CarlundCarla.de

What CarlundCarla.de does

CarlundCarla.de, operated by BSMRG GmbH, is a German van and minibus rental service founded in 2013 in Dresden by five university students. The company combines the flexibility of carsharing with the independence of traditional vehicle rental, offering deposit-free, subscription-free access to three core vehicle products: the Carl standard transporter (from €29 half-day), the Carla 9-seater minibus (from €79/day), and the Carlos XL transporter (from €49 half-day). Customers book through a 24/7 digital platform and access vehicles via a smartphone WebApp with PIN-based keyless entry, eliminating physical counter visits. By September 2025, the company operates 44 rental stations across major German cities with a fleet of more than 1,400 vehicles and 165 employees, ranking among the top 10 light commercial vehicle rental providers in Germany.

The company's technology stack centers on Invers CloudBoxx-enabled digital vehicle access and a proprietary in-house fleet management software developed at Dresden headquarters, which centrally monitors vehicle location, service status, maintenance, and repair orders across all stations. The platform is being modernized through an EU co-financed initiative for API-based frontend development to improve booking, accessibility, and mobile optimization. Fleet procurement is anchored by a long-standing supply relationship with Volkswagen Group Retail Dresden and prior participation in the Volkswagen Future Mobility Incubator at the Gläserne Manufaktur, with multi-million-euro vehicle orders placed in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Revenue is generated through usage-based time rentals (half-day, full-day, multi-day with winter/special packages) and commercial tariffs for business customers that include long-term rentals, frequent-user programs, and free additional drivers. Primary customer segments are individual consumers (moving, IKEA trips, furniture transport, student moves) and business customers requiring flexible commercial vehicles. Secondary persona segments include sports clubs, music bands, student organizations, and group vacation travelers. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website, mobile WebApp, phone call center (8:00-20:00 daily), and 44 physical rental stations, with no intermediaries. Marketing leverages city-specific SEO landing pages, a content blog, and active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Pinterest.

Name

CarlundCarla.de

Legal name

BSMRG GmbH

Website

https://carlundcarla.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarlundCarla.de (operated by BSMRG GmbH) is a German van and minibus rental service operating 1,400+ vehicles across 44 cities. It serves individual consumers, businesses, and group travelers through a deposit-free, digital-first booking platform with smartphone-based vehicle access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Rental Services

NAICS

Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Round-Trip Carsharing (Station-Based) (TLAFAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local City / In-Town Car Rental (THADAAAC)

Keywords

• Vehicle rental services
• Van sharing
• Minibus rental
• Transporter rental
• Commercial carsharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices51 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transporter Rental: Time-based rental of vans and transporters with half-day and full-day rates. Additional charges for extra kilometers beyond included free miles. No deposit or subscription required.
2. 9-Seater Minibus Rental: Rental of 9-seater vans and minibuses for group travel, with daily rates and optional winter/special packages.
3. Gewerbetarife (Business Tariffs): Special commercial rates for business customers, including long-term rentals, frequent user tariffs, and short-term rentals with customized pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CarlundCarla.de rents vans, minibuses, and XL transporters to private and business customers across 44 German cities on a deposit-free, subscription-free basis. Customers book online or via WebApp and access vehicles with a smartphone PIN code, with no physical counter interaction required. The service combines carsharing-style flexibility with traditional vehicle rental independence for moving, deliveries, and group travel.

Product overview

CarlundCarla.de operates a van and minibus rental platform combining traditional car rental with carsharing flexibility. The core offering consists of three named vehicle products: Carl (standard transporter), Carla (9-seater minivan), and Carlos (XL transporter). All rentals are deposit-free and accessible via smartphone through a proprietary WebApp. The company operates through 44 pickup/drop-off stations across German cities, enabling customers to rent vehicles for half-day or full-day periods with free kilometers included.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carl (Transporter) Standard transporter van (VW Transporter or similar) rented on a half-day basis starting at €29.00, designed for moving, deliveries, IKEA runs, and transport tasks requiring cargo capacity. Accessible without deposit or subscription via the smartphone WebApp with PIN code.
• Carla (9-Sitzer Kleinbus) 9-seater minivan rented on a full-day basis starting at €79.00, designed for group travel, family outings, club trips, and festival transport. Accessible without deposit or subscription via the smartphone WebApp, with a winter special package (€499 for 8 days including 2,000 km, valid 15.11.2025-29.03.2026).
• Carlos (Transporter XL) Extra-large XL transporter (VW Crafter, Ford Transit, or Sprinter or similar) rented on a half-day basis starting at €49.00, with 3.10m x 1.73m x 1.93m cargo space and 11.3m³ volume. Designed for large moves and bulky item transport where the standard Carl transporter is too small.
• Gewerbetarife (Business / Commercial Tariffs) Dedicated commercial rental program for companies and enterprises, offering long-term rentals, frequent user tariffs, and short-term business rentals with customized pricing. Includes free additional drivers and multi-year contract structures, addressing flexible corporate fleet needs without long-term commitment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 tonnes CO2 compensated in 2020 through carbon-offset partnership

