venture highlights the untapped potential in leveraging existing infrastructure to meet modern demands. By 2035, Nox Mobility plans to connect over 100 European cities, a move that could significantly impact regional travel dynamics and set a precedent for future mobility startups.

Conclusion

As Nox Mobility prepares to launch its first routes in 2027, the startup is poised to transform the night train experience in Europe, making it a compelling alternative to air travel. With strong investor backing and a visionary approach, Nox Mobility is well-positioned to capitalize on this unique opportunity, signaling a promising future for sustainable travel innovations.

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