Blue officially launches in Romania, powered by eCabs Technologies platform

Blue officially launches in Romania, powered by eCabs Technologies

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Autonom Drive, the largest mobility operator in the Romanian market has selected the eCabs Technologies platform to launch Blue, a new ride hailing service in Bucharest, Romania.

Caption: eCabs Technologies CEO Matthew Bezzina (second from right) and Stephanie Portanier Mifsud, eCabs Technologies Cities Product Manager (far left) with the Blue leadership in Bucharest, Romania.

Powered by the eCabs Technologies ride-hailing technology platform, Blue is set to be an important player in shaping the ride hailing landscape in Romania, providing a seamless online ride-hailing solution for riders as well as safe and flexible work for drivers.

Blue is launching its service with a fleet of the latest Tesla Models 3 and Y and is available for download on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Blue officially launches in Romania, powered by eCabs Technologies platform

This is the third territory in which the eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform has been deployed, serving as the backbone for local transport businesses to launch their app-based ride hailing service under their own brand.

The use of eCabs Technologies technology in Bucharest, follows the launch of Taxi.gr app in Athens, Greece earlier this month.

With a fleet of over 12,000 vehicles and a workforce exceeding 600, Autonom Drive is a leading corporate in the mobility industry, operating in over 33 cities in Romania and Hungary.

An important player in shaping the ride-hailing landscape

Speaking during the official launch event in Bucharest on Wednesday September 27, eCabs Technologies Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bezzina said the successful roll-out of the service in Romania with a reputable player such as Autonom, is a strong confirmation of the global grade of eCabs’ technology stack and the capabilities of its people.

The Blue mobility service is set to be an important player in shaping the ride-hailing landscape in Romania, with a more efficient, quality-driven service, and like eCabs’ Malta, operating a unique 24/7 customer care and operations centre.

“We are thrilled to be working with Autonom and its team of professionals on this exciting project in the beautiful capital of Bucharest. The growth potential for Blue is evident, also very much fuelled by Autonom’s serious approach to business. I have no doubt that the strength of our technology platform combined with their focus and corporate stature will deliver exceptional results,” Bezzina said.

“This second launch in a few weeks, comes as we are engaged in discussions with corporate partners in key cities in Europe and beyond, to assist them in venturing into ride hailing business through our unique model, offering 13 years of packaged operational knowledge together with our bespoke multi-channel technology,” he added.

Bezzina added that the vision of taking eCabs Technologies to new heights would not have been possible without the support of the Malta Development Bank.

“The MDB has believed in and supported our internationalisation project from the very start, understanding our relentless drive to take our locally built technology overseas. Each city we launch in is a testament to their trust and support to help finance this growth which has helped make our vision a reality,” Bezzina said.

A safer and reliable service

Blue Managing Partner Andrei Stancu said the transport market in Romania is ripe for change and Blue is poised to deliver a safe, reliable, and affordable solution.

“The ride-hailing market in Romania is typically characterised by low standards of service and old vehicles, fuelled by cheap prices. At Blue, we made the conscious decision to fill and own a gap in the market, offering a safer and reliable round the clock service, using world class tech powering modern, high quality owned and partner fleets” Stancu said.

“After a thorough vendor analysis exercise, we chose to power our brand with the eCabs Technologies platform, and we’ve had an excellent understanding with the eCabs Team from the get-go. We are very optimistic about the future of Blue and the excellent business relationship we have with eCabs Technologies” he added.

The Romanian Market

Romania’s transportation market presents an exciting opportunity. With a population of over 20 million, and more than 11 million annual tourist arrivals. Whilst Blue has started its journey in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, the plan is for national growth.

And, with a significant portion of Romanian rides still waved down from the curb or booked over the phone, there is major potential for transformation and growth in the ride hailing market.

Tailor-made tech

Built in one of the world’s densest road networks and most competitive ride-hailing environments, eCabs Technologies provides a unique model in the international white label ride-hailing business – one which combines 13 years of 24/7 intimate operational expertise and a powerful, multi-channel technology platform.

This allows businesses all over the world to use the platform together with eCabs Technologies’ invaluable industry expertise and experience, to successfully launch their brands in any jurisdiction.

In the press:

Times of Malta | Malta Today | Lovin Malta | Who’s Who

eCabs Technologies on exporting ride-hailing tech

eCabs Technologies on exporting ride-hailing tech

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eCabs Technologies is exporting its technology and industry know-how beyond Malta’s shores, teaming up with overseas partners to launch new ride-hailing platforms. Its first international partnership comes in the form of Taxi.gr, which will debut in Athens, Greece this September, with other jurisdictions also in the pipeline.

