Night‑Train Startup Raises €2M

Berlin startup Nox Mobility has raised a €2 million pre-seed round to build a night-train business built around private rooms instead of shared sleeper compartments. (trendingtopics.eu) The round was led by Berlin investor IBB Ventures, with backing from Italian investor Tommaso Lucca and HomeToGo co-founder Patrick Andrae. Nox said the money will fund hiring, a full-scale mock-up and work on first routes planned for 2027. (tech.eu) Nox was founded in 2025 by Thibault Constant, Janek Smalla and Artur Hasselbach. The company says its trains would leave central stations in the evening and arrive in city centers the next morning, aiming to replace a short flight and one hotel night with a single booking. (startup.eu) The pitch lands as night trains are drawing fresh interest in Europe, but the network is still far smaller than it was two decades ago. Nox and several outlets citing the company say weekly European night-train services fell from about 1,200 in 2001 to roughly 450 in 2019. (phocuswire.com) That decline helps explain the company’s focus on product design as much as rail operations. Nox says the problem is not just track access or rolling stock, but that many existing sleeper options remain expensive, shared and hard to sell beyond rail enthusiasts. (railadvent.co.uk) Its answer is a private-room layout aimed at solo travelers as well as pairs, with fares the company says would start at €79 for a single room and €149 for a double. Nox says it wants to keep prices near airfare while avoiding airport transfers and security lines. (trendingtopics.eu) The operating model is also part of the bet. Nox says it wants simplified routes without shunting maneuvers or overnight stops, and plans to use modular cabin designs and standardized operations rather than requiring entirely new trains. (tech.eu) Investors are framing that as a hospitality play as much as a transport one. IBB Ventures’ Roman Pimonov said the rail infrastructure already exists, while Nox co-founder Janek Smalla said the company wants a “hospitality-first” product rather than “just another rail company.” (eu-startups.com, vestbee.com) The next test is whether that design can survive the economics that have pushed much of Europe’s sleeper market into retreat. For now, Nox has investor backing, a 2027 launch target and a promise that overnight rail can feel more like a booked room than a bunk. (railwaygazette.com)