Automakers are betting big on the latest mobility platforms, likes this latest investment by Daimler AG.
The parent company of Mercedes-Benz has announced investment in Blacklane, a Berlin-based startup that offers chauffeur services at fixed prices. It only started in 2011, but like Uber, it has spread quickly to markets around the world. By now it’s in over 200 cities and 400 airports in more than 50 countries, taking a bigger slice of a $30 billion market.
Daimler first invested in Blacklane in 2013, but with the startup completing another financing round, the automaker has invested even more. The two aren’t saying just how much Daimler’s investment amounts to, but Blacklane reports it has raised tens of millions in this round alone from various sources, and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that the automaker provided the lion’s share.
Of course Blacklane isn’t the only mobility service in which Daimler has invested heavily. It bought both the Hailo and Mytaxi apps and merged them together, runs the Car2Go car-sharing program, and supports various urban mobility solutions through its Moovel brand.
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