BlaBlaCar acquires fellow carpooling firm Less

Carpooling platform BlaBlaCar has acquired urban carpooling company Less. The two Paris-based companies hailed a ”natural fit” as they announced the deal. BlaBlaCar has more than 60 million members across 22 countries worldwide, and is hoping to draw on the … Continue reading →

Carpooling platform BlaBlaCar has acquired urban carpooling company Less.

The two Paris-based companies hailed a ”natural fit” as they announced the deal.

BlaBlaCar has more than 60 million members across 22 countries worldwide, and is hoping to draw on the added experience of developers at Less, which offers a real-time carpooling service.

Less, founded in October 2016, specialises in app creation and distribution, big data analytics and in-car embedded systems.

BlaBlaCar already operates within the short-distance carpooling space with its BlaBlaLines app.

Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, one of six co-founders of Less, said: “Less is conscious of the challenges of creating a scalable marketplace in the mobility space, and anticipating consolidation within the market, the team wanted to combine its forces with an established industry player.”

Nicolas Brusson, co-founder and CEO of BlaBlaCar, said: “We are delighted to welcome an innovative and talented team that is just as passionate about carpooling as we are. Today’s acquisition takes place at a period of real innovation at BlaBlaCar, following the roll-out of BlaBlaLines across France, and the development of a new algorithm that increases the granularity of our long-distance service.”

Florent Boutellier, another co-founder of Less, added: “Joining forces with BlaBlaCar is a fantastic opportunity for the team to innovate within the mobility sector, with immediate impact and on a large scale”.