Hopways

What Hopways does

Hopways is a French private child-transportation service founded in 2013 in Paris by three mothers (Anne, Sophie, and Marietta) and led since September 2022 by CEO Camille N'kodia Issenmann. The company provides vetted private drivers to accompany children aged roughly 3-18 to school, extracurricular activities, medical appointments, family visits, and airport or train departures, operating across approximately eleven French cities including Paris/Île-de-France, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Lille, Toulouse, Nantes, Bayonne, and Perpignan. Service is delivered through a hybrid model: on-demand single trips starting at €45, recurring subscriptions (~10% volume discount) that guarantee the same driver, walking/public-transit accompaniment within 5km, and bespoke institutional contracts for schools, leisure centers, and local authorities.

The underlying technology is a relatively standard web and mobile booking platform at app.hopways.com (referred to internally as Bubbleways) with three notable product features: real-time GPS tracking of vehicles through the client portal, an online reservation management space with drop-off notifications, and a Trust Charter (Charte de Confiance) that codifies service quality standards for drivers and families. The operating fleet consists of 250+ vetted partner and salaried drivers, with 90% of vehicles being electric or hybrid (Crit'Air 1). There is no disclosed use of AI, ML, or autonomous systems; the moat is operational and trust-based rather than algorithmic.

The business model combines D2C unit-priced rides, B2C recurring subscriptions with sticky same-driver continuity, and B2B2C institutional contracts where schools or parents' associations pay for group transportation. Marketing relies on earned media (TF1, Le Journal des Femmes, Madame Figaro, Europe 1, Maddyness, Inspirelle), content/blog, and organic social, supplemented by channel partnerships with five international schools in the Paris region and mobility partners including Île-de-France Mobilités' Mes Chauffeurs, Tango, Bampa, Moncopilote, and TemyGo. Only one funding round is on record: an undisclosed seed in April 2017 led by Via ID, and the company operates with a core team of 1-10 employees.

Name

Hopways

Legal name

Hopways

Website

https://hopways.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hopways is a French private child-transportation service, founded 2013 in Paris, providing vetted drivers to accompany children to school, activities, and travel hubs across roughly eleven French cities via D2C subscriptions, on-demand rides, and institutional school contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Transportation Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Taxi-Hail Aggregators & Dispatch Platforms (E-Hail for Licensed Taxis) (TLAFAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

On-Demand Ride-Hailing Aggregators (Multi-Sided TNC Marketplaces) (TLAFAIAA), E-Hailing Taxi Aggregators (Licensed Taxi Dispatch Platforms) (THADADAC)

Keywords

• Child transportation services
• Private driver accompaniment
• School shuttle services
• Family mobility solutions
• Kids taxi services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Accompaniment Service: Private driver service for children transport, available as single rides (€45+ per trip) or subscription model (approximately 10% discount on volume). Accompaniment includes pickup at requested address and delivery to designated person exclusively.
2. Subscription Plans: Recurring subscription for families with regular transportation needs. Benefits include guaranteed same driver, no need to re-explain habits, smoothed pricing, payment facilities, client space access, and one month notice period.
3. School/Institution Contracts: Customized service contracts for schools, leisure centers, and local authorities requiring regular transportation services throughout the year. Tariffs based on distance, number of children, and frequency.
4. Other Home Services (Autres services à la personne): Additional home services offered at €28 per trip.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hopways provides vetted private driver accompaniment for children, transporting them to school, extracurricular activities, medical appointments, and travel hubs (airports/trains). Services are sold as single rides (starting at €45 per trip) or recurring subscriptions (~10% volume discount), with real-time GPS tracking, a dedicated client portal, and a Trust Charter guaranteeing driver and service quality.

Product overview

Hopways is a child transportation service founded in 2013 by three mothers, offering private driver accompaniment for children. The core offering includes Accompaniment Vehicle Service (Accompagnateur véhiculé) at €45/trip, subscription plans (Abonnement) with ~10% discounts, and on-demand single trips (Trajets Unitaires). Specialized services cover school transportation in Paris/Île-de-France, airport and train accompaniment, and Taxi/VTC with child car seats. The company also serves institutional clients (schools, leisure centers) through tailored contracts (Offres écoles et loisirs), and offers walking/public transit accompaniment within 5km. Customers access services via the web platform, client portal (Espace Client), and mobile apps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hop on y va: School shuttle service created by Camille N'kodia Issenmann before taking over Hopways. A navette scolaire (school shuttle) solution for children enrolled in particular schools.
• Bubbleways

