The Munich startup Ridebee wants to develop a carpooling app for daily commuters. The first customers were already able to convince the three founders Tobias Reinerth, Fabian Seitz and Lukas Mohs. When driving their startup, Xpreneurs and LMU EC were certainly also helpful for the founders of Exist. What else does Mobility startup have to say? Tobias answered our 7 questions.
1.Who are you and what are you doing?
Lukas met me, Tobias, during his semester abroad in Melbourne. I had studied mathematics at the Technical University of Munich and an MBA in Paris and convinced Lukas to go to the TU Munich as well. In another semester abroad, at MIT in Boston and the CMU in Pittsburgh, Lukas met Fabian again, a business graduate who completed our founding team.
With Ridebee we are developing a carpooling application for daily commuting. The original idea came up, because during my studies I had to commute about 40 km to the campus in Garching. The focus of our platform, apart from the initial matching of carpools, is above all on the long-term daily organization. This ensures regular use. This serves to build critical mass and get the platform rolling.
2. But that’s already there!
In fact, we often hear that … The range extends from comparisons with BlaBlaCar to DriveNow. Every shared mobility solution is suitable for specific routes. When car sharing (for example DriveNow, Car2Go) vehicles are provided, in the Ridehailing (for example, Uber or CleverShuttle), there are even vehicles and drivers. The comparison with BlaBlaCar is the closest to it. However, there is a clear focus on individual long-distance trips between cities and the B2C market.
Our approach directly addresses companies that also cover the costs of their employees. And for the time being our platform is limited to the daily commute to work and between company locations. We already serve around 50% of the distance traveled on short-haul routes in Germany.
By arranging rides that take place on a daily basis anyway, we lower the costs by a factor of 4 compared to carsharing and by a factor of 10 compared to riddle-sailing. Our goal is not to increase the number of vehicles on the roads, such as It is demonstrably the case for carsharing and ridding, but in contrast to increase the number of people per vehicle.
“Less emissions, congestion and parking problems”
3.What are the three main ingredients of your recipe for success?
First and foremost a strong team – we complement each other well in our competencies and are always in a good mood – both in the office and outside.
From the beginning it was important for us to work very data-driven in product development. This helps us to see where our resources are best used to get from A to B quickly, in the truest sense of the word.
Many mobility services increase individual comfort but, unfortunately, effectively bring more car kilometers to the streets. With our product, we reduce the burden of emissions, traffic jams and parking problems, thereby contributing to a sustainable mobility turnaround. That drives us every day.
4.Butter with the fish: How’s the business going?
In the meantime, we have started a project on the TUM Campus in Garching Research Center and additionally at another company location. Beginning with further companies is directly in the spring of 2019. In the existing projects, the product is well accepted with applicants of up to 15%. In addition, we have a clear roadmap on how we can further increase utilization rates.
5. What does Munich mean for you?
Munich is a true Mobility stronghold. Startups such as Mitfahrgelegenheit.de, Flixbus and Lilium were built here. The incubation programs of the TUM and LMU have brought us a lot forward. In addition, the Digital Hub Mobility and the Munich Urban Colab, which is due to open in 2020, offer further opportunities for promotion and networking. And what Ridebee especially (unfortunately) additionally accommodates … Munich is Germany’s traffic jam capital!
6. How does your startup become the next unicorn? Or see you soon on the Epic Fail Night?
The shared mobility market is growing at an annual rate of around 30%, benefiting all modes. On the other hand, our project is of course a matter of social mindset and proper timing. In any case, it says ‘All in’ without backup plans.
7. Schweinshaxn or Steckerlfisch?
We do not always agree on everything, here already: Obviously the Hax’n!