Coseats
CoSeats is an Australian two-sided marketplace offering long-distance ridesharing and $1/day campervan relocations, connecting budget travelers and backpackers with drivers and rental fleets (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) across nine major Australian cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCanberra, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Coseats does
CoSeats is an Australian two-sided digital marketplace operating ridesharing and $1/day campervan relocation services across the country. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Canberra, the platform connects travelers — primarily international backpackers, domestic budget travelers, and commuters — with drivers for cost-shared intercity trips and with campervan rental companies (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) that need vehicles repositioned between cities. The mobile-first web application supports trip posting, search, booking, real-time messaging, verified profiles, a mutual review/rating system, and a waitlist for popular routes, and has facilitated over 10,000 bookings, 10 million kilometers of travel, and 300,000+ traveler accounts at a 4.8-star average rating.
The platform generates revenue primarily through refundable booking fees and affiliate/commission arrangements with its four named campervan rental partners. The rideshare leg is structurally non-monetized: drivers may charge passengers only to cover costs (fuel, tolls, parking) and are prohibited from profiting, so CoSeats does not take a per-ride fee. Pricing on the relocation side is anchored at $1/day for standard trips, with many deals including free fuel or fuel vouchers, and premium add-on days offered as optional. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via coseats.com and a mobile app, supplemented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram), SEO, partner referrals, and word-of-mouth within backpacker networks.
The company is privately held, operates with 1-10 employees, and has not disclosed institutional funding. It targets backpackers, road trip enthusiasts, flexible travelers, and commuters across major Australian cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Adelaide, Perth, Broome, Darwin, and Alice Springs. Leadership consists of founder and director Torsten Herbst.
Coseats firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coseats
- Legal name
- CoSeats
- Website
- https://coseats.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CoSeats is an Australian two-sided marketplace offering long-distance ridesharing and $1/day campervan relocations, connecting budget travelers and backpackers with drivers and rental fleets (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) across nine major Australian cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coseats industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Marketplace
- NAICS
- Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Rental and Leasing (532120)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Long-Distance / Intercity Ridesharing (THADAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peer-to-Peer (P2P) RV & Campervan Sharing (THADAIAD), One-Way / Relocation RV Rentals (THADAIAE), Ridepooling & Shared Rides (Dynamic Carpooling) (THAIAGAC), Shared Rides / Carpool & Pooled Ride-Hailing (TLAFAIAC)
Keywords
Where Coseats is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canberra
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Markets served
Coseats business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Campervan Relocation Booking Fees: CoSeats charges a small booking fee and deposit to secure campervan relocation spots. The booking fee is refunded after the trip is completed and a review is submitted. This creates a transaction-based revenue stream from the marketplace facilitation.
- Rideshare Cost Facilitation: For ridesharing, drivers can charge passengers an amount to help cover their costs (fuel, tolls, parking) but are not allowed to profit. CoSeats facilitates the connection but the cost-sharing model means revenue is minimal per transaction.
- Partnership Commissions from Rental Companies: CoSeats partners with major campervan companies (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) to provide relocation vehicles. Revenue is generated through commissions or referral fees from these partnerships as vehicles are relocated through the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $1 per day base rate for standard campervan relocations |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Free fuel and fuel vouchers on many relocations |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Rideshare cost-sharing - drivers cannot profit |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Booking fee with refund guarantee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Coseats product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coseats operates a two-sided Australian travel marketplace combining long-distance ridesharing (cost-splitting between drivers and passengers) with $1/day campervan relocations in partnership with major rental companies such as Britz, Maui, Apollo, and Camperman. The platform enables travelers to either share fuel costs on intercity trips or pick up fully equipped campervans that rental companies need repositioned, often with free fuel included. All services are accessed through a mobile-first website and app, supported by verified profiles, real-time messaging, and a post-trip review system.
Product overview
CoSeats is a two-service travel platform operating in Australia: (1) Long Distance Rideshare — a peer-to-peer ridesharing service connecting backpackers, travelers, and commuters for shared intercity journeys with cost-splitting; and (2) $1 Campervan Relocations — a marketplace partnering with major campervan companies (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) to offer $1/day vehicle relocations that serve as both transport and accommodation. The platform also includes a Carpooling module for commuters. All services are unified under the CoSeats brand and accessed through a single website and mobile app.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Long Distance Rideshare Peer-to-peer intercity ridesharing service connecting travelers, backpackers, and commuters going the same direction, enabling cost-splitting on fuel, tolls, and parking as a budget-friendly alternative to flights and intercity buses.
