Simba Car Hire
Simba Car Hire is an Australian car rental startup founded in 2022 that operates a multi-product rental platform across seven cities, serving leisure travellers, rideshare/gig drivers, and corporate fleet customers with transparent all-inclusive daily, subscription, and relocation pricing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Simba Car Hire does
Simba Car Hire is a privately held Australian car rental startup founded in 2022 that operates a multi-product vehicle rental platform serving leisure travellers, rideshare/gig drivers, and corporate fleet customers. The company runs off-airport counter branches across seven Australian cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, and Hobart — with free shuttle transfers from each airport terminal and coverage across 2,500+ suburbs. As of its most recent disclosures, Simba reports 150,000+ bookings, 120,000+ unique customers, a fleet of 1,500+ vehicles, and a 4.7–4.8 star rating across 5,800–7,658 Google reviews. The company is headquartered in Sydney with its registered office in Adelaide and operates with 68+ team members.
The product portfolio spans daily/weekly/monthly rentals, a car subscription offering (from A$399/week) bundled with insurance, rego, and maintenance, ultra-low-rate vehicle relocation deals (A$1–A$85/day) for one-way intercity routes, a Business Saver corporate fleet solution with a self-serve dashboard, and a rideshare-approved rental program targeting Uber, DiDi, Ola, and Shebah drivers. The technology stack is a web-based rental management platform featuring AI Car Search (natural-language vehicle recommendation), Online Check-In (digital document upload and digital rental agreement signing), a corporate fleet management dashboard, and a Roaring Points loyalty program. The platform is supported by iOS and Android mobile apps and a network of seven airport branches.
Simba's commercial model combines usage-based pricing (daily rentals from A$21/day) with subscription-recurring pricing (weekly/monthly subscriptions and corporate fleet contracts) and ancillary streams including accident replacement vehicle coordination and gift cards (A$50–A$1,000). Revenue is generated across consumer (leisure, gig economy), business (SMEs, mid-market, enterprise), and use-case (subscription, accident replacement) segments, with distribution concentrated through the company website, the corporate self-serve business portal, and physical branch counters. All-inclusive pricing — bundling unlimited kilometres, basic cover, rego, and 24/7 roadside assistance with no card surcharge — is positioned as the core differentiator against legacy airport car rental incumbents.
Simba Car Hire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simba Car Hire
- Legal name
- Simba Car Hire
- Website
- https://simbacarhire.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Simba Car Hire is an Australian car rental startup founded in 2022 that operates a multi-product rental platform across seven cities, serving leisure travellers, rideshare/gig drivers, and corporate fleet customers with transparent all-inclusive daily, subscription, and relocation pricing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Simba Car Hire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Car Rental Services
- NAICS
- Passenger Car Rental (532111), Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211), Passenger Car Leasing (532112)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local City / In-Town Car Rental (THADAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Long-Term / Monthly Car Rental (THADAAAE), Consumer/Private Lease & Subscription (Personal Contract Hire) (TLABAAAC)
Keywords
Where Simba Car Hire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices7 records
Markets served
Simba Car Hire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Daily Car Rental: Core short-term rental business offering vehicles from economy hatchbacks to luxury sedans and 4WDs. Customers pay per day with rates varying by vehicle class, location, and season. Rates start from $21/day for economy vehicles. Includes unlimited kilometres (excluding UTE/commercial van/6+ seater categories), standard insurance cover, 24/7 roadside assistance, and flexible cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup.
- Car Subscription: Weekly and monthly car subscription plans bundled with insurance, registration (rego), and maintenance. Monthly plans start from $399 per week (claimed to be 60% cheaper than traditional rental). Flexible 1-12 month terms with no long contracts and cancel-anytime option. No credit checks required. Rideshare-approved vehicles available. 4-week minimum commitment.
- Business Fleet Rental: Corporate accounts enabling businesses to book and manage multiple vehicles under a single account with corporate pricing discounts applied automatically at checkout. Zero upfront fleet cost, 100% tax deductible as an operating expense. Businesses add PO numbers and receive instant booking references. Dashboard tracks active orders, total vehicles, and monthly spend.
- Vehicle Relocation Deals: One-way rental deals where customers pay ultra-low rates (from $1/day to $85/day) to help reposition Simba's fleet between cities. Deals are available on limited routes between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Cairns. Simple 3-step booking process.
- Rideshare Vehicle Rental: Daily, weekly, and monthly vehicle rentals specifically for rideshare drivers (Uber, DiDi, Ola, Shebah). All vehicles are platform-approved, include basic insurance and registration, and are tax deductible. Flexible terms with no lock-in contracts and same-day pickup across all 6 cities.
- Promotional Deals and Discounts: Promotional codes offering 8-10% discounts for members, long-holiday bookings (5+ days), and short trips (3+ days). Gift cards sold in denominations from $50 to $1,000, valid for 36 months and redeemable across the entire fleet.
- Accident Replacement Vehicles: Replacement vehicles provided to drivers not at fault in accidents. Simba coordinates with insurance companies and handles paperwork. Fleet of over 2,200 vehicles available for replacement across major cities. Customers need the at