Busfor
Busfor is a bus ticketing online travel agency and distribution platform, founded in 2012 in Poznan, Poland, aggregating bus inventory across Eastern European markets for intercity travelers. It has been acquired and integrated into the BlaBlaCar community-based travel network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersPoznan, Poland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Busfor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Busfor
- Legal name
- BlaBlaCar SAS
- Website
- https://busfor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Busfor is a bus ticketing online travel agency and distribution platform, founded in 2012 in Poznan, Poland, aggregating bus inventory across Eastern European markets for intercity travelers. It has been acquired and integrated into the BlaBlaCar community-based travel network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Busfor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Bus Ticketing
- NAICS
- Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional Intercity Bus Operators (Scheduled) (THAIADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts) (THAIADAG)
Keywords
Where Busfor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Poznan
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Busfor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Carpooling Transaction Fees: 10-12% transaction fee charged on carpooling rides. This is the primary revenue stream, taking a commission on completed rides between drivers and passengers.
- BlaBlaBus Ticket Sales: Sale of bus tickets through the BlaBlaBus service, acquired via Ouibus acquisition in 2019.
- Train Ticket Integration: Train ticket sales integration in France and Spain, generating revenue through ticket commissions.
- Obilet Turkish Platform: Revenue from majority stake in Turkish travel booking platform Obilet acquired December 2024.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Busfor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Busfor operates as a bus ticketing online travel agency and distribution platform, aggregating intercity bus operators and selling tickets to travelers across multiple markets. The platform was founded in 2012 and has since been integrated into the BlaBlaCar ecosystem, with the busfor.com domain now redirecting to BlaBlaCar's multi-modal travel platform that combines carpooling, scheduled bus services, and train ticketing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BlaBlaBus: Long-distance bus ticket sales service operated by BlaBlaCar following the acquisition of Ouibus.
Products and services
- Busfor Bus Ticketing Platform
- Multi-Country Bus Distribution Network
Quantifiable outcome
- 80 million passengers carried annually
Companies that use Busfor
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Busfor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Busfor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ObiletcoreAcquired majority stake in Turkish travel booking platform Obilet in December 2024, expanding presence in the Turkish market and integrating local travel booking services.
- OctobuscoreAcquired Octobus in 2021 to further strengthen the bus operations and ticketing capabilities within the BlaBlaCar ecosystem.
- OuibuscoreBlaBlaCar acquired Ouibus in 2019, expanding into bus ticket sales and establishing the BlaBlaBus service line. This acquisition added intercity bus transportation to the platform's offerings.
Scale indicators5 records
Busfor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FlixBus (FlixMobility): Europe's largest intercity bus operator with integrated ticketing platform. Directly competes with Busfor's BlaBlaBus offering on routes and consumer acquisition, and competes as a marketplace for bus inventory.
- Omio (formerly GoEuro): Multi-modal travel booking aggregator covering bus, rail, and air across Europe. Competes head-to-head with Busfor's ticketing platform on inventory breadth and consumer UX.
- Trainline: Europe's leading rail and bus ticket retailer with significant international presence. Competes on multi-modal inventory aggregation and consumer brand strength in the same geographies Busfor serves.
- Wanderu: North American bus and rail ticketing marketplace. Comparable marketplace model aggregating intercity ground transport, with similar consumer-facing distribution play.
- BusBud: Online bus ticketing platform with coverage in North America, Europe, and other regions. Closely mirrors Busfor's online travel agency and distribution model for intercity bus tickets.
- CheckMyBus: European bus comparison and ticketing portal aggregating intercity coach inventory. Competes directly with Busfor for price-sensitive intercity travelers searching online.
- 12Go: Asia-focused multi-modal ground transport booking platform covering buses, trains, ferries. Comparable distribution model to Busfor in a different geography — strong in Southeast Asia where Busfor also operates.
- Infobus: Ukrainian and Eastern European intercity bus ticketing platform with carrier-side inventory integration. Direct regional competitor in Busfor's home Eastern European markets.
Broad incumbents
- BlaBlaCar: Parent platform of Busfor's bus ticketing operations. Operates the global carpooling marketplace and BlaBlaBus long-distance bus service; Busfor now routes into this ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Rome2Rio: Multi-modal travel search engine covering bus, rail, air, and ferry. Partial overlap with Busfor as a discovery and ticketing layer for intercity ground transport, particularly in Europe.
Market position
Customer concentration
Busfor social profiles
Digital presenceBusfor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Busfor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Busfor subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Busfor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Busfor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Busfor
What does Busfor do?
Busfor operates as a bus ticketing online travel agency and distribution platform, aggregating intercity bus operators and selling tickets to travelers across multiple markets. The platform was founded in 2012 and has since been integrated into the BlaBlaCar ecosystem, with the busfor.com domain now redirecting to BlaBlaCar's multi-modal travel platform that combines carpooling, scheduled bus services, and train ticketing.
Is Busfor a public or private company?
Busfor is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Busfor founded?
Busfor was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Busfor based?
Busfor is headquartered in Poznan, Poland, in the Europe region.
How does Busfor make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carpooling Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are blaBlaBus Ticket Sales, train Ticket Integration and obilet Turkish Platform.
Who are Busfor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FlixBus (FlixMobility), Omio (formerly GoEuro), Trainline, Wanderu, BusBud, CheckMyBus, 12Go and Infobus. BlaBlaCar is listed as a broad incumbent. Rome2Rio is listed as an emerging player.
Does Busfor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Busfor.
What industry is Busfor in?
Busfor's product category is Online Bus Ticketing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAIADAB, Regional Intercity Bus Operators (Scheduled), with a secondary code of THAIADAG, Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts). Its NAICS code is 485210 and its SIC code is 4100.