Mitfahrverband

What Mitfahrverband does

Mitfahrverband e.V. is a registered German nonprofit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) founded on April 30, 2021, headquartered in Berlin and serving the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The organization functions as a sectoral trade body and interest group for carpooling and ridesharing, bringing together approximately 25 founding members that include most of the leading commercial and non-commercial carpooling platforms in the region (e.g., Karos Mobility, ride2go/fahrgemeinschaft.de, Match Rider, RRive, fahrmob.eco, Besser Mitfahren, MyCarpoolApp, Pendlerportal, RideBee, Simply Hop). It delivers provider-neutral consultation to companies and municipalities implementing carpooling programs, represents the collective interests of carpooling providers in policy discussions, and produces position statements submitted to government bodies such as the 2026 Climate Protection Program consultation.

The association's core technology asset is the open-source Amarillo interface (Amarillo-Schnittstelle), implemented by member Systect, which enables interoperability between heterogeneous carpooling platforms by aggregating and distributing ride offers. This interface underpins the Landesportal Mitfahren-BW, a provider-neutral meta-portal launched in January 2026 in cooperation with NVBW/MobiDataBW and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport, described as "weltweit bisher einmalig" (unprecedented worldwide). Additional offerings include the Mitfahrbank 2.0 consulting program (developed with Fraunhofer IESE's "Comby" digital hitchhiking bench solution) for rural municipalities, a weekly open online meeting (Freitagstreff), the "Mitfahren – Mitreden" event series, and panel discussions at industry events such as IT-TRANS.

Mitfahrverband operates as a volunteer-driven nonprofit with no paid staff; all activities are performed on a voluntary basis. Revenue is derived from membership fees (natural and legal person members), donations, and public grant funding, including support from mFund/BMDV for projects such as the "Mitanand" Munich-region carpooling-public transport integration. The organization holds tax-exempt charitable status (confirmed June 13, 2024 by the Berlin tax authority) and is GDPR-compliant. Its primary GTM motion is community-led (weekly open meetings, member assemblies) combined with event-driven engagement (industry conferences, policy consultations, award submissions such as the German Mobility Prize).

Name

Mitfahrverband

Legal name

Mitfahrverband e.V.

Website

https://mitfahrverband.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mitfahrverband e.V. is a Berlin-based, volunteer-run nonprofit trade association founded in 2021 that represents DACH-region carpooling platforms, develops open-source interoperability standards (Amarillo interface), and provides provider-neutral consultation to companies and municipalities implementing ridesharing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carpooling Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer Driver & Community Transportation Programs (TLAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Carpooling association services
• Ridesharing advocacy platform
• Mobility consulting services
• Open-source transit API
• Sustainable transport association

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Contributions from natural and legal person members of the association
2. Donations: Voluntary donations from supporters of the association's mission
3. Funding/Grant Support: Financial support from funding programs, including public funding for specific projects such as mFund projects and Interreg border cooperation projects

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mitfahrverband e.V. is a non-profit industry association that provides provider-neutral consulting and market overviews on carpooling and ride-sharing solutions to companies, municipalities, and individuals across the DACH region. It develops open interoperability standards such as the Amarillo interface, operates the Mitfahren-BW state meta-portal aggregating rides from multiple platforms, and runs community events and policy advocacy to promote carpooling as a lever for emission reduction, congestion relief, and mobility transition.

Product overview

Mitfahrverband e.V. is a non-profit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland that enables mobility transformation through carpooling. The organization operates as a multi-component platform consisting of: (1) provider-neutral consulting and market overview for carpooling solutions serving companies, municipalities, and individuals; (2) the Mitfahrbank program including physical carpool benches and the Mitfahrbank 2.0 consulting program for rural municipalities; (3) the Landesportal Mitfahren-BW meta information portal aggregating rides from multiple platforms via the Open Source Amarillo interface; (4) regular event series including weekly Freitagstreff online meetings and the 'Mitfahren – Mitreden' presentation series; and (5) interest representation and policy advocacy for carpooling services. The association functions as a connector between carpooling platforms, public authorities, and the public, promoting shared mobility for reduced emissions, traffic congestion, and costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carpooling Association: The English-language name and identity of Mitfahrverband e.V. used for international engagement and representation.

