Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform umob, which fully integrates shared mobility, taxis, and public transportation into one app, has raised €6 million from several investors. The new investment follows a €2 million raise in 2022 at the launch of the platform and enables the company to accelerate making forms of mobility other than people’s own vehicles both more attractive and accessible among a wider audience, and scale internationally. A mission which starts with supporting municipalities in coordinating and increasing the acceptance of shared transportation, and umob playing a key role alongside municipalities, providers and companies.
umob launched its app in August 2023, bringing all travel options in the Netherlands under one roof. Full integration allows umob users to plan, book and checkout their trips through a single app, without having to access providers’ individual apps. In addition to public transportation and taxis, the MaaS app has also integrated all shared transportation. Although the number of shared mobility providers has increased significantly in recent years, it still comprises only a small percentage of transportation in Europe.
Raymon Pouwels, co-founder umob, explained: “To make shared mobility a good alternative to private transportation, which is a frequent source of pollution, the cause of ever-increasing traffic jams, and more and more full parking lots – there must always be a vehicle at your disposal within a three-minute walk. Due to factors such as regulations, a transportation provider can’t manage this on its own. A MaaS app makes all the difference here: with all providers in one app, you always have a transportation option within walking distance.”
Founded in The Netherlands, umob plans to use its new investment to rapidly expand its services to wider Europe. Pouwels added: “We are investing in connecting all mobility providers to our platform, many of which operate internationally. Our platform is therefore prepared to offer our service internationally and for tourists we are easy to find and use. Our ambition is to expand to two more countries in the short term, starting with Belgium next year. Within three years we want to be fully operative in six different countries.”
In addition to its goal of providing a complete and accessible mobility platform, umob wants to start helping municipalities improve the integration of shared mobility. To do so, it is looking at, among other things, the best locations for mobility hubs, mediation between providers, and data exchange. Through collaboration, umob wants to increase the acceptance of shared mobility.
Bibi Jorissen, co-founder umob, said: “Offering a large and diverse range of services is only one aspect important to the success of shared transport. Practical elements such as parking spaces, hotspots and nuisances are at least as important. With the anonymized data and knowledge we collect from all carriers and travel movements, we are a central stakeholder to municipalities, providers and companies. Together we must ensure that we are shaping the transportation of the future in the right way.”
