People’s Champion finalist 2017: Hiyacar

Start-up name: Hiyacar
Founders: Graeme Risby & Rob Larmour
Started in: February 2016
Based in: London
Business description: Peer-to-peer car sharing platform

Shortlisted category:

Crowdfunded Business of the Year

The Hiyacar story:

With 30 million registered cars in the UK, morning gridlock combined with rising car insurance and operating costs is slowly tempting a nation of drivers to find cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways of traveling.

Infusing the sharing economy with Britain’s love of cars, Hiyacar seeks to turn vehicles from being a financial liability into an income generating asset for drivers -whilst providing cheap, convenient and local access to people who need to use a car, but don’t want, or can’t afford, to own one.

A peer-peer service, Hiyacar’s online platform and app allows road users to pay for cars as and when they need them, while giving vehicle owners an extra source of income.

With members deciding what price they want to offer their vehicle up for, Hiyacar takes commission of around 20% to 30%.

Eliminating the burden and hassle of exchanging keys, the introduction of keyless technology allows users to hire cars from their mobile “in minutes”.

Priding itself on its customer service, Hiyacar has a dedicated in-house team looking after users which is reflected in its 9.0 rating on TrustPilot.

Raising £2.2m in crowdfunding via Seedrs last year, Hiyacar’s campaign was overfunded by 215% and saw involvement from key names such as Photobox. This investment will support the business as it looks to drive growth over the coming months.

Why Hiyacar made our shortlist:

With over 20,000 members onsite, Hiyacar is giving unprecedented road access to drivers who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it.

Aiming to be the “Airbnb for motors”, Hiyacar’s vision for less cars on the UK roads is one we can all get behind – and one that armchair investors already have.

Where to find out more about HiyaCar:

Website: www.hiyacar.co.uk
Twitter: @HiyaCar