BVB Arena: Autonom, a market leader in mobility guided by Stoic philosophy
This article series tells the stories of the 15 finalists selected in the BVB Arena program. BVB Arena is the flagship program of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, dedicated to developing and promoting the Romanian entrepreneurial environment.…
This article series tells the stories of the 15 finalists selected in the BVB Arena program. BVB Arena is the flagship program of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, dedicated to developing and promoting the Romanian entrepreneurial environment. The program’s goal is to select and promote Romanian companies that have the greatest growth potential and high chances of becoming impactful players in the local and even regional economy.
The story of Autonom began in 2006 in Piatra-Neamţ, in North-Eastern Romania. The company has developed sustainably, step by step, with optimism and trust in the future. Over the course of its 19 years of activity, Autonom has grown into one of the leading providers of integrated mobility services in Romania, managing a fleet of over 16,000 cars.
“What made us start this company was an idea that I discovered in the United States, which I decided to test in Romania and was very quickly validated by the market here,” says Marius Ștefan, Co-founder & CEO of Autonom.
The company began by offering car rental services to Romanians returning from the diaspora. Today, Autonom is a top 5 player by turnover in operational leasing and car rentals in Romania. The company operates the broadest mobility network in the country, present in over 30 cities in Romania and Hungary, providing a variety of modern transportation and financing solutions such as: short- and medium-term rentals, operational leasing, chauffeured transfers, temporary fleet rental and management services, road assistance, car wash and equipment rental services.
“Since its inception in 2006, the Autonom group has recorded double-digit growth each year, reaching a turnover of approximately EUR 147 million in 2023. We currently have a team of over 600 employees in all our divisions,” adds Dan Ștefan, Co-founder of Autonom.
Company identity
Autonom is an example of a 100% Romanian business that has grown progressively and organically on the local market, creating a successful organizational culture based on continuous learning, autonomy, and a positive impact in the community. The company was always committed to doing everything necessary to help customers, find solutions to their problems, take on risks, and provide services with respect and a smile on their faces.
"In the last 7 years, we have been very active on the merger market, investing in companies from different sectors such as finance, insurance, technology, and mobility,”