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volkswagen Group Retail Dresden (VGRDD)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerVolkswagen Group Retail Dresden is the key vehicle supply partner, providing VW transporters and 9-seater Carla vehicles for all locations in Chemnitz, Dresden, Halle, and Leipzig. This partnership ensures modern, reliable vehicles for the fleet.
• European UnioncoreOthersEU co-financed project for digital platform modernization. BSMRG GmbH, operator of CarlundCarla.de, is modernizing its digital platform with API-based frontend development for improved booking process, accessibility, and mobile optimization.
• Lagerbox.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst German self-storage provider partner offering storage space solutions. Collaboration enables customers to combine vehicle rental with storage solutions for moving or projects.
• BookaBox.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital self-storage partner providing flexible storage solutions via app with 24/7 access throughout Germany. Partnership enables seamless combination of transport and storage needs.
• Lagerlöwe SelfstorageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing German self-storage provider offering modern storage spaces at Kiel, Magdeburg, Essen, and Leipzig locations. Ideal for moving, space constraints, or business growth needs.
• TÜV Rheinland / Melli-Beese-GrundschuleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership through which school groups receive discounted rates on CarlundCarla vehicles. TÜV Rheinland is the operator of Melli-Beese-Grundschule Dresden.
• carbon-connect AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial distribution partner for CO2 compensation. carbon-connect AG invests in certified climate protection projects (Biodiversity Reserve Project in Indonesia) to offset customer emissions.
• PANTA RHEI Jugendhilfe DresdenminorOthersSocial partnership with youth welfare institution. Joint advent calendar project for children and youth in difficult life situations, demonstrating corporate social responsibility.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Sixt: Germany's largest rental company with significant van and minibus offerings. Directly competes with CarlundCarla for commercial vehicle and group-transport rentals in the same German cities, with broader fleet and corporate account reach.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Global rental with a strong commercial-truck and van network in Germany. Competes on flexible pickup/drop-off, weekend specials, and business rentals — directly overlapping CarlundCarla's B2B and consumer use cases.
• Buchbinder: German-based rental company with strong truck and van rental lines, including moving and group transport use cases. Closely comparable product mix and customer segment to CarlundCarla.
• Starcar: German car and van rental company with multi-city station presence. Comparable product (vans, minibuses) and target customer (consumers and SMEs needing short-term commercial rentals).
• Europcar: Pan-European rental brand with extensive van/truck rental lines. Comparable on commercial vehicle rentals, customer segment (DIY movers, businesses), and city-based station model across Germany.
• Hertz: Global car and van rental incumbent operating across major German cities. Overlaps with CarlundCarla in commercial van rentals, group travel use cases, and airport-adjacent and city-station coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Flinkster (Deutsche Bahn): Deutsche Bahn's station-based carsharing service, with integration into the public transport ecosystem (similar to CarlundCarla's partnership with Dresden public transport). Comparable station-based carsharing model with nationwide coverage.
• Share Now: Largest free-floating carsharing operator in Germany (BMW/Daimler JV). Overlaps on station-area access and keyless, app-based rental UX, though it does not serve the van/9-seater segment that defines CarlundCarla.

Emerging players

• Free2Move (Stellantis): Stellantis-owned multi-modal mobility platform combining carsharing, rental, and subscription. Comparable in combining short-term rental flexibility with app-based keyless access, and increasingly active in European urban markets.
• Miles Mobility: German carsharing startup with a free-floating model and app-based keyless access. Comparable technology stack (app-first, no counter) and customer demographics, but smaller vehicles only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carlundcarlade
• Facebookfacebook.com/carlundcarla
• Instagraminstagram.com/carlundcarla.de
• TikToktiktok.com/@carlundcarla.de_
• Pinterestpinterest.de/CarlundCarla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlundcarla.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CarlundCarla.de