The popular French carpooling platform BlaBlaCar is acquiring the Russian startup BeepCar, a carpooling platform launched in 2017 by Mail.Ru Group. The acquisition was announced along with a partnership between the Mail.Ru Group, which is the largest internet business in Russia, and BlaBlaCar.
BlaBlaCar launched in Russia in 2014 and quickly became the largest carpooling service in the country, bringing a long-distance travel solution to millions of Russians. Russia has since become BlaBlaCar’s largest market, with over 15 million members out of a global community of over 65 million. Over the last two years, BeepCar has seen solid growth in both users and booked rides, with total app downloads reaching over 5 million in Q2 2018 across Russia, though BlaBlaCar remains the market leader.
“Today’s news forms part of a wider strategy to consolidate BlaBlaCar’s international growth," said Nicolas Brusson, co-founder and CEO of BlaBlaCar. "Through this acquisition, we are doubling down our commitment to develop carpooling in Russia, and to address growing Russian demand for a convenient and reliable long-distance mobility solution."
As of this autumn, BeepCar traffic will be redirected to BlaBlaCar, driving advertising revenue for Mail.Ru Group. Mail.Ru Group will continue to focus on developing its larger verticals: food delivery, classifieds, cross-border trade, and taxi ride-hailing services.
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