MaaS Global continues driving ahead in mobility

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The prize is awarded to a mobility startup that has had a positive impact on the environment both socially and ecologically, promoted the access of end-users to future mobility services and demonstrated respect for the principles of sustainable development.

MaaS Global was selected as the recipient of the inaugural prize out of a total of 500 participants and 10 finalists on grounds that its proprietary open-data mobility app, Whim, offers an “innovative alternative to car ownership,” reveals Sheila Struyck, the head of new mobility at Europcar Group.

The French car rental company is one of the sponsors of the European Startup Prize for Mobility.

“We are looking forward to see how we could work with MaaS Global,” says Struyck.

Sampo Hietanen, the founder and chief executive of MaaS Global, says the startup is honoured by the recognition but reminds that it is only a single component of the ecosystem pursuing the next transport revolution.

“We cannot accomplish the transport revolution we want alone, but we will accomplish it as part of the ecosystem. To receive such a recognition from the ecosystem is a major and important deal to us. This is not a win only for MaaS Global and Whim, but a win for the entire ecosystem and the members of the ecosystem,” he tells.

The prize includes consulting services designed to help the startup expand its operations to new markets in Europe.

Hietanen told Good News from Finland in September, 2017, that the concept of mobility as a service (MaaS) has the potential to have a noticeable impact on the cityscape by encouraging more and more people to opt out of car ownership.