Karos

What Karos does

Karos Mobility SAS is a French carpooling software company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Paris, operating an AI-powered mobile application (iOS and Android) that matches daily commuters for home-to-work carpooling. The platform processes structured commute data — departure and arrival locations, times, and user habits — through a recommendation engine that automatically surfaces compatible carpoolers and a route-optimization layer that minimizes driver detours when new passengers join. Verified identity profiles, post-trip reviews, and a guaranteed-return taxi/VTC service in case of driver cancellation form the trust and reliability layer. Supporting features include a Ladies Only matching option, an in-app invite flow, and no-commitment flexibility allowing users to switch roles between driver and passenger.

The business operates a three-channel go-to-market: (1) self-serve consumer downloads from app stores in 9 languages; (2) B2B enterprise partnerships offering employees free carpooling with reserved parking and dedicated coaches (named customers include Airbus and Stelia in Saint-Nazaire); and (3) B2G partnerships with 25+ French regional and metropolitan transportation authorities (Île-de-France Mobilités, Tisséo Voyageurs, La Région Réunion, La Région Pays de la Loire, Lyon Métropole, Aix-Marseille-Provence Métropole, SMMAG Grenoble, Lorient Agglomération, Troyes Champagne Métropole, and others) that subsidize and promote the service. The platform reports 1M+ active carpoolers, 7M+ completed trips, and 4,010,200 kg of CO2 avoided since founding. Drivers earn an average of €97/month through cost-sharing while passenger fares are kept at bus-ticket-equivalent levels via public subsidies.

The company monetizes through transaction commissions on cost-shared trips, recurring B2B enterprise fees, and B2G subsidy contracts. In October 2022 Karos acquired German carpooling app Goflux to enter Germany, Denmark, and additional European markets. In November 2023 the company closed a €17 million Series A led by Citizen Capital and Ring Capital to fund international expansion and R&D. From December 2025, Karos is migrating its Île-de-France user base to the public-sector-owned Covoit IDFM application operated by Île-de-France Mobilités, signaling an evolving role from independent consumer app toward embedded public mobility infrastructure. The company operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Karos

Legal name

Karos Mobility SAS

Website

https://karos.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karos Mobility SAS is a Paris-based AI-powered carpooling platform founded in 2014 that matches daily home-to-work commuters via iOS and Android apps, serving over 1 million users across 25+ French regional authority partnerships and European markets including Germany and Denmark.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carpooling Platform

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (48531)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

App-Based Dynamic Carpooling (Real-Time Matching) (THADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Car Rental & Car-Sharing Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Carpooling platform
• Ride sharing services
• Mobility software
• Commuter carpooling
• Transportation network

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction fees on carpooling trips: Karos facilitates cost-sharing between drivers and passengers, with the platform taking a commission on each transaction. Drivers earn money per trip while passengers pay subsidized rates often comparable to bus tickets.
2. Regional authority subsidies: French regional authorities and transportation agencies (Île-de-France Mobilités, Tisséo Voyageurs, La Région Réunion, La Région Pays de la Loire, Lorient Agglomération, etc.) subsidize carpooling costs to promote sustainable mobility. Passengers pay less while drivers earn more through these programs.
3. B2B enterprise partnerships: Companies partner with Karos to offer free carpooling to their employees as an employee benefit, often with free parking spots and dedicated coaches. Enterprises may pay for premium positioning or administrative services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Karos operates an AI-powered mobile carpooling platform that connects drivers with available seats to passengers on similar home-to-work commute routes via iOS and Android applications. The service uses automatic habit-based matching, verified user profiles, and integrates with regional transportation authorities for subsidized pricing comparable to bus tickets. The platform also offers enterprise mobility programs for employers and public sector partnership programs for territorial authorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Karos mobile app iOS and Android mobile application that connects drivers and passengers for daily home-to-work carpooling. Features AI-powered automatic habit-based matching, verified user profiles (ID cards and driver's licenses), post-trip reviews, Return Assistance guarantee providing taxi or VTC rides home in case of last-minute driver cancellation, Ladies Only safety option, and intermodal integration with public transportation networks. Available in 9 languages.
• Karos for Enterprises

