Zify Explained

Zify
Type:Privately held company
Industry:Vehicle for hire
Founders:Anurag Rathor
Location:Paris, France
Services:Carpooling

Zify is a vehicle for hire and carpool service operating in Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Paris, and Berlin.[1] [2] [3]

Zify allows car owners to share their planned route and offer available seats online, where passengers can request the rides. The passengers can select the car owners that they want to ride with, how much space and comfort they needed, where they wanted to meet and what they were willing to pay.[4] The service could be accessed from a website or mobile app.[5]

History

Zify was founded in India in 2015 by Anurag Rathor.[6] Rathor was previously working as a technology specialist with Wells Fargo, who used to offer ride sharing to the people standing at the taxi stands.[7] After a few weeks, he realized that there is an opportunity for providing a last-mile connectivity and invested his savings to start a company. In May 2015, he raised a seed round during a TiE event in Hyderabad.[8]

The company started operations in Hyderabad and worked on registering the car owners. The intention of the founders was to enable people with limited budget to travel and share the expenses.[9] They focused on the security of the travellers and verify the details of the car owners before they can offer a ride sharing. In early 2017, they entered the European market and choose Paris to establish its headquarters.[10] The company participated in the Ford Motor Company's Make It Driveable AppLink challenge and you as one of three winners, receiving €10,000 and got a chance to work with Ford.[11]

In 2018, the company expanded operations to Berlin, Germany.[12]

Funding

Zify raised $190,000 in angel round backed by investors Sean O’Sullivan of SOSventures and two Hyderabad-based investors.[13] [14]

Recognition and awards

In 2017, the company participated in the Web2day event and held the second place.[15] The company was a part of 2017 Techstars Paris business incubator program.[16]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ride-sharing startup Zify raises Rs 1.2 cr from angel investors. Babu. Anita. 2015-10-12. Business Standard India. 2018-04-29.
  2. News: VioletStreet, Zify get funding at Startup SmashUp. @businessline. 2018-04-29. en.
  3. News: Ride Sharing Service Firm Zify Raises $190K in Angel Round, Also Eyes $3M in Series A Funding. 2015-10-12. iamwire. 2018-04-29. en-US.
  4. News: Hyderabad based Zify.co raises $190K from angel investors - Start-Up Hyderabad . Korukonda . Ravi. Start-Up Hyderabad . October 12, 2015.
  5. News: Des news de la startup Zify - J'aime les startups. J'aime les startups.
  6. Web site: Mohandas Pai's Aarin Capital invests in Faircent. www.dealstreetasia.com. 2018-04-29.
  7. News: Future Of Car Pooling Startups In India - Interview With Anurag Rathor, Founder Of Zify. 2015-01-13. IndianWeb2.com. 2018-04-29. en-US.
  8. News: Pooling along. @businessline. 2018-04-29. en.
  9. News: Exclusive: Hyderabad Based Zify Grabs $190K To Make Ridesharing The New Fad - Inc42 Media. 2015-10-12. Inc42 Media. 2018-04-29. en-US.
  10. Web site: Zify Has Chosen To Move Into The Paris Region Due To Its Leading Position In Facing The Challenges Of Urban Mobility. www.investparisregion.eu. en. 2018-04-29.
  11. News: Ford gets in sync with digital driving trends with its latest app hackathon. 2018-04-29. en-SG.
  12. News: Making Carpooling Successful: A Look Into Zify’s Carpooling Service - Startupbootcamp. 2016-10-17. Startupbootcamp. 2018-04-29. en-US.
  13. News: Ride-sharing app Zify raises $190K in angel funding. 2015-10-12. VCCircle. 2018-04-29. en-US.
  14. Web site: www.ETtech.com . India Funding Daily: Gridle, Faircent, Bizongo, Tripoto, Zify, Kulzy, Zeppery - ETtech . https://web.archive.org/web/20151015001616/https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/india-funding-daily-gridle-faircent-bizongo-tripoto-zify-kulzy-zeppery/49321132 . 2015-10-15 . 2018-04-29 . ETtech.com . en.
  15. News: Start-up. Ces entrepreneurs nantais repérés au Web2day . Ouest-France.fr . fr-FR.
  16. News: September 11, 2017 . Announcing the Class of Techstars Paris 2017 - Techstars . https://web.archive.org/web/20170912224652/https://www.techstars.com/content/accelerators/announcing-class-techstars-paris-2017/ . 2017-09-12 . Techstars.