The Athens launch in partnership with Greek company Intelligent Mobility App SA, signifies eCabs’ leap onto the global stage, backed by considerable research and development efforts, and a strategic drive for innovation and growth beyond Malta.

In an exclusive interview with MaltaToday, eCabs founder and CEO Matthew Bezzina sat down with MaltaToday to talk about the technological changes in the transport industry and what it took to take the eCabs product and export it abroad. He tells Nicole Meilak how the ride-hailing company transformed its business and is now going international.

Empowering global aspirants

eCabs Technologies describes its new product as a white-label solution for business interests looking to enter the digital ride-hailing space.

Bezzina says they have created ride-hailing tech that can be tailored to the specific needs of a foreign country and city.

The app they built for Greece for instance, looks and feels like the eCabs app, but incorporates specific features that are unique to the Greek transport reality.

This includes a unique pricing system that is based on the metering model used in traditional taxi cabs across Greece.

Similarly, when platforms launch in other jurisdictions, they will have their own unique features to reflect the rules and realities of that specific country.

But eCabs aren’t only bringing tech to the table. Bezzina says they also bring market expertise and operational know-how.

He said they are forming “comprehensive partnerships” with foreign operators, providing operational support, marketing assets, and industry acumen.

Their first partners are major taxi operators in the Greek capital.

Having been through the difficult transition from a traditional cab company to a digital ride-hailing platform, Bezzina says they know how to help other businesses make the same transition.

And they do it all from their headquarters in Malta.

“Within a 100m radius from our office, you have a ride-hailing laboratory, a research and development site right here in St Julians,” Bezzina said.

A digital evolution

Looking back on the eCabs Technologies journey over the years, Bezzina says the company was disruptive to the Maltese transport landscape. “eCabs Technologies made it easier for people to get involved in the industry”.

Today eCabs employs over 400 professionals, developing cutting edge tech, and is asserting its presence in the global ride-hailing market – a bold step for a Maltese, homegrown outfit.

“From 2016 and 2017 onwards, we went into a journey of digital transformation. Ultimately you need to level up in terms of the tech offering in order to be able to compete, not only on a local level but eventually on a global level.”

What was once a fleet ownership model has morphed into a dynamic marketplace connecting drivers and riders.

Technology has played an important role in this, but Bezzina thinks that data will have an even bigger influence on the market in the years to come.

“The more time passes, the more our company will have to become a data company. The user experience will be influenced, both from a driver and consumer standpoint, based on the right optimisation and usage of data.”

Triumph amidst adversity

COVID-19 took a major toll on cab companies – eCabs Technologies was no exception. The company experienced a 90% decline in year-on-year ride volumes as Malta ground to a halt.

But Bezzina says COVID-19 was the opportunity for eCabs Technologies to accelerate its transformation into a technology company.

“Throughout COVID the technology team became a technology company that today employs over 60 people. This is a growing number, and this all happened between 2020 and 2023.”

Bezzina says this is a story of resilience on several levels.

“It’s a story of resilience, of vision, of the team. It’s easy to do this stuff when you’ve just received a billion in funding. But we’re frugal, we optimised, and we’re self-funded. We survived – and even thrived – against all odds.”

The company’s move to internal technology development, Bezzina highlighted, was a pivotal move that enabled eCabs Technologies’ survival.

“Between 2010 and 2016 we used to depend on third-party technology… From 2016 onwards we took a conscious decision and said listen, we have to start building the technology internally because we have the product and operational know-how.”

And that leap has paid off with the company now eyeing overseas markets to export its technology.

The next time you are on holiday in Athens, you could very well be using Maltese technology to hail your cab ride to the Acropolis.

In the press:

Malta Today

eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform lands in Greece

eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform lands in Greece

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eCabs Technologies is set to deploy its ride-hailing platform in Athens, Greece, as it begins taking its industry expertise and operational know-how to new jurisdictions.

The taxi.gr ride-hailing app, developed at the eCabs Technologies headquarters in St Julian’s, Malta, and operated by Intelligent Mobility App S.A. based in Athens, Greece, provides a seamless online ride-hailing solution for riders as well as safe and flexible work for drivers, empowering individuals to move and work on their own terms.

It is the first territory where eCabs Technologies’ ride-hailing platform is being launched with other international jurisdictions also in the pipeline.

eCabs Technologies Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bezzina said the upcoming launch in Athens in September is the fruition of years of research and development and months of collaboration with its partners in Greece.

The taxi.gr platform is set to be an important player in shaping the digital transformation of the ride-hailing landscape in Greece.