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 kg CO2 emissions avoided per user per month
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• GofluxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2022Acquired German carpooling app Goflux as part of Karos's expansion into France, Germany, Denmark, and other European countries. The merger aimed to improve mobility services using AI technology and expand into four new countries by end of 2024.
• Île-de-France MobilitésflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor regional transportation authority partnership for Île-de-France region. Users transitioning to official Covoit IDFM app from December 2025 with full account transfer capability. Île-de-France Mobilités is the largest transport authority in France covering the Paris metropolitan area.
• Tisséo Voyageurs (Toulouse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation authority for Toulouse metropolitan area partnered with Karos to launch Covoiteo by Karos in January 2024, bringing carpooling to the agglomeration with subsidised rates for users.
• La Région RéunioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional authority financing carpooling programs for La Réunion residents. The territory was ranked champion of France for carpooling growth, with the highest increase in carpooling practice in recent months.
• La Région Pays de la LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional authority subsidizing carpooling across Nantes, Angers, Saint-Nazaire, Le Mans, and surrounding areas. Financing programs where passengers pay less and drivers earn more through bonus payments.
• La Métropole de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan area partnership where carpooling practice grew 2.7x between October 2022 and October 2023, achieving national record for carpooling growth according to Observatoire national du covoiturage.
• Aix Marseille Provence MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority partnership launched in 2024 to bring carpooling to the territory marked by one of France's highest single-occupancy vehicle rates. Karos won the public tender for this mobility initiative.
• Lorient AgglomérationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Karos in January 2023 to promote carpooling for home-to-work commutes. Within 6 months, 3,000 residents had used the platform, demonstrating rapid adoption in the territory.
• Le SMMAG (Grenoble)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan transportation authority (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l'Aire Grenobloise) partnership for carpooling services in the Grenoble metropolitan area.
• Troyes Champagne MétropoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched court-voiturage service in September 2024 for home-to-work commute carpooling across the Troyes Champagne Métropole agglomeration.
• SMT Petit Cul de Sac Marin (Guadeloupe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerritorial authority in Guadeloupe where Karos was launched. According to Observatoire national du covoiturage, Guadeloupe became the territory with the fastest carpooling growth in France.
• Pays de MontbéliardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched €1 carpooling service with Karos for residents to accelerate carpooling adoption in the Montbéliard area, aiming to reduce traffic and emissions.
• Caux Seine agglo (Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal agglomeration partnership offering subsidised carpooling for residents, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions from home-to-work commutes.
• Airbus (Saint-Nazaire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor aerospace employer in Saint-Nazaire where carpooling has taken off among employees. Karos helps Airbus employees coordinate home-to-work commutes.
• Stelia (Saint-Nazaire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerospace company in Saint-Nazaire where carpooling adoption has grown significantly among employees using the Karos platform.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global mobility platform whose UberPool/Uber Commute products overlap with Karos' daily commute offering. While not focused on European carpooling tenders, Uber's scale and capital pose a long-term competitive threat if it decides to push deeper into subsidized European carpooling.
• Waze Carpool: Google-owned carpooling service for daily commutes, comparable to Karos on use case and target user. Operates at much larger scale in select markets but with limited presence in France, where Karos has a regional advantage.
• BlaBlaCar: European carpooling giant with significantly larger scale than Karos and a broader offering spanning long-distance and (via BlaBlaCar Daily) commute trips. Competes indirectly through superior network effects, brand recognition, and cross-product user funnel.

Direct peers

• Klaxit: French daily carpooling app that was a direct competitor to Karos for home-to-work trips, recently acquired by Geodis. Competes on the same B2G authority-tender market and B2B enterprise channel in France.
• BlaBlaCar Daily (BlaBlaLines): BlaBlaCar's daily commute carpooling product, the most direct competitor to Karos in the French home-to-work carpooling niche. Competes head-to-head for the same commuter use case, regional authority partnerships, and enterprise B2B channel in France.
• OuiHop: Regional French carpooling platform active in several French regions (Pays de la Loire, Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), competing with Karos for the same authority-tender and daily commute use case in overlapping territories.
• Goflux: German carpooling app acquired by Karos in October 2022; relevant as a benchmark for the German DACH market Karos is expanding into, and was previously a competing daily carpooling platform in Germany.
• Covoiturage.fr: French national carpooling platform operated in partnership with the French government, competing with Karos for both B2C commuters and authority partnerships across French territories.

Regional players

• Heetch: French rideshare/VTC platform competing with Karos for mobility share among younger urban users and partnerships with French transport authorities, though focused on evening/night rideshare rather than daily commute carpooling.

Others

• Île-de-France Mobilités (Covoit IDFM): Paris-region transport authority that built the Covoit IDFM white-label carpooling app using Karos' underlying model. Becoming both a major partner and a quasi-competitor as Île-de-France Karos users migrate to the official IDFM app from December 2025.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/karos_fr
• Facebookfacebook.com/karos.fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Karos