Italian mobility startup Scuter has expanded its partnership with supermarket group Esselunga so that users of its three-wheeled electric vehicles in Milan can now earn loyalty points from their journeys.
The arrangement gives an early example of a wider strategy for Scuter, which has built its own vehicle, software and operating infrastructure as a single platform that can connect with other urban businesses.
Users can link an Esselunga Fìdaty loyalty card to the MyScuter app and automatically earn one Fìdaty point for every kilometre travelled. The first phase of the partnership, launched three months ago, worked in the opposite direction by allowing Fìdaty members to convert shopping points into credit for Scuter journeys.
The expanded arrangement is exclusive to Scuter for light mobility. Fìdaty has around 5.5 million customers in Italy, while Scuter’s deployed fleet in Milan is expected to reach 200 vehicles soon.
Gianmarco Carnovale, Chief Executive of Scuter, said the speed of the expansion reflected the confidence built during the first phase.
“The first partnership connected two previously separate ecosystems,” Carnovale told Zag Daily. “Over these three months, we have built trust in our technology team’s ability to work within the requirements of a large corporation, as well as public appreciation of the first agreement.”
Building an integrated platform
Scuter designs and manufactures its own enclosed electric three-wheeler and operates the vehicles through its mobility platform. The vehicle has three wheels, a roof and a rear storage compartment for luggage or groceries. It can be driven with a driving licence and does not require a helmet.
Its Milan pilot began in November 2025 and has passed 15,000 app downloads. The company’s model covers directly operated cities, franchise operations and private fleets through the same platform.
Carnovale sees the Esselunga integration as an example of how Scuter can connect its infrastructure with other businesses.
“We are not interested in simply attaching brands or promotions to Scuter,” he said. “We want to technically integrate different ecosystems so that each partner can create value for the other.”
That approach rests on Scuter controlling the vehicle, software and operating model as one system. The company developed the vehicle and digital platform alongside its operating model, giving it control over components including batteries, sensors, connectivity, computing and software.
“We did not start with a fleet of third-party vehicles and add an app on top,” Carnovale said. “We designed the vehicle, digital platform and operating model as one integrated infrastructure.”
He said the same infrastructure can support private and corporate fleets, franchised city operations, urban and environmental data collection and energy management.
Scuter is developing projects in some of these areas with companies in the telecommunications and utilities sectors, although the partnerships have not yet been made public. The work includes smart-city services, environmental monitoring, decarbonisation and CO2-related services, as well as distributed-energy concepts.
The company argues that controlling the vehicle as well as the software gives it more scope to develop its technology than operators whose vehicles come from third-party manufacturers. While he stipulates that this is not a universal distinction, Carnovale believes that control allows Scuter to develop the connected device alongside the software that operates it.
From mobility service to ecosystem business
The wider strategy follows an 18-month period in which Scuter focused on validating its vehicle and operating model. The company completed a €3.5m seed extension earlier this year, after which Carnovale told Zag Daily that its next phase would include autonomous fleet capabilities.
Autonomy work remains part of the company’s technology roadmap, but its more immediate test is whether the infrastructure already operating in Milan can support commercial relationships with businesses outside mobility.
Esselunga is the first public example of that model. A Scuter journey now creates value inside another company’s loyalty programme, while the supermarket gains a new way to connect its customer base with everyday transport.
How far that model can be scaled across retailers, utilities, telecoms companies and cities will determine how Scuter can turn its integrated vehicle, software and operating infrastructure into a broader UrbanTech business.
