BlaBlaCar

When BlaBlaCar founder Frédéric Mazzella left too late to book train tickets home one Christmas, his sister agreed to drive him from Paris to the family home 300 miles away. During the trip, he was struck by how many cars on the road had only the driver seat occupied. “There were thousands of seats available, but not on trains — in cars,” he says. This sparked an idea that is now changing the way people travel the world over. With 35 million members in 22 countries, BlaBlaCar is the world’s largest ridesharing community, allowing people to connect with drivers going the same way and share the cost of the journey. BlaBlaCar has grown as a result of constant innovation. Becoming a mobile-first company and developing on Android has helped the company adapt to the needs of its users and reach more customers. “Our members are using Android, especially in emerging countries, which has helped us when we launch in countries like India, Brazil, Turkey and Russia,” says Frédéric Dermer, Head of Product. Android’s openness has helped BlaBlaCar streamline the development process, so it can prioritise on improving customer experience. “If every device had its own operating system, we would have to allocate so much time to development for each one,” says Verena Butt d'Espous, Head of Corporate Communications. “Android helps us focus on making the user experience better, on creating innovative features, and creating value for our members.” BlaBlaCar’s goal is to turn every single car on the road into a BlaBlaCar, and with Android on board, the company will continue to innovate along the way. “When we started, ridesharing wasn’t a known travel alternative. We’re enabling people who would have never met before to connect and share a great experience as they travel together,” concludes Verena.

Android helps us focus on making the user experience better, on creating innovative features, and creating value for our members.

Verena Butt d'Espous, Head of Corporate Communications, BlaBlaCar