27 Best Public Transportation Startups to Watch in [2023]

Have you ever wondered who is on the list of Public Transportation Companies with the highest growth rates?

You’re not alone.

There are hundreds of Public Transportation Companies found there, and keeping track of the hottest new startups can be challenging.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are the top 27 fast-growing Public Transportation Startups that have top-tier venture capital funding.

What are Public Transportation Startups?

Public transportation startups are companies that offer alternative transportation services to people who don’t have access to traditional forms of transportation. These startups typically offer on-demand ride-hailing services, shared rides, or bike-sharing services. 

They may also offer innovative solutions like electric scooter rentals or autonomous vehicles. These startups have the potential to revolutionize transportation and make it more accessible to people who don’t have access to traditional forms of transportation.

They may also focus on reducing congestion and improving the customer experience through better route planning, better communication between riders and drivers, and more reliable and affordable services.

Top 27 Fastest-Growing Startups In Public Transportation

1) Bolt

Bolt is a transportation platform that offers services such as ride hailing, micromobility, and meal delivery.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Estonia
• City: Tallinn
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Markus Villig, Martin Villig, Oliver Leisalu
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $616,792,995
• Number of funding rounds: 11
• Number of investors: 27

You can find their website here.

2) FlixBus

FlixBus is a hybrid of a software firm, an e-commerce platform, and a transportation provider.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Munich
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Andre Schwammlein, Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $1,213,056,722
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 16

You can find their website here.

3) Rapido

Rapido is an online bike taxi aggregator and logistics service that enables people to share their bicycles with others.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Bengaluru
• Started in: 2015
• Founders: Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, Rishikesh SR
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $121,996,807
• Number of funding rounds: 9
• Number of investors: 32

You can find their website here.

4) Careem

Careem is a company that creates an app that assists Dubai commuters in finding a car to rent.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Dubai
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Abdulla Elyas, Magnus Olsson, Mudassir Sheikha, Wael Nafee
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $771,700,000
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 22

You can find their website here.

5) The Boring Company

The Boring Company’s goal is to build tunnels quickly so that a subterranean transportation network can be built.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Los Angeles
• Started in: 2016
• Founders: Elon Musk
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $233,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 2
• Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

6) Didi

Didi is a mobile platform that provides transportation services via an app.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Beijing
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Bo Zhang, Wei Cheng
• Number of employees: 5001-10000
• Funding amount: $23,246,700,000
• Number of funding rounds: 24
• Number of investors: 43

You can find their website here.

7) VOI Technology

Electric scooters for urban commuters are owned, operated, and managed by VOI Technology.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Sweden
• City: Stockholm
• Started in: 2018
• Founders: Adam Jafer, Douglas Stark, Filip Lindvall, Fredrik Hjelm, Keith Richman
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $355,900,000
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 25

You can find their website here.

8) GlobalTranz

GlobalTranz is a logistics management company that focuses on carrier, supply chain, and warehouse operations.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Scottsdale
• Started in: 2003
• Founders: Andrew Leto
• Number of employees: 501-1000
• Funding amount: $53,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

9) BusUp

Global Commuter Shuttle Service Provider with a Ground-Breaking Solution that Enables Shared and Flexible Commuter Shuttle Programs

Details of the startup:

• Country: Spain
• City: Barcelona
• Started in: 2016
• Founders: Alex Canals, Danilo Tamelini, Eva Romagosa, Rui Stoffel Fernandes
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $9,123,881
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

10) Local Motors

Local Motors is an American automaker that designs and manufactures safe and accessible mobility solutions for small towns.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Chandler
• Started in: 2007
• Founders: Damien Declercq, John B. Rogers, Mark Smith
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $15,250,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

11) Oye Rickshaw

Oye Rickshaw is an electric vehicle energy solutions startup that uses a booking app to link customers with public transportation.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Gurgaon
• Started in: 2017
• Founders: Akash Deep, Mohit Sharma
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $13,275,120
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 10

You can find their website here.

12) ofo

Ofo is a bike-sharing platform that operates entirely online and through a mobile app.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Haidian
• Started in: 2014
• Founders: Wei Dai, Xue Ding, Yang Pinjie, Yu Xin, Zhang Siding, Zhang Yanqi
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $2,151,231,992
• Number of funding rounds: 9
• Number of investors: 23

You can find their website here.