- $1 Campervan Relocations Marketplace service matching travelers with campervan and motorhome rental companies (Britz, Maui, Apollo, Camperman) that need vehicles relocated between cities, offering $1/day rentals (with optional premium days) that often include free fuel or fuel vouchers, effectively combining transport and accommodation.
- Carpooling Commuting-focused carpooling service for users in major Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) who want to split daily fuel, toll, and parking costs with other travelers heading the same route.
Quantifiable outcome
- Save over 10,000 travelers have used the platform for affordable travel
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Coseats
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coseats technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Coseats partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- BritzcoreMajor Australian campervan rental company. CoSeats provides a platform for Britz to list vehicles needing relocation between cities. Travelers get access to Britz's fully equipped campervans for $1/day relocations.
- MauicorePremium Australian motorhome rental brand. Maui vehicles are offered through CoSeats for relocation specials, allowing travelers to experience high-end campervans at minimal cost while helping reposition the fleet.
- ApollocoreLeading Australian campervan and RV rental company. Apollo uses CoSeats to relocate vehicles between branches, with travelers getting access to well-maintained, often brand-new vehicles for budget road trips.
- CampermancoreAustralian campervan rental company. Camperman partners with CoSeats to offer relocation deals, enabling travelers to access their fleet for $1/day relocations across Australia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coseats competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Uber: Global ride-hailing incumbent with intercity and shared-ride products. Overlaps with CoSeats on long-distance ride-sharing concept but operates at vastly larger scale and with a commercial TNC model.
Regional players
- Jayride: Australian airport-transfer aggregator and shuttle booking platform. Comparable in being an Australian ground-transport marketplace, though focused on airport transfers rather than intercity travel.
- GoGet: Australian car-sharing service for short-term vehicle access. Adjacent mobility model in the same geography, though focused on urban car-sharing rather than intercity travel.
Direct peers
- Camplify: Australian peer-to-peer campervan and caravan sharing marketplace. Competes with CoSeats in the RV/campervan rental space, though via traditional daily rentals rather than relocations.
- BlaBlaCar: Global long-distance intercity ridesharing platform; the original BlaBlaCar model that CoSeats explicitly adapts for Australia. Directly comparable on ridesharing mechanics, cost-sharing, and community-trust design.
- Poparide: Long-distance ridesharing platform operating in Canada with a similar budget-traveler, intercity-trip focus. Directly comparable business model to CoSeats' rideshare product.
- Imoova: International vehicle and campervan relocation marketplace operating in Australia and New Zealand. Closest direct competitor on the relocation side, with similar $1/day pricing mechanics.
- Transfercar: Australian-based relocation specialist offering free or low-cost one-way vehicle relocations for rental companies. Directly competes with CoSeats' $1/day campervan relocation product in the same geography.
Emerging players
- RVezy: North American peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace. Comparable on the RV/campervan rental side, with a similar focus on community trust and verified profiles.
- Outdoorsy: US-based peer-to-peer RV and campervan rental marketplace. Comparable in the campervan segment though focused on traditional rentals rather than relocations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coseats social profiles
Digital presenceCoseats financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coseats leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Coseats funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coseats 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 Coseats
What does Coseats do?
Coseats operates a two-sided Australian travel marketplace combining long-distance ridesharing (cost-splitting between drivers and passengers) with $1/day campervan relocations in partnership with major rental companies such as Britz, Maui, Apollo, and Camperman. The platform enables travelers to either share fuel costs on intercity trips or pick up fully equipped campervans that rental companies need repositioned, often with free fuel included. All services are accessed through a mobile-first website and app, supported by verified profiles, real-time messaging, and a post-trip review system.
Is Coseats a public or private company?
Coseats is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Coseats founded?
Coseats was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Coseats based?
Coseats is headquartered in Canberra, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Coseats make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Campervan Relocation Booking Fees are the primary driver. The others are rideshare Cost Facilitation and partnership Commissions from Rental Companies.
Who are Coseats's main competitors?
Uber is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Jayride and GoGet. Direct peers are Camplify, BlaBlaCar, Poparide, Imoova and Transfercar. Emerging players are RVezy and Outdoorsy.
Does Coseats have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coseats.
What industry is Coseats in?
Coseats's product category is Travel Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADAFAC, Long-Distance / Intercity Ridesharing, with a secondary code of THADAIAD, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) RV & Campervan Sharing. Its NAICS code is 485310 and its SIC code is 4100.