Mapping 7 European unicorns in travel & mobility tech

The one-fits-all approach has lost its way in the tourism industry, especially with the Millenials since they don’t consider a beach holiday as the perfect way of passing the time. With huge exposure to technology, the way we spend our holiday has also been altered. As a result, Europe, a continent with the flourishing tourism market, embraces both the advantages and challenges of a travel and tourism ecosystem.

A lot of startups in Europe are setting their sights on the travel and mobility industry, which is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. Capitalising on technology, startups are making good use of web and mobile applications, revolutionising the way from booking ground travel in Europe to finding a place to hike in a national park.

Very few companies have figured that if a customer can be engaged on a much more regular basis, the engagement increases and ultimately allows them to cater to and transact more frequently with that customer. Today, with the help of Dealroom, we have listed some of the most promising European unicorn that are here to stay.

Bolt (Tallinn, Estonia)

Funding: €215M

Considered as one of the main rival to Uber, the Estonia-based unicorn Bolt offers low prices for users and higher pay for its drivers. Founded by Markus Villig and Martin Villig in 2013, the company was initially called Taxify.

Notably, Bolt is one of the fastest-growing ride-hailing businesses in the world and has grown to serve more than 30 million customers across 150+ cities in more than 35 countries. It is also the largest ride-hailing operator in Europe to offer carbon-neutral rides.

BlaBlaCar (Paris, France)

Funding: €405M 

BlaBlaCar was founded in 2006 by Francis Nappez, Nicolas Brusson, and Frederic Mazzella in Paris. It is a long-distance carpooling platform that connects drivers with empty seats and passengers to share travel costs. At present, the French company operates in 22 countries across Europe, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, and India.

GetYourGuide (Berlin, Germany)

Funding: €595M

GetYourGuide is an online marketplace and internet booking engine for incredible travel experiences. The company is on a mission to transform ordinary trips into extraordinary experiences by turning customers’​ travel dreams into reality. It was founded in 2009 by Jochen Mattes, Johannes Reck, Martin Sieber, Pascal Mathis, Tao Tao, and Tobias Rein.

Flixbus (Munich, Germany)

Funding: €455M

FlixBus was launched in 2013 in Germany after the liberalisation of the national market. Founded by André Schwämmlein, Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert, the company is backed by investment companies, including Germany’s Holtzbrinck Ventures and U.S.-based Silver Lake Partners and General Atlantic.

In Europe, FlixBus is the leading platform for long-distance bus services covering 26 countries. Those who use FlixBus save 80% CO2 emissions compared to a trip by car. In 2018, FlixBus transported 45 million travelers across Europe and the US.

Omio (Berlin, Germany)

Funding: €269M

Based out of Berlin, Omio is a multi-modal travel booking platform. With this platform, users can compare prices, schedules, duration, and other variables for several routes in both markets at-a-glance. At present, Omio is available in 21 languages and attracts an average of 27 million users per month from more than 120 countries. A few months back, Omio went through a rebranding from its original name GoEuro as part of its global growth strategy.

Cabify (Madrid, Spain)

Funding: €369M

Cabify is a ride-sharing company that operates in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

AUTO1 GROUP (Berlin, Germany)

Funding: €747M

AUTO1 Group is Europe’s leading used-car marketplace with its own certified and diversified inventory. By connecting buyers and sellers through technology, the company enables consumers as well as dealers to trade seamlessly. AUTO1 Group operates in almost 30 countries and continues to expand rapidly.

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