BlaBlaCar member Join announced Wednesday, 15 April redeem carpooling.com, its German rival. The French carpool website and consolidates its position as world number one. Frederic Mazzella, its founder, discusses this event decisive for the adventure of his startups.
Why buying carpooling.com
– To accelerate our growth. Always go faster, higher, stronger! We are strengthening our position in Germany, which is a big country carpool. It is combined with the second player in carpooling in Europe. This allows us to make economies of scale. In the digital, they are essential to continue innovating.
Is it a way to become profitable
– We are growing, we can not be profitable, we raised $ 100 million to invest. That’s not the issue.
What does it change for the co-voitureur?
– The ads will be pooled. This will prevent them to publish on several sites. It is a market place. As a village, it works better if there is only one.
This does not he raises monopoly problem
– Our environment is mobility. Especially in Germany, where transport is very fragmented between train, bus, car and carpooling.
When did you say you wanted to Carpooling buy them?
– This does not happen like that. It started several months ago, but we’ve known for years. When we meet in salons and you are doing the same job, one wonders if it was necessarily a common future. It was necessary to settle the terms. But this was not complicated because we had both the will to do so. The idea of a common history was natural.
This acquisition was it the reason for fundraising $ 100 million last summer
– No. But we raised money for we continue to expand internationally . And we had raised more than carpooling. We also had a more important position in Europe. When we approached the negotiations, this has put us in the position of an acquisition rather than a merger.
You now have problems multinationals, with two branches in Germany, will you combine them?
– It is too early to know what we’ll do. The important thing for now is to ensure that there is better communication between everyone. We are 260 employees. Have two offices in a country like Germany is not huge.
What is your next step?
– At our fundraiser last summer, we indicated our desire to expand in various countries, particularly in Asia and Latin America. We started in India and Turkey, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, etc. It remains Latin America …
And the United States?
– This is not a market for us. There is also no real actor who performs carpooling long distance. For Driver, it is not economically very interesting: gasoline is less expensive, highways are often free, the purchasing power is higher. In addition, cities are more fragmented: it is more difficult to make an appointment between co-voitureurs, it takes more time
Go. -you make other acquisitions
– It’s hard to talk about. We do what it takes to grow as fast as possible. And acquisitions are a good way. So yes, there will surely be others. This will be decided depending on opportunities.
Now that your position as world leader is confirmed, you will become a business to a billion dollars
– (laughter). I do not know. You know, do you? You can …
Interview by Donald Hebert
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