Products and services

• Vehicle Accompaniment Service (Accompagnateur véhiculé) Private driver service for child accompaniment to school, extracurricular activities, medical appointments, and family-related destinations, starting at €45 including VAT per trip. Includes pickup at requested address and hand-delivery to a designated adult.
• Hopways Subscription (Abonnement Hopways) Subscription service for families with regular transportation needs, offering guaranteed same driver, approximately 10% volume discount, smoothed monthly pricing, payment facilities, and one-month notice for exit.
• Single Trip Service (Trajets Unitaires) Pay-as-you-go single trip service for occasional transportation needs, with advance credit-card payment and guaranteed driver availability.
• Airport/Train Child Accompaniment (Accompagnateur Enfants Aéroport / Trains) Child accompaniment for airport and train travel anywhere in France, ensuring children arrive on time with real-time tracking and built-in flexibility for travel delays.
• Taxi/VTC Paris with Child Car Seat Taxi/VTC service in Paris with child car seats suitable for all ages, ensuring maximum safety for young passengers.
• Walking and Public Transit Accompaniment Walking and public transit accompaniment for children within 5km, providing a fully decarbonized transportation option.
• Schools and Leisure Centers Offers (Offres écoles et loisirs) Tailored transportation solutions for schools (maternelle, primaire, collège), leisure centers, extracurricular associations, clubs, and local authorities, with custom contracts and bespoke pricing based on distance, number of children, and frequency.
• Establishment Package (Forfait Établissement) Institutional pricing package where schools or parents' associations pay for regular transportation services for groups of children, designed for multi-year contracts.
• Other Home Services (Autres services à la personne) Additional home/person services at €28 per trip, complementing the core child transportation offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,700 trips performed in 2022 with approximately 270 trips per week
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paris & Co (Incubator)coreOthers · 1 January 2013Hopways was incubated at Paris & Co, Moovlab, and Station F startup campuses, receiving support and guidance for developing their child transportation service.
• Station FcoreOthers · 1 January 2013Hopways was incubated at Station F, the largest startup campus in the world, benefiting from the ecosystem and resources available to develop their innovative service.
• Mes Chauffeurs (Ile de France Mobilités)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ile de France Mobilités service 'Mes Chauffeurs' specifically for adapted school transportation services. Hopways is referenced as a trusted provider for parents and children needing specialized transport services, including MDPH-declared children unable to use public transport.
• TangominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partnership with Tango, working together to provide comprehensive child transportation and family services.
• BampaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Bampa care services to offer complementary family support and transportation solutions.
• MoncopiloteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partnership for pilot/copilot transportation services, expanding Hopways' ecosystem of child mobility partners.
• TemyGominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with TemyGo to expand transportation options and reach within the child mobility ecosystem.
• International School of Paris (ISP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted transportation provider for ISP students. The school offers international education programs and relies on Hopways for secure student transportation to activities and events.
• EurécolecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational trilingual school (French, English, Spanish/German) partnering with Hopways for student transportation services.
• Forest International School PariscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBilingual international school using Hopways for transportation of students to extracurricular activities and educational outings.
• Elyza Vidal-Taillet (Photographer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with photographer Elyza Vidal-Taillet (specializing in black and white portraits, former Harcourt studio) to create gift boxes for Mother's Day and Christmas combining child transportation, photography sessions, and jewelry.
• Gemme JoaillerieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with gemmologist Sarah Batifol's jewelry brand Gemme Joaillerie Dynamique for exclusive gift box offerings combining Hopways services with silver jewelry made in France.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heetch: French ride-hailing platform operating across multiple French cities and select European markets. Comparable to Hopways as a France-based on-demand passenger transport platform, though Heetch serves a general adult audience without Hopways' child-accompaniment specialization or vetted-driver model.
• Kapten (formerly Chauffeur Privé): Major French VTC ride-hailing platform, owned by the iliad/Free group. Operates a licensed-driver dispatch model across French cities, overlapping with Hopways' taxi/VTC dispatch core but serving general adult passengers rather than specialized child accompaniment.
• LeCab: Established French VTC (private hire vehicle) service offering chauffeur-driven rides across major French cities. Comparable to Hopways as a licensed-driver dispatch platform, with similar regulatory positioning but a broader, non-child-focused customer base.
• Allocab: French on-demand VTC booking service available in major French metropolitan areas. Comparable to Hopways in operating a licensed-driver dispatch platform for on-demand passenger transport, but without the child-accompaniment niche or vetted-driver trust framework.
• Uber: Global ride-hailing platform operating across France with teen/family rider modes in multiple markets. Comparable to Hopways as a tech-enabled on-demand passenger dispatch platform, but at vastly larger scale and without Hopways' child-specific vetting and accompaniment proposition.
• G7: Paris-based cooperative and dominant French taxi operator with a large fleet of licensed taxis. Comparable to Hopways as a licensed-driver passenger transport provider serving Paris/IDF, with potential overlap in airport/train-station runs but focused on general adult riders.
• Transdev: Major international public transport operator with significant school-transport and on-demand mobility services across France and Europe. Comparable to Hopways on the institutional school-transport contract dimension, where both compete for school and local-authority tenders.

Others

• Yoopies: French family-services marketplace connecting parents with childcare, tutoring, and home services. Comparable to Hopways as a French parent-services platform with overlapping customer base, though Yoopies does not provide the transport component.
• Babysits: European platform connecting families with babysitters and childcare providers, including in France. Comparable to Hopways on the parent-facing family-services positioning and demand drivers, but Babysits does not operate a transport service.

Emerging players

• Moncopilote: France-based child accompaniment and youth mobility service listed among Hopways' partner ecosystem. Directly comparable niche and target customer (parents needing trusted drivers for children), making it the closest direct niche peer to Hopways in the French market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hopways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopways-com
• Instagraminstagram.com/hopways
• Xx.com/hopways_france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hopways