Zipabout
Zipabout, operating as Journey Alerts, is a UK-based transport technology company that delivers real-time, step-by-step journey instructions to passengers via WhatsApp and Messenger, serving UK rail operators, ferry operators, government transport bodies, and accessibility-focused travellers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Zipabout does
Zipabout, operating under its consumer-facing brand Journey Alerts, is a UK-based transport technology company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Birmingham. The company has built a messaging-based journey assistance platform that delivers real-time, step-by-step travel instructions to passengers via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, eliminating the need for app downloads or map-based navigation. The platform is designed with an accessibility-first approach, specifically targeting cognitive barriers to public transport use, and features include personalised routing, automatic disruption rerouting, and a "BUDDY" feature that allows caregivers to track loved ones' journey progress. The service is provided free to individual consumers and has scaled to approximately 1.4 million UK users facilitating 5 million journeys per month, with 10,000+ new users acquired monthly.
The company's technology stack focuses on delivery through existing consumer messaging infrastructure rather than proprietary apps, with QR codes at transport hubs serving as a primary acquisition channel. Revenue is generated through B2B subscription/recurring contracts with UK rail operators (South Western Railway, LNER, Great Western Railway, ScotRail), ferry operators (P&O Ferries), and government bodies (Transport for London, Department for Transport, local councils), alongside partnerships with standards and innovation bodies (Rail Safety and Standards Board, Connected Places Catapult). The company has raised approximately $1.77M in disclosed equity funding across rounds in 2019, 2020, and 2021, led by Midlands Engine Investment Fund with participation from Future Planet Capital, FD Technologies, and Founders Factory. Operations remain UK-only with no disclosed geographic expansion.
Zipabout firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zipabout
- Legal name
- Zipabout
- Website
- https://zipabout.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Zipabout, operating as Journey Alerts, is a UK-based transport technology company that delivers real-time, step-by-step journey instructions to passengers via WhatsApp and Messenger, serving UK rail operators, ferry operators, government transport bodies, and accessibility-focused travellers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zipabout industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transport Information Software
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rail Content Aggregators & Connectivity APIs (THALAJAE)
Keywords
Where Zipabout is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Zipabout business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- B2B Transport Operator Services: Revenue appears to be generated from transport operators (rail, bus) and government transport bodies who partner with Zipabout to provide journey alert services to their passengers. Operators pay for the service to improve passenger experience, reduce support queries, and meet accessibility obligations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free consumer service via messaging apps |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Zipabout product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zipabout operates the Journey Alerts platform, a software service that delivers real-time, step-by-step public transport instructions and disruption updates directly to users via WhatsApp and Messenger without requiring app downloads. The platform is offered free to individual travellers and licensed on a subscription basis to UK transport operators, ferry operators, and government transport bodies who use it to serve their passengers and meet accessibility obligations. Supporting tools include Journey Check for quick train/bus status verification and complex journey planning.
Product overview
Zipabout offers Journey Alerts as its primary product, a free travel information platform that delivers personalized step-by-step journey instructions and real-time alerts via messaging services (WhatsApp, Messenger) without requiring app downloads. The product suite includes Journey Alerts as the core offering, Journey Check for quick train/bus status verification and journey planning with live updates, and Journey Alerts BUDDY for location sharing with loved ones. The platform serves both individual travelers (including accessibility needs) and business partners including UK rail operators, bus services, and transport authorities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Journey Alerts BUDDY: Feature that lets you know where your loved ones are on their journey
Products and services
- Journey Alerts
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1.4 million users in the UK rely on the service
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Zipabout
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Zipabout technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Zipabout partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- South Western RailwaycoreSouth Western Railway partners with Zipabout to provide Journey Alerts messaging service to their passengers, delivering real-time updates and step-by-step journey instructions via WhatsApp and Messenger.
- London North Eastern RailwaycoreLNER provides Journey Alerts messaging service to passengers through partnership with Zipabout, enabling accessible journey information delivery via messaging apps.
- Great Western RailwaycoreGreat Western Railway partners with Zipabout to deliver passenger journey alerts via messaging platforms, improving accessibility and passenger experience.
- ScotRailcoreScotRail provides Journey Alerts messaging service to Scottish rail passengers through partnership with Zipabout.
- P&O FerriescoreP&O Ferries partners with Zipabout to provide ferry passengers with journey alerts and instructions via messaging apps.