“We are really proud of what we have created and what the company has accomplished. Growing eCabs from a small three-man start-up in 2010 to a group of companies employing over 400 people and a technology company with industry-leading talent. Now we are excited for eCabs Technologies to be flying the Maltese flag in the international ride-hailing industry beyond Malta’s shores,” he said.

On his part, Manos Koronakos, CEO of Intelligent Mobility App S.A. said, “This is a great opportunity and a perfect time for us to be launching our Taxi.gr ride-hailing platform, in a market that is ripe for digital growth. We are very excited to be working with eCabs Technologies with whom we have forged a great understanding and relationship”.

Manos Koronakos, CEO of Intelligent Mobility App S.A. with Matthew Bezzina, CEO of eCabs Technologies.

Digitising an offline market

Athens’ transportation market presents an exciting opportunity.

With a population of well over three million people, and more than six million annual tourist arrivals, the Greek capital has significant potential for growth.

And, with a significant portion of Greek rides still waved down from the curb or booked over the phone, the ride-hailing options for users remain largely offline.

Recognising the digital transformation sweeping through the industry globally, eCabs Technologies sought to create a dynamic online solution that caters to the needs of both riders and drivers alike.

“At eCabs Technologies we believe that by digitising the transport sector, we can unlock its potential.  This is what we have been driving towards everyday. Taking our tech to new, exciting jurisdictions like Athens is a big step towards achieving this goal,” Bezzina said.

Tailor-made tech

The eCabs Technologies engineering team in Malta developed a turnkey, white-label tech solution.

This allows businesses all over the world to use the platform together with eCabs industry expertise and experience, to successfully launch their brands in any jurisdiction.

The tech solution is also developed with bespoke country and city-specific features.

The taxi.gr platform being launched in Greece for instance, features a new in-app pricing model based on the metering requirements set by Helenic transport regulators.

eCabs Technologies ride-hailing platform lands in Greece

Bezzina said that all new tailor-made technology components that are developed in Malta for specific countries will further enrich the eCabs Technologies platform.

These features are designed to provide optimal support for international partners through efficient deployment of country-specific features that respect different jurisdictions’ needs and regulations.

Invaluable support

Bezzina said that the objective of taking eCabs Technologies to new heights would not have been possible without the support of the Malta Development Bank:

“The MDB has supported this project from the start, believing in our relentless mission to internationalise and take our locally built technology overseas. We are thankful for their trust and their support to help finance this growth which has helped make our vision a reality.”

To launch taxi.gr in Athens, eCabs Technologies has partnered with a major player in the Greek transportation industry and Bezzina said the eCabs team is excited to be working with them.

Looking ahead, eCabs Technologies and its Greek partners have ambitious plans to extend the taxi.gr platform across mainland Greece and its islands, providing a convenient and reliable transportation solution to an even broader national audience.

As the partnership evolves, the focus will remain on enhancing the rider experience, providing economic opportunities for drivers, and contributing to the ongoing digital transformation of the transport sector.

eCabs Technologies meanwhile is also engaged in other internationalisation partnership projects and will be releasing further announcements in the coming months.

“This is an exciting time for us – eCabs Technologies is moving from local to international, empowering ride hailing technology beyond its home shores, one partnership at a time,” Bezzina said.

In the Press:

Times of Malta | Lovin Malta | Who’s Who | TVM News | MaltaCEOs | Greek City Times

Roberta Metsola visits eCabs

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visits eCabs Technologies’ offices

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President Metsola toured the offices to meet the team behind the tech.

On Monday 29th August, eCabs welcomed the European Parliament President Robert Metsola.

During her stay, the President went around the offices to meet members of staff, with a particular focus on technology, and discussed the future of the mobility industry in the EU with the organisation’s heads.

“It was a pleasure to host Roberta Metsola at eCabs and share our ambitious vision and internationalisation programme, set to start in 2023. We held meaningful discussions on our ESG agenda, the opportunities and the goals of our company, as well as technology and the future of the mobility industry within the European Union. It was also lovely to see how warmly our team greeted her and how well she interacted with them”, said Matthew Bezzina, eCabs Technologies’ CEO.

On her part, the European Parliament President wished eCabs success and further emphasised the importance of solid values in today’s business strategy.

“Sustainability, innovation, green. Three characteristics which, in today’s world, should be the basis of any policy or project enacted by both public and private enterprises. Qualities that the Maltese company eCabs has embraced over the past years. This morning we spoke with team members at eCabs about how the European Union can do more for businesses, enterprises, and companies in Malta and across Europe”.

As Malta’s leading shared mobility firm, eCabs remains committed to leading the industry with innovative technology solutions guided by ESG principles.

As Roberta Metsola visits eCabs, the company reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and reducing its carbon footprint while embracing ESG principles.

In the Press:

Malta CEOs