Pirelli Takes RIDEsense Stake To Advance Cyber Tyre Software

Pirelli has agreed a technology and investment deal with RIDEsense, an Italian mobility software start-up, to strengthen the software layer of its Cyber Tyre ecosystem. The agreement gives Pirelli a licence to use RIDEsense virtual sensor technology and includes a 24.99% equity stake, with an option to increase ownership to 100%.

A software step for connected tyres

The deal adds another specialist software company to Pirelli’s connected tyre programme. RIDEsense was spun out from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II and the MegaRide Group. Its work centres on physics-based algorithms that model vehicle and tyre behaviour.

Pirelli said the agreement includes safeguards on the granting of rights to third parties. This matters because virtual sensor technology could become commercially important as vehicle manufacturers seek more tyre-level data for electronic safety systems.

The move follows growing industry focus on sensor-based and software-led tyre intelligence. Tyre News recently reported that Pirelli Cyber Tyre won V2X Innovation of the Year, recognising its role in real-time tyre and road data integration. The agreement also follows Pirelli’s separate technology investment in Univrses, covered in Pirelli Takes Univrses Stake To Advance Cyber Tyre Tech.

How RIDEsense fits Cyber Tyre

Pirelli Cyber Tyre already uses physical sensors embedded in tyres to collect data and send it to vehicle electronic systems. The system can support functions linked to anti-lock braking, stability control and traction control.

RIDEsense adds a virtual sensing layer. Its algorithms process data generated by sensors already installed in vehicles, rather than relying only on hardware inside the tyre. In practice, combining physical and virtual sensing could improve the quality and range of information available to vehicle systems.

Pirelli said the integration will strengthen existing functions, including aquaplaning detection. It is also expected to support new tyre diagnostics and wider vehicle diagnostics.

That gives the agreement direct relevance to original equipment (OE) programmes. As cars become more software-defined, tyre data is increasingly being treated as part of the vehicle’s safety and control architecture, not simply as a maintenance input.

A wider role in ADAS

Pirelli said the RIDEsense agreement supports Cyber Tyre’s development towards a broader role in advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving. The company has already positioned the technology as a way to improve safety, performance and efficiency by transmitting tyre data in real time.

The platform is also being tested beyond the vehicle itself. Tyre News reported on Pirelli’s Cyber Tyre road monitoring pilot in Apulia, where connected tyre and camera data are being used to assess road surface conditions and signage.

For tyre manufacturers, this points to a wider shift in value. Premium tyre development is no longer focused only on compound, tread pattern and casing design. It increasingly includes data capture, software integration and links to vehicle control systems.

Piero Misani, Chief Technical Officer at Pirelli, said the company began work more than 20 years ago on integrating data collection and transmission capabilities into tyres. He said the RIDEsense agreement would expand Cyber Tyre by strengthening its software component, which he described as central to the ecosystem.

Italian research moves closer to production

RIDEsense’s founders also framed the deal as a technology transfer story. Chief executives Flavio Farroni and Aleksandr Sakhnevych said the agreement brings together Italian research and industry, moving a project that began more than ten years ago in Naples towards Pirelli’s production environment.

RIDEsense was founded in 2023 within the MegaRide ecosystem, which has also generated companies including VESevo and Grip Advisor. The business is based at the Campania NewSteel incubator and says its technology is protected by an international patent portfolio.

Its technology is available as software for standard production vehicle electronic control units. It is also offered as hardware through the Kymes platform, aimed at testing and motorsport users.

Why it matters to the tyre trade

For tyre retailers and fleet suppliers, the immediate impact may not be visible at the point of sale. The longer-term significance is clearer. Tyres are becoming part of the vehicle data chain, particularly in premium, EV and connected mobility segments.

This could shape OE approvals, diagnostics, servicing conversations and future fleet reporting. It may also affect how tyre performance is explained to drivers and procurement teams.

The direction is not unique to Pirelli. Tyre News has also covered Michelin’s universal tyre digital twin, which uses in-vehicle data to estimate tyre condition, grip, load, pressure and wear. Together, these developments show that tyre intelligence is becoming a competitive technology field for global manufacturers.

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Tagged with: Pirelli Cyber Tyre, RIDEsense, virtual sensors, connected tyres, tyre sensors, ADAS, autonomous driving, tyre diagnostics, vehicle diagnostics, smart tyres, OE tyres, mobility software‍

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