13) Trafi

Trafi is a mobility-as-a-service platform that helps communities and businesses achieve their objectives by providing shared transportation solutions.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Lithuania
• City: Vilnius
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Algimantas Krasauskas, Dr. Jurgis Pasukonis, Mantas Vizbaras, Martynas Gudonavicius
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $14,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

14) tembici.

tembici. is a bike-sharing firm based in Brazil.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Brazil
• City: Sao Paulo
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Maurício Villar, Tomás Martins
• Number of employees: 501-1000
• Funding amount: $62,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 2
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

15) Flash

Flash is a leading European logistics company at your disposal.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Luxembourg
• City: Luxembourg
• Started in: 1981
• Funding amount: € 32,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 2
• Number of investors: 3

You can find their website here.

16) Mafengwo

Mafengwo is a Chinese social media platform that allows users to share their travel experiences with others.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Beijing
• Started in: 2010
• Founders: Gang Chen, Gang Lv
• Number of employees: 501-1000
• Funding amount: $503,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 12

You can find their website here.

17) LifeMiles

Avianca and TACA’s frequent flyer program, LifeMiles, has been combined and upgraded.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Colombia
• City: Bogotá
• Started in: 2011
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $343,700,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 1

You can find their website here.

18) Yellow

Yellow is an online micromobility platform that allows users to rent bikes and e-scooters.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Brazil
• City: Sao Paulo
• Started in: 2017
• Founders: Ariel Lambrecht, Eduardo Musa, Renato Freitas
• Number of employees: 501-1000
• Funding amount: $125,300,000
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

19) door2door

The Next Public Transportation #GovTech #SaaS #AI #Infrastructure

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Berlin
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Maxim Nohroudi, Tom Kirschbaum
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: € 31,750,000
• Number of funding rounds: 6

You can find their website here.

20) Drivy

Drivy is a European car rental marketplace.

Details of the startup:

• Country: France
• City: Paris
• Started in: 2010
• Founders: Nicolas Mondollot, Paulin Dementhon
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $51,900,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 8

You can find their website here.

21) Urbvan

Urbvan is a mobile app-based mass transit mobility network that connects inner-city commuters in a smart way.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Mexico
• City: Mexico City
• Started in: 2016
• Founders: Joao Matos Albino, Renato Picard
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $11,192,728
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 9

You can find their website here.

22) SWAT Mobility

A tech business established in Singapore that specializes in demand-responsive shared transportation, making commuting easier for everyone.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Singapore
• City: Singapore
• Started in: 2015
• Founders: Arthur Chua, Jarrold Ong, Nicholas Jachowski, Shijing SJ Lin
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $12,263,720
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 8

You can find their website here.

23) Meru Cabs

In India, they were the first to offer private radio taxi services.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Mumbai
• Started in: 2007
• Founders: Neeraj Gupta
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $75,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

24) GoMore

Carpooling, peer-to-peer automobile rental, and private car leasing with a lease-and-rent-out model are all available through GoMore.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Denmark
• City: Copenhagen
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Matias Dalsgaard, Søren Riis
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $18,203,743
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 11

You can find their website here.

25) ETCP

ETCP is a company that specializes in intelligent parking solutions.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Beijing
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Long Tan
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $280,399,574
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

26) T3 Mobile Travel Services

T3 Mobile Travel Services provides renewable energy-powered car-sharing services.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Nanjing
• Started in: 2019
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: CN¥9,760,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

27) YinLong Group

Lithium batteries, materials, power supplies, and electric vehicles for public transportation are all manufactured and supplied by the YinLong Group.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Zhuhai
• Started in: 2008
• Founders: Yincang Wei
• Number of employees: 1-10
• Funding amount: $432,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

FAQs

Is Public Transportation Business Profitable?

The profitability of public transportation businesses can vary greatly. It depends on factors such as the type of services offered, the number of customers, the location, and the cost of operating the business. 

In some cases, public transportation businesses can be highly profitable, while in others they may not be. Ultimately, the success of a public transportation business depends on the owner’s ability to manage costs and generate sufficient revenues to cover expenses.

What Is The Average Investment In Public Transportation?

The amount of investment in public transportation varies greatly depending on the type of public transportation and the size of the city. Generally, investments in public transportation range from a few million dollars for smaller cities to hundreds of millions, or even billions, for larger cities.