Getaround acquires car-sharing platform Drivy for $300 million

Getaround has acquired Drivy, the largest car-sharing platform in Europe, for $300 million.

The combined company now spans 300 cities in the US and Europe, adding international presence in six European countries: France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium and the UK.

San Francisco-based Getaround empowers drivers to rent cars shared by people in their city via its Getaround Connect app, while Drivy offers access to 55,000 cars.

With more than five million users between the two companies, the acquisition has made Getaround the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace.

Getaround said that combining the strengths of the two companies will create an “unparalleled offering” for people in Europe to instantly rent and drive cars shared by people nearby, at the same time as reducing the financial burden of car ownership by enabling people to earn money by listing and sharing their car when they’re not using it.

Sam Zaid, founder and CEO of Getaround (pictured left), said: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with the Drivy team as we move closer to our vision of creating a world where all cars are connected and shared.

“As the leading European car sharing marketplace, Drivy has built a strong business with products, teams, and values that closely align with ours at Getaround, making for a natural integration for our employees and users.

“Consumers all over the world are embracing the ease, flexibility and freedom that connected car sharing offers.

“Getaround is delivering on growing consumer demand by providing a consistent, instant and safe car sharing experience in 140 U.S. cities—and now, across the 170 cities in Europe that Drivy has developed.”

Paulin Dementhon (right in the picture), founder and CEO of Drivy, added: “Car-sharing will replace car ownership in large urban markets, meeting consumer demands for instant and flexible transportation options, while also making cities more liveable by freeing them from idle cars and reducing congestion and pollution in the process.

“Connected technology, frictionless user experience, and increased car fleet density are the keys to this evolution, as they make it more convenient to use a shared car than your own.”