Technology

Posted on October 15, 2018 by staff

Ride-hailing app backed by West Brom FC star is crowdfunding

Technology

A ride-hailing app which boasts 1,500 drivers and is backed by West Brom striker has launched a crowdfunding round as it gears up to scale.

Arrive was set up to solve a number of problems which it says are faced by users of other taxi-booking platforms by allowing passengers to always choose the driver they want – whether it’s the cheapest, quickest or best-rated option.

The London start-up claims to have a network of 1,500 drivers and has been downloaded by thousands of users.

It has raised £475,000 to date, led by Hal Robson-Kanu of West Brom FC, and has now launched a campaign to attract additional funding from Crowdcube investors.

Arrive is looking to raise at least £250,000 in return for a 1.52 per cent equity stake in the business – and has so far exceeded £50,000.

“With 15,000+ downloads and 1,500 drivers before we’re even out of BETA, we expect bigger numbers once we get traction and start scaling,” the company’s crowdfunding page stated.

“So far, we’ve had investment from top athletes, experienced financiers, social influencers and C-level executives, but want to offer a wider crowd the opportunity to invest to potentially reap the rewards of disruptive technology too.”

Arrive’s senior management team is made up of founder and CEO Hans Manku, who has nine years of experience in the ride-hailing tech space; CTO Rob Noble; operations manager Ivy Henry, who previously worked in operations at Uber; and CMO Ollie Clamp.

The company is also advised by Jim Turley, ex-global COO of Deutsche Bank; John-Paul Savant, CEO of ATG Media & former head of Product for PayPal; and Ton Christiaanse, former CEO of Brakes UK.