Turkish mobility app Marti has acquired global fleet optimization provider Zoba in a bid to generate revenue and minimise field operational costs.
The strategy to use Zoba’s AI powered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform is part of Marti’s mission to make its fleet of more than 40,000 e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds operationally efficient.
The acquisition follows last year’s pilot project which saw Marti benefit the most from Zoba’s software out of all the optimisation software providers it trialled. During the pilot, Zoba increased Marti’s ridership and contributed to its profitability.
“As the mobility market consolidates, Marti will continue solidifying its position as one of the top operators globally. It is dominant in one of the most promising global markets, Turkey, not just in micromobility, but now as the market leader in ride-hailing,” Zoba Co-Founder Joseph Brennan told Zag Daily.
Founded by Harvard and MIT graduates, Zoba’s dynamic fleet optimisation algorithms will assist Marti in vehicle deployment as well as various operational tasks such as battery swapping, rebalances and pick-ups.
It is also anticipated that Zoba’s software will serve as the foundation for continuous improvements within Marti’s ride-hailing business, including its rider-driver matching algorithm and dynamic pricing engine.
“Zoba spent years developing the premier AI-powered optimization system in micromobility, which will now help propel Marti to new heights,” Joseph said.
“At a time when companies of all types have woken up to the power of AI, this acquisition reflects Marti’s commitment to leveraging technology to make the promise of new mobility a reality.
“We were motivated to start Zoba to leverage real, impactful technology to help cities become more clean and liveable and are thrilled to be continuing that journey for the long-haul with the dedicated team at Marti.”
