Getaround

Getaround is an online car sharing or peer-to-peer carsharing service that allows drivers to rent cars from private car owners, and owners to rent out their cars for payment.[2]

Getaround
IndustryCarsharing
FoundedSeptember 9, 2009 (2009-09-09)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
FoundersSam Zaid
Jessica Scorpio
Elliot Kroo
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Area served
Urban areas of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Globally, Getaround is in France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the U.K., Norway, and the Netherlands.
ServicesCarsharing
Number of employees
550[1]
Websitegetaround.com

As of 2019, the company was reported to have five million users and approximately 20,000 connected cars worldwide.[3]

Getaround launched to the public on May 24, 2011 at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference. The company operates in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington D.C.[4]

History

Getaround was founded in 2009 by Sam Zaid, Jessica Scorpio, and Elliot Kroo. In May 2011, Getaround won the TechCrunch Disrupt New York competition.[5] In 2012, Getaround began serving Portland, Oregon with the aid of a $1.725 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration.[6]

In November 2016, Getaround reached an agreement with City CarShare to take over its fleet, parking spaces and member base.[7]

In August 2018, Getaround raised $300 million in fundings from Softbank.[8]

In April 2019, Getaround absorbed the carsharing platform Drivy for $300 million[9][10] and rebranded as Getaround six months later.[3]

Restructuring and layoffs

In January 2020, The Information reported the company plans to lay off approximately 150 staff members or about twenty-five percent of the workforce.[11]

Tech failure and theft

The Getaround app and GetaroundConnect device installed in the car have been used by thieves to steal Getaround cars.[12] Thieves use the app to locate cars, and are able to easily remove the device under the steering wheel. Getaround does not take responsibility for these thefts, and shifts the burden onto owners. Similarly, Getaround's failing business model has caused major delays (upwards of two months) in responding to renter accidents, and avoiding paying loss-of-use compensation to owners.[13]

References
  1. "Getaround". www.getaround.com. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  2. "Getaround Connects Car Owners and Renters with P2P Marketplace", Business Insider, June 7, 2011.
  3. Dillet, Romain (2019-01-17). "Drivy rebrands to Getaround six months after acquisition". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  4. "Getaround Expands To Boston", Newswire, May 10, 2017.
  5. DesMarais, Christina."Getaround Named 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt Winner" Archived 2011-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, Technology Inc., May 26, 2011.
  6. Tomio Geron (13 December 2011). "Getaround Brings Car-Sharing To Oregon With Federal Grant". Forbes.com. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  7. Carolyn Said (10 November 2016). "City CarShare hands over on-demand auto rentals to Getaround". Sfchronicle.com. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  8. "Car-sharing startup Getaround raises $300 million in funding led by SoftBank". Reuters.com. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  9. "Übernahme von Drivy: Carsharing-Riese Getaround drängt nach Europa" (in German). Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  10. Dickey, Megan Rose. "Getaround acquires European car rental platform Drivy for $300 million". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  11. Weinberg, Cory (2020-01-07). "Getaround to Lay Off About One-Fourth of Staff". The Information (company). Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  12. Metro, Luz Lazo closeLuz LazoTransportation reporter covering Washington's; buses; Bikeshare, Capital; taxis; networkEmailEmailBioBioFollowFollow, the region's road. "Thieves are using peer-to-peer car rental apps to find their next ride". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  13. "r/GetAround - What's going on with Get around?". reddit. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
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