- Transport For LondonmajorTransport for London works with Zipabout to enhance passenger information accessibility across London's transport network through messaging-based journey guidance.
- Department For TransportmajorThe UK Department For Transport partners with Zipabout on passenger information initiatives and accessibility programs for public transport.
- Bedford Borough CouncilminorBedford Borough Council partners with Zipabout to provide accessible journey information for local transport services.
- Oxfordshire County CouncilminorOxfordshire County Council works with Zipabout to deliver accessible journey alerts for passengers using public transport in Oxfordshire.
- England's Economic HeartlandminorEngland's Economic Heartland, a sub-national transport body, partners with Zipabout for passenger information enhancement across the region.
- Rail Safety and Standards BoardminorRSSS collaborates with Zipabout on rail industry standards and passenger safety information initiatives.
- Connected Places CatapultminorConnected Places Catapult, an innovation agency for transport technology, works with Zipabout on developing and scaling accessible transport solutions.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zipabout competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Citymapper: Citymapper provides multimodal journey planning and real-time transit information to urban passengers via a mobile app. It directly competes with Zipabout in delivering accessible, real-time public-transport guidance, though Zipabout differentiates through messaging-based delivery rather than an app.
- Moovit: Moovit is a leading global public-transit companion app offering multimodal journey planning, real-time alerts, and accessibility features. It overlaps directly with Zipabout's passenger-information mission and serves a comparable accessibility-conscious user base.
- Transit: Transit App provides real-time multimodal transit information and journey planning across North America and Europe. Like Zipabout, it focuses on simplifying public-transport use, though primarily through a smartphone app rather than messaging channels.
- Rome2Rio: Rome2Rio offers multimodal door-to-door journey planning across transport modes globally. It competes with Zipabout's journey-planning and disruption-rerouting capabilities, though at a broader geographic and modal scale.
Broad incumbents
- Trainline: Trainline is the dominant UK rail booking and information platform with comprehensive journey planning and disruption information. It competes with Zipabout on rail passenger information but operates a much broader ticket-retail business model.
- Traveline: Traveline is the UK-wide public-transport information service jointly funded by local authorities, providing journey planning across bus, rail, and coach. It addresses the same passenger-information problem as Zipabout but through a government-funded portal rather than messaging channels.
- Cubic Transportation Systems: Cubic provides large-scale transit fare collection, real-time passenger information, and mobility platforms to transit authorities globally. It addresses similar B2B operator needs as Zipabout but as part of a much broader portfolio and at enterprise scale.
- Google Maps: Google Maps offers comprehensive public-transit routing and live disruption information worldwide. While not a focused competitor, it sets the default consumer expectation for transit information and could absorb accessibility-focused messaging features at scale.
Emerging players
- Swiftly: Swiftly provides real-time transit data and passenger information tools to transit agencies, primarily in North America. It addresses the same B2B operator-side problem Zipabout solves for UK rail, with overlapping technology in disruption management and rider information.
- MaaS Global (Whim): MaaS Global operates the Whim mobility-as-a-service app, integrating public transport, ride-hailing, and other modes into a single subscription. It shares Zipabout's vision of simplified, accessible multi-modal travel but pursues it via app-based MaaS rather than messaging.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Zipabout social profiles
Digital presenceZipabout financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zipabout leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Zipabout funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zipabout 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 Zipabout
What does Zipabout do?
Zipabout operates the Journey Alerts platform, a software service that delivers real-time, step-by-step public transport instructions and disruption updates directly to users via WhatsApp and Messenger without requiring app downloads. The platform is offered free to individual travellers and licensed on a subscription basis to UK transport operators, ferry operators, and government transport bodies who use it to serve their passengers and meet accessibility obligations. Supporting tools include Journey Check for quick train/bus status verification and complex journey planning.
Is Zipabout a public or private company?
Zipabout is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Zipabout founded?
Zipabout was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Zipabout based?
Zipabout is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Zipabout make money?
One revenue line is on record: B2B Transport Operator Services.
Who are Zipabout's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Citymapper, Moovit, Transit and Rome2Rio. Broad incumbents are Trainline, Traveline, Cubic Transportation Systems and Google Maps. Emerging players are Swiftly and MaaS Global (Whim).
Does Zipabout have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zipabout.
What industry is Zipabout in?
Zipabout's product category is Public Transport Information Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAJAE, Rail Content Aggregators & Connectivity APIs. Its SIC code is 4700.