Blacklane raises €22 million for local ride services and sustainability

Up round accelerates investment in city-to-city rides and chauffeur hailing

BERLIN – 24 March 2021 – Global chauffeur service Blacklane has raised €22 million from existing shareholders to:

• Extend the industry’s best-priced city-to-city chauffeur trips.

• Expand its novel chauffeur-hailing service.

• Make new green travel investments.

“The global travel and mobility industries have suffered, with several players struggling between drastic cuts, hibernation or ceasing operations. Blacklane has taken the opportunity to cater to travelers’ emerging needs,” said Dr. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder of Blacklane. “Thanks to this financing, we will continue to fast-track our innovation, with zero layoffs.”

Blacklane targets rides returning first: regional and local trips

Last year Blacklane launched the most affordable city-to-city fares in the U.S. and U.K. Guests embraced safe and comfortable door-to-door alternatives to trains and short-haul flights. Now, Blacklane's city-to-city trips reach 32 countries on five continents. Travelers value flat rates, privacy, sanitized vehicles, and personalized departure times. They gain productivity by avoiding the crowds, waiting, and boarding procedures of mass travel.

Chauffeur hailing started on March 1st and now spans 22 cities -- including Dubai, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Singapore -- across 11 countries. Blacklane’s on-demand rides maintain the trust of its scheduled trips, giving locals a new safe inner-city service. The company sets fares by distance only, eliminating surges from high demand and traffic.

The best local chauffeur companies uphold Blacklane’s top quality and health and safety standards across all rides. Chauffeurs open and close doors and provide water, hand sanitizer and masks. They eliminate guest contact, replacing the traditional handshake greeting with a slight bow. Vehicles come from premier automakers including Audi, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz.

Blacklane’s five-star scheduled service continues as usual in more than 50 countries, providing airport and train station transfers and hourly bookings.

Blacklane will extend its leadership in green mobility with EVs and more offsetting

In February, the company announced a majority stake in Havn, London’s all-electric chauffeur service. This will accelerate the electrification of its global fleet. As a first step, chauffeur hailing in Amsterdam, London and Milan comes with electric vehicles (EVs).

Blacklane has used Teslas for scheduled rides in dozens of cities since 2018. It added the Jaguar I-PACE from Havn and will onboard more automakers’ EVs this year.

Blacklane was the first carbon-neutral ride service worldwide. It has offset emissions starting from 2017's global rides and business operations. This year, the company will offset its carbon emissions from 2016 back to its 2011 founding.

“Worldwide travel restrictions give us a one-time chance to reset our expectations for safe and sustainable trips,” said Wohltorf. “Blacklane will recover responsibly and continue to grow while caring for both people and the planet.”

About Blacklane (blacklane.com)

Blacklane’s global chauffeur service brings peace of mind to travelers moving through a fast-paced world. The crew’s dedication to safety, reliability, and smart technology places Blacklane at the forefront of a new era of stress-free travel. Since 2017, the company has been carbon-neutral, combining a five-star guest experience with care for the planet. Upgrade your travels on Blacklane’s mobile apps or website.