Products and services

• Landesportal Mitfahren-BW Provider-neutral meta-information portal for carpooling in Baden-Württemberg that aggregates ride offers from multiple third-party platforms via the open-source Amarillo interface, enabling users to search rides across platforms (including cross-border routes) in one central location. The portal is intended for private individuals, companies, and municipalities in Baden-Württemberg.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27.45 million tonnes CO2e savings potential annually if car occupancy rises from 1.4 to 1.8 persons
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH (NVBW) / MobiDataBWcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Partnership for the Mitfahren-BW state portal project. NVBW/MobiDataBW works with the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg on a meta-information portal for ridesharing. The portal aggregates offers from multiple carpooling platforms via the open-source Amarillo interface, creating a provider-neutral central access point for carpooling in Baden-Württemberg.
• IT-TRANS / Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMitfahrverband e.V. organizes a panel discussion on carpooling/ridesharing at the IT-TRANS international congress in Karlsruhe (March 3-5, 2026). IT-TRANS is a leading international trade fair and congress platform for digitalization of urban mobility systems.
• Zukunftsnetzwerk ÖPNV / Akademie Ländlicher Raum Baden-WürttembergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the online event series 'Mobilitäts-Offensive für ländliche Räume' (Mobility Initiative for Rural Areas). Jointly organized events presenting the Mitfahren-BW portal and various carpooling applications.
• SystectcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the Big Blue Button video conferencing platform for online meetings and events. Mitfahrverband uses Systect for hosting their Freitagstreff meetings and other online events.
• BobenOp e.V. (Gründungsmitglied)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Mitfahrverband e.V. Focuses on cross-border hitchhiking initiatives between Germany and Denmark, including the Interreg-funded project 'Mitfahrend durch das Grenzland' (Carpooling across the border region).
• Fraunhofer IESEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Mitfahrbank 2.0' consulting program featuring the 'Comby - digitale Mitfahrbank' solution developed by Fraunhofer IESE for digital hitchhiking bench integration.
• Ridesharing InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partnership for the Ridesharing Institute Conversation on 'Leveraging the Fuel Crisis' (April 2026), a free worldwide online discussion on the capacity of carpooling to address transportation challenges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Match Rider GmbH: DIY carpooling platform and Mitfahrverband board member offering AI-supported passenger forecasts. Directly comparable as a member whose predictive-matching technology and volunteer-driver programs complement the association's community-mobility positioning.
• Karos Mobility: French-origin carpooling platform focused on commuting, with a seat on Mitfahrverband's board. Directly comparable as a member-platform whose technology (including AI-supported ride matching) is integrated via the Amarillo interface into Mitfahren-BW.
• ride2go GmbH / fahrgemeinschaft.de: One of Germany's longest-running carpooling platforms and a Mitfahrverband board member (via Sven Domroes). Directly comparable as a member operator whose rides flow through the Amarillo interface and whose success benchmarks the association's relevance.

Direct peers

• Bundesverband CarSharing (bcs): German industry association for carsharing operators. Closest structural analogue to Mitfahrverband in the DACH shared-mobility ecosystem — both are non-profit Vereine representing shared-mobility providers, consulting municipalities, and advocating for supportive regulation.
• Ridesharing Institute: International industry association promoting ridesharing/carpooling. Mitfahrverband is an explicit partner (joint 'Leveraging the Fuel Crisis' conversation in April 2026), and the two organizations share an identical mission of advocating for shared-ride policy and standards.
• Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV): German industry association for public-transport operators. Directly relevant as a peer because Mitfahrverband's Mitfahrbank and Mitfahren-BW work explicitly seek to integrate carpooling with public transport, and VDV represents the counterparty operators in those integration projects.
• MaaS Alliance: Public-private partnership promoting Mobility-as-a-Service integration across Europe. Comparable in operating as an industry body coordinating standards and policy across multiple transport providers, including integrating carpooling into intermodal platforms.

Broad incumbents

• BlaBlaCar: Global leader in long-distance carpooling and the dominant incumbent in the European market Mitfahrverband's members operate in. Comparable because BlaBlaCar is the de facto reference platform whose interoperability Mitfahrverband's Amarillo standard must accommodate.

Others

• Polis Network: European network of cities and regions working on transport innovation. Comparable as a convener of public-sector mobility stakeholders; Mitfahrverband's municipal consulting and state-portal work directly addresses the same audience Polis serves.

Regional players

• klimaaktiv mobil: Austrian federal initiative promoting climate-friendly mobility, including carpooling. Comparable as a parallel DACH public-sector program that Mitfahrverband's Austrian member base could partner with — or compete against — for climate-mobility funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mitfahrverband

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mitfahrverband