Daimler AG is investing in one of the leading ride-sharing networks, carpooling.com (Update – March 2023: The startup seems to be re-directing to Blablacar, and we therefore deactivated the original link).
The main shareholders of the Munich-based ride-sharing company will remain the three founders, as well as venture capital firm Earlybird. The capital investment of about $10 million will primarily serve the development and expansion of carpooling.com’s mobility solutions.
carpooling.com is already one of the world’s leading ride-sharing networks, transporting 1 million people a month across Europe. The platform is available on the internet, on smartphone apps, as well as Facebook. The young company, which was founded in 2001, globally brings together ride-sharers for both medium- and long-distance trips, as well as for commuting. By reviewing profiles and ratings, users know exactly who they are travelling with. In addition to rides, the platform also offers bus, rail and airline tickets.
The goal of this new strategic partnership is to further expand carpooling.com’s platforms and intelligently integrate the offerings within Daimler’s mobility solutions. The partners are hoping to benefit from each other’s experience in connection with customer needs, technical systems development, as well as in international rollouts of successful mobility concepts.
“We view ridesharing as an important element of intelligently-networked mobility. Our engagement in carpooling.com is a logical step in offering our customers an even wider range for getting from Point A to Point B,” stated Wilfried Steffen, who heads up Business Innovation at Daimler AG.
“The partnership gives us an unprecedented opportunity to grow the carpooling.com marketplace. As a leading automotive player Daimler will serve as a strong partner in further establishing the role of modern carpooling in Europe and overseas. We will be utilizing the new capital to further improve our offerings, broaden our customer service and make carpooling available to even more users worldwide,” notes carpooling.com’s CEO Markus Barnikel.
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