Carsharing pioneer Getaround today announced the $300M acquisition of Drivy, the largest and fastest-growing carsharing platform in Europe. Expanding on Getaround’s vision of a world where all cars are shared, the combined company now spans 300 cities in the U.S. and Europe, adding international presence in six European countries: France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium, and the U.K. With more than five million users between the two companies, Getaround is now the world’s leading carsharing marketplace.
Headquartered in Paris, Drivy has quickly built a community of two and a half million users across Europe with an established track record of local market execution and innovation. Combining the strengths of Getaround and Drivy will create an unparalleled offering for people in Europe to instantly rent and drive great cars shared by people nearby—all the while reducing the financial burden of car ownership by enabling people to earn money by listing and sharing their car when they’re not using it.
Over the past several years, Getaround has pioneered the connected carsharing marketplace through its Getaround Connect®, a patented technology that enables users to locate and unlock cars using their smartphone, making carsharing accessible to more people at any time of day. Getaround and Drivy share this vision of connected carsharing, as Drivy also introduced an instant smartphone unlock function—a connected technology that removes the inconvenience of renters and owners needing to meet up to pick up car keys.
Getaround and Drivy share this vision of connected carsharing, as Drivy also introduced an instant smartphone unlock function—a connected technology that removes the inconvenience of renters and owners needing to meet up to pick up car keys
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with the Drivy team as we move closer to our vision of creating a world where all cars are connected and shared,” said Getaround Founder and CEO Sam Zaid. “As the leading European carsharing marketplace, Drivy has built a strong business with products, teams, and values that closely align with ours at Getaround, making for a natural integration for our employees and users. Consumers all over the world are embracing the ease, flexibility, and freedom that connected carsharing offers. Getaround is delivering on growing consumer demand by providing a consistent, instant, and safe carsharing experience in 140 U.S. cities—and now, across the 170 cities in Europe that Drivy has developed.”
“Thanks to the remarkable work of our team, Drivy has become the largest carsharing platform in Europe,” said Drivy Founder & CEO Paulin Dementhon. “Carsharing will replace car ownership in large urban markets, meeting consumer demands for instant and flexible transportation options, while also making cities more liveable by freeing them from idle cars and reducing congestion and pollution in the process. Connected technology, frictionless user experience, and increased car fleet density are the keys to this evolution, as they make it more convenient to use a shared car than your own. Getaround is an ideal partner for us because our companies are aligned in so many ways while being complementary on key aspects of our business, like geography or fleet acquisition. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
Dementhon will remain in his role as the CEO of Europe, as will the broader Drivy executive team, to oversee European operations and to continue growing and evolving market-leading, consumer-facing products and services.
SOURCE: NGP Capital
