What Next Mobility does

Next Mobility (Nexxt Mobility Co., Ltd.) is a Fukuoka-headquartered mobility-services company founded in March 2019 as a 50/50 joint venture between Nishi-Nihon Railway (Nishitetsu) and Mitsubishi Corporation, with additional offices in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shiojiri. The company operates and licenses the "Noru-to" AI on-demand bus platform, which dynamically computes efficient shared-ride routes from real-time passenger reservations to address transport gaps caused by Japan's aging population, driver shortages, and declining fixed-route ridership. Its core technology is built on Spare Platform (from Spare Technology Solutions / Spare Labs Inc.) with proprietary layers including AI on-demand routing, voice reservations (developed with Serverworks), LINE mini-app booking without app downloads, QR-coded stop infrastructure, surge/backup dispatch across service zones, multimodal MaaS integration, and Japan's first integration of Level 2 autonomous buses into an on-demand platform (Koga City).

The platform is delivered through two primary channels: (1) self-operated commercial bus service in Fukuoka Iland City jointly run with Nishitetsu, generating fare revenue from cash, IC cards, credit/debit, and special tickets; and (2) solution provision to municipalities and transport operators across Japan — encompassing system licensing, implementation consulting, driver training, vehicle procurement support, and ongoing customer success on multi-year contracts. Pricing is quote-based for solution services and per-ride (with age-based and zone-based variants) for end users. Additional revenue streams include vehicle procurement support for operators and professional services for public ride-share programs using Type 1 license drivers.

As of 2025–2026 the platform is deployed in 70+ municipalities and enterprises across all Japanese regions, with a stated 100% service-continuation rate, 140,000+ monthly users per deployment area (industry-largest per-area user base), and 100+ passengers per vehicle per day. Customer logos span transport majors (Nishitetsu, Keio, Hankyu Bus, Hiroshima Dentetsu, Matsue City Bus, Kawashima Railway), municipal governments (Shiojiri, Munakata, Fuefuki, Oyama, Hyuga, Ukiha, Tohma, Nihonmatsu, Koga), and research institutions (OIST). The company has obtained ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and Privacy Mark certifications, a 2024 Good Design Award for its LINE mini-app, and memberships in MLIT/METI mobility councils, supporting its public-sector go-to-market.

Name

Next Mobility

Legal name

Nexxt Mobility Co., Ltd. (ネクスト・モビリティ株式会社)

Website

https://next-mobility.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Next Mobility operates the Noru-to AI on-demand bus platform, serving Japanese municipalities and transport operators to address transport gaps caused by aging demographics and driver shortages. The platform combines AI ride-sharing routing with LINE mini-app booking, taxi integration, and autonomous-bus support across 70+ deployments nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Technology / On-Demand Transit Software

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (48599)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Last-Mile On-Demand Feeder to Transit (First/Last-Mile Providers) (THAIAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ride-Hailing / On-Demand Mobility for Business (Managed Ground Transport) (TLABALAF)

Keywords

• AI on-demand transit
• Demand-responsive transport
• Microtransit platform
• MaaS solutions
• Public transit technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Commercial Operations (自主商業運行事業): Self-operated on-demand bus service in Fukuoka Iland City, jointly managed with Nishi-Nihon Railway. Revenue generated from passenger fares including cash, IC cards, credit/debit cards, and special tickets.
2. Solution Provision to Municipalities & Transport Operators: Providing AI on-demand bus systems, consulting, and operational support to municipalities and transport companies across Japan. Revenue derived from system licensing, implementation consulting, and ongoing support contracts.
3. Vehicle Procurement Support: Supporting municipalities and transport operators with vehicle procurement for on-demand bus operations.
4. Public Ride-Share Support Services: Support services for public ride-share (自家用有償旅客運送) programs, including operational framework setup and management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Next Mobility develops and operates the "Noru-to" (のるーと) AI-powered on-demand bus routing and dispatch platform, sold as a solution to Japanese municipalities and public transport operators. The company also self-operates commercial on-demand bus services in select regions such as Fukuoka Iland City, while providing vehicle procurement support and public ride-share operational services to deploying partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Noru-to (のるーと): AI-powered on-demand bus service using artificial intelligence to create efficient shared routes based on user reservations. Provides flexible transportation matching the convenience of taxis with the efficiency of shared buses.

Products and services

• Noru-to AI On-Demand Bus Platform (のるーと) AI-powered on-demand bus routing and dispatch platform, built on Spare Platform technology with LINE mini-app booking, voice reservation, MaaS integration, and readiness for autonomous vehicle and taxi-dispatch integration. Sold to Japanese municipal governments and public transport operators as a turnkey demand-responsive transit solution.
• Self-Operated On-Demand Bus Service (Fukuoka Iland City area) Commercial on-demand bus service operated directly by Next Mobility in the Fukuoka Iland City area, using the Noru-to platform to dispatch vehicles in response to passenger bookings. Serves end-user riders in a B2C fare-paid model and functions as a reference deployment for the company's B2B platform offering.
• Public Ride-Share Operational Support Services Operational services that help municipal and transport-operator partners launch and run public ride-share and on-demand bus operations, including dispatch oversight, driver coordination, and rider support. Sold as a service complement to the Noru-to platform.
• Vehicle Procurement Support Procurement assistance for buses and vehicles used in on-demand transit deployments, leveraging the company's corporate backing to supply hardware to municipal and operator customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140,000+ monthly users per area; 100+ passengers per vehicle per day (2025 November, company survey)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, secondary and primary.

