Rotterdam’s umob raises €6M to combat traffic congestion and emissions: Here’s how

Rotterdam-based umob, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, announced on Thursday that it has raised €6M from several investors. 

The Dutch company says it will use the funds to advance its mission of making alternative modes of transportation appealing and accessible to a broader audience while expanding its reach internationally. 

Raymon Pouwels, co-founder of umob, says, “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 add five countries to the platform in the next five years, starting with Belgium next year.”

The announcement follows a €2M raise in 2022 at the launch of the platform. 

umob: What you need to know

Founded by Raymon Pouwels and Bibi Jorissen, umob is a MaaS platform that combines all mobility providers through full integrations into one app and puts the traveler first. 

In August 2023, umob released their app which consolidated all travel options in the Netherlands into one platform. 

With full integration, users can plan, book, and pay for their trips all within the app, eliminating the need to use multiple individual apps from providers.

The platform aims to combat traffic jams, congestion, emissions, and an abundance of parked cars by providing an uncomplicated alternative to owning a vehicle. 

In addition to public transportation and taxis, the MaaS app has also integrated all shared transportation. 

Raymon Pouwels, co-founder umob, says, “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.”

Umob aims to provide a comprehensive and accessible mobility platform while also assisting municipalities in integrating shared mobility.

The Dutch company aims to increase shared mobility acceptance through collaboration, including identifying optimal mobility hub locations, mediating provider relationships, and exchanging data.

Bibi Jorissen, co-founder umob, says, “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 anonymised data and knowledge we collect from all carriers and travel movements, we are a central stakeholder in municipalities, providers, and companies. Together we must ensure that we are shaping the transportation of the future in the right way.”