Dutch mobility startup Gaiyo acquires Almere-based Mobility Mixx to expand its services

Netherlands-based Gaiyo, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider which allows users access to all types of (shared) and public mobility, announced that it has acquired Dutch counterpart Mobility Mixx from MHC Mobility Europe BV.

Founded in 2001, Mobility Mixx is a service provider of mobility solutions for enterprises in the Netherlands with an aim to become Europe’s number one corporate mobility solution.

The company uses its user interface (portal and app) and mobility card to address the client’s fleet integration, mobility, and expenditure management needs.

Employers and workers can create their ideal mobility mix with this smart and personalised mobility solution, which suits each company’s mobility requirements.

The platform connects a wide range of transport and transport service providers (public transport, automobiles, e-bikes and scooters, refuelling, loading, parking, etc.), which allows for the registration and subsequent billing of all journeys. 

Mobility Mixx’s customers include VodafoneZiggo, Tesla, Wageningen University & Research, the Municipality of The Hague, Hunter Douglas, Eiffel, Dille & Kamille, Europcar and Elastic.

“One app for all your transport”

The Gaiyo app functions as a personal travel assistant. It was launched in 2020 as the product of Innovactory. On January 1, 2023, Innovactory changed its name to Gaiyo – it means ‘overview’ in Japanese.

The app offers a real-time overview of all available travel options and combinations, complete with departure and arrival times, travel time, and costs. It offers travel options like train, tram, and bus, as well as shared transportation. 

The app also displays the hours when connected public transit is available.

Currently, there are many parking apps on offer in the Netherlands including Amber, ConnectCar, Greenwheels, MyWheels, and Sixt Share, among others. However, the differences in price and service offered have been small so far. And this is where Gaiyo is making a difference. 

The company claims to offer the cheapest parking app in the Netherlands. It provides practical extra transit features without levying transaction or subscription costs for parking acts. 

Through the app, users can plan their route, get a traffic jam summary, utilise the app to purchase rail tickets or even reserve a shared ride.

The company was founded in 2013 by a team of experienced TomTom employees, CEO Lucien Groenhuijzen (former TomTom board member) and COO Maurice Mulders and CTO Steven Lagerweij.

In 2022, Gaiyo Business was launched for business customers. This means employees can plan, reserve, and travel with all shared mobility, public transit, and parking using a single app and one account for both work and personal trips.

Employers, on the other hand, can manage their employees and possibilities in Gaiyo by using the Gaiyo Business portal; also all transaction summaries and invoices are located here.

Aim of this acquisition

Having acquired Mobility Mixx, Gaiyo is now able to provide corporate clients with a larger range of services, such as using an OV-chipcard when commuting, recharging or fueling, monitoring mobility budgets, and tracking workers’ CO2 emissions, which will be required of employers as of 2024.

As for Gaiyo Business, the company claims that its position has also improved in the commercial sector, and its user base has expanded by 50 per cent after this acquisition.

Gaiyo says, “Our main focus in recent years has been on serving consumers. With the acquisition of Mobility Mixx, we welcome more than a hundred new business accounts to Gaiyo Business.”

“The acquisition also makes a significant contribution to our sustainability goals. Our goal is to achieve a reduction of 70,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions within five years.”