• Dennou Kotsu Co., Ltd. (株式会社電脳交通)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2026Dennou Kotsu provides the cloud-based taxi dispatch system 'DS' used by ~650 taxi companies and ~23,000 vehicles across all 47 prefectures. Integration with Noru-to enables unified taxi dispatch within the Noru-to app, creating a seamless multi-modal transport option. Taxi operators continue using existing DS tablets without additional operational burden.
• Spare Technology Solutions Co., Ltd. (スペア・テクノロジーソリューションズ株式会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2026Spare provides the AI-powered on-demand ride-sharing platform (Spare Platform) underlying the Noru-to system. Also provides IP for credit card payment processing through Spare Labs Inc. The platform supports real-time route optimization, wheelchair-accessible dispatch, and integration with external MaaS and taxi systems.
• Fukuoka City / Iland City (福岡市/アイランドシティ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Fukuoka City Iland City district serves as Next Mobility's primary self-operated reference deployment. Next Mobility operates autonomous commercial service (Type 4 road transport) in Iland City jointly with Nishi-Nihon Railway, demonstrating the platform in a real urban environment.
• Smart Mobility Challenge Promotion Council (スマートモビリティチャレンジ推進協議会)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Member of the Smart Mobility Challenge Promotion Council, jointly organized by METI and MLIT. Industry coordination body for promoting smart mobility solutions.
• Transport Gap Elimination and Public-Private Collaboration Platform (交通空白解消・官民連携プラットフォーム)minorOthers · 1 January 2025MLIT-supported platform for coordinating public-private efforts to address transport gaps in regional Japan. Next Mobility participates as a member.
• Kyushu MaaS Council (九州MaaS協議会)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Supporting member of the Kyushu MaaS Council, contributing to regional mobility integration efforts.
• Kawasaki New Mobility Service Demonstration Experiment Council (KAWASAKI 新モビリティサービス実証実験協議会)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Co-creation platform member for Kawasaki's new mobility service demonstration experiments.
• Fuji MaaS Promotion Council (ふじMaaS推進協議会)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Member of the Fuji MaaS Promotion Council supporting regional mobility integration in the Mt. Fuji area.
• SENBOKU Smart City Consortium (SENBOKUスマートシティコンソーシアム)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Supporting member of the SENBOKU Smart City Consortium.
• Takarazuka City 'Life & Transport' Co-Creation Platform (宝塚市「くらしの交通」共創プラットフォーム)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Co-creation platform constituent for Takarazuka City's residential transport initiative.
• Mitsubishi Corporation (三菱商事) — Impact Report CollaborationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Mitsubishi Corporation conducted and published a social impact (impact investment style) analysis of the Noru-to service in collaboration with Mitsubishi Research Institute. Report released September 2025 through Mitsubishi's integrated report, covering Shiojiri City and Munakata City deployments.
• LINE Yahoo Communications Corporation (LINE雅虎コミュニケーションズ株式会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2023LINE Yahoo Communications developed and co-deployed the Noru-to LINE mini-app, enabling ride booking through LINE without app downloads. First launched in Umi Town, Fukuoka in February 2023. The LINE mini-app covers 20+ areas as of October 2024 and enables elderly-friendly digital access to on-demand transit services.
• Nishi-Nihon Railway Co., Ltd. (西日本鉄道株式会社)primaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2019Nishi-Nihon Railway (Nishitetsu) is a co-founding shareholder of Next Mobility and the primary operational partner. Provides bus operations expertise, fleet management, and driver resources. Jointly operates the Iland City Noru-to service in Fukuoka. Nishitetsu's decades of transit operations knowledge underpins Next Mobility's service quality and reliability standards.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global ride-hailing and mobility platform with growing transit integration (Uber Transit, public-transit partnerships); broad incumbent with overlapping on-demand passenger transport but not specialized in Japanese municipal transit.
• Cubic Transportation Systems: Major global provider of transit fare collection, real-time passenger information, and transit management for public agencies; broad incumbent serving the same municipal transit buyer persona.
• MONET Technologies: Toyota-affiliated Japanese autonomous-mobility and MaaS joint venture; broad Japanese incumbent with overlapping interest in regional on-demand and autonomous MaaS services.
• Lyft: US ride-hailing platform with public-transit partnerships and shared-ride offerings; broad mobility incumbent with comparable on-demand ride-grouping but less focus on municipal transit agency SaaS.

Direct peers

• Via Transportation: US-based AI-powered on-demand ridepooling platform serving transit agencies and municipalities with dynamic shared transit; directly comparable in technology, business model, and municipal customer segment.
• Padam Mobility: French AI on-demand transit platform deploying dynamic ride-sharing for public transport in suburban and rural areas; highly comparable in product, customer type, and on-demand optimization thesis.
• Optibus: Israeli AI transit-optimization platform serving public-transportation agencies globally with scheduling, routing, and on-demand transit technology; comparable AI-driven mass-transit optimization focus.
• Spare Labs: Canadian AI on-demand transit platform that supplies the core Noru-to engine. Closest comparable in product (AI on-demand transit), target customer (transit agencies), and integration breadth (MaaS, payments, accessibility).
• MOIA: Volkswagen subsidiary operating on-demand shared-mobility shuttle services across European cities; directly comparable in on-demand shuttle operations, vehicle ownership, and municipal partnerships.

Regional players

• WILLER: Japanese mobility and travel group operating highway buses, tourism, and emerging MaaS services; regional Japanese peer with overlapping on-demand and inter-city transit interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Next Mobility