How it all started…
Since its creation, BlaBlaCar has transformed the way millions of people travel. Through a few key dates, discover how the platform became a global mobility player across regions.
December 2003
Fred was planning to spend Christmas with his family in the countryside, but without a car and with trains fully booked, his sister came to pick him up. On the way, struck by the number of solo drivers, he came up with the idea to create a transport network using those empty seats.
2006
After two years of development with a friend and a former colleague, Fred founded the company, giving birth to Covoiturage.fr.
2007 ➜ 2010
Francis and Nicolas joined this young startup and built the foundations of a trusted carpooling community. The platform was renamed BlaBlaCar and expanded to Spain and the UK.
2011 ➜ 2015
Supported by strong growth in France and several funding rounds, the founders expanded the service internationally and launched BlaBlaCar in 21 countries.
2016
BlaBlaCar celebrates its 10th anniversary by publishing a series of 10 stories highlighting key moments in its growth.
Through testimonials from founders, employees, investors, sharing economy experts, and community members, this series reveals the behind-the-scenes of the BlaBlaCar journey and traces how the company was built over the years.
➜ Discover BlaBlaCar’s INSIDE STORY.
2018
BlaBlaCar has reinvented its identity and mission to step into a new phase of growth. No longer just a carpooling platform, BlaBlaCar now strives to be the go-to platform for all shared journeys.
2018
After democratizing long-distance carpooling, BlaBlaCar is launching BlaBlaCar Daily, its app dedicated to commuter carpooling.
2019
Convinced that combining different modes of transport is essential to offer a credible alternative to individual car use, BlaBlaCar acquired Ouibus and, for the first time, expanded its mobility offering beyond carpooling by launching a bus network across Europe.
2019
Outside Europe, BlaBlaCar pursues the same goal by leveraging its expertise as a technology platform. The acquisition of Busfor enabled it to launch a marketplace connecting thousands of bus operators to its platform. Thanks to these two acquisitions, the BlaBlaCar app has truly become multimodal.
2024
BlaBlaCar secured a majority stake in Obilet, Turkey’s leading platform for coach ticket bookings and one of the top three global players in the intercity coach market.
2024
BlaBlaCar sold its first train ticket by connecting operators Renfe, Iryo, and SNCF to its platform.
We’ve come a long way
BlaBlaCar has become a global mobility player, enabling millions of travelers to reach every corner.
