Rotterdam-based umob, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, introduced that it has acquired MaaS International, a Finnish mobility firm working in a number of cities, together with Vienna, Antwerp, Helsinki, Turku, Tokyo, Birmingham, and Switzerland.
MaaS International lately filed for chapter.
umob has obtained MaaS International’s expertise via this acquisition. In keeping with the corporate, umob won’t proceed the Whim app, as an alternative, they plan to combine its performance into the umob app over time.
The takeover social gathering
Based in 2015 by Sampo Hietanen, MaaS International, the creator of the Whim app that consolidates journey choices in a single place, filed for chapter in March.
Whim, launched in 2015, was the primary business MaaS service and gained reputation with 1 million customers and over 30 million rides. The corporate raised over $75M in funding from buyers like NordicNinja, BP Ventures, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, amongst others. Nonetheless, it confronted monetary challenges.
Now, umob is appointed by the curator because the takeover social gathering. umob plans to capitalise on MaaS International’s 10 years of expertise in Mobility-as-a-Service.
Raymon Pouwels, co-founder of umob, says, “The acquisition of MaaS International represents an acceleration in our mission to make umob a worldwide MaaS platform. We soft-launched within the Netherlands final 12 months in order that we might optimise our app, however now we’re rising shortly.”
“We efficiently built-in shared mobility suppliers of mopeds and bikes like Cooltra, Donkey Republic and GO Sharing, along with public transport and taxi providers. Our purpose is to combine all types of mobility.”
“Becoming a member of forces with MaaS International, who has undoubtedly built-in extra transport than anybody on a worldwide stage, allows us to sooner scale all through Europe.”
Hietanen, founding father of MaaS International and inventor behind the idea MaaS, provides, “I’m completely satisfied to see all of the laborious work and experiences of MaaS International put into good use with umob. MaaS as an idea continues to be at its infancy and umob represents the buyer going through strategy that can drive the idea ahead.”
A single mobility app
umob’s MaaS platform integrates numerous mobility suppliers right into a single app, enabling customers to plan and pay for journeys throughout completely different providers on the similar worth provided by the suppliers.
This integration entails shut collaboration with mobility suppliers and authorities establishments centered on addressing city mobility challenges.
In October 2023, umob secured $6.5M in funding to advance this integration within the Netherlands, aiming to streamline transportation options for customers in cities.
Bibi Jorissen, co-founder of umob says, “By integrating all mobility suppliers in a single app, we not solely make travelling simpler for everybody, however we additionally make mobility challenges extra clear for municipalities to unravel them.”
“We use information – anonymised in fact – to map commuting patterns, see the place bottlenecks are positioned and the place alternatives are to make transport extra sustainable.”
“The acquisition of MaaS International can also be about information and, necessary to us in as we speak’s labour market, skilled specialists who’re capable of clear up the worldwide mobility challenges.”
Transient about umob
Based by Raymon Pouwels and Bibi Jorissen, umob is a MaaS platform that mixes all mobility suppliers via full integrations into one app and places the traveller first.
umob has been working since August 2023. It gives entry to public transport, taxis, and shared mobility choices like scooters, bicycles, and automobiles via a unified account.
The corporate’s objective is to develop right into a European Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, serving as an middleman between governments and transportation suppliers to deal with city mobility challenges.