Carpooling Picks Up in Tehran

EghtesadOnline: A startup called Mibarim (we take you) has launched a service which aims to assist short distance carpooling and daily commute within the Tehran metropolitan region.

News ID: ۷۴۲۳۰۳

21 June 2017

The brand, which is supported by DMOND Accelerator, started working last year and has more than 6,700 registrations from vehicle owners and passengers, local Web News Agency reported.

However, Mibarim is not the first to introduce such services since other players in the market like Carvanro, Hampasho.com and Rahsepar have been offering similar services for a couple of years already.

The apps are available for Android and iOS, and features payments, mapping, contact info, and other useful services related to travel around the capital city, Financial Tribune reported.

With Mibarim, people should create profiles verifying their identity by phone and ID number, so as to ensure safety of commuters.

The procedure is like other similar services popular in the world; passengers can choose their route on the app’s map and look for vehicles on their designated route.

Registered users can also give and receive comments to promote the quality of their carpools.

Carvanro Investment

Meanwhile, Isle of Man-based Indigo Holdings, which is connected to London-based Pelican partners through its executive director, Sarem Edward Kerman, reportedly acquired a 5% stake in Carvanro.com in January.

According to Stock Market Wire, Indigo invested €176,800 in a series A fundraising round, following the app’s initial investment by Stockholm-based Pomegranate Investment in 2016 for over €100,000, Swedish media reported last year.

That company’s website said at the time that Pomegranate Investment invested less than 2% of its portfolio in the car sharing app.

By having more people using one vehicle, carpooling reduces each person’s travel costs such as fuel costs, tolls, and the stress of driving. Carpooling is also a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel as sharing journeys reduces air pollution, traffic congestion, and the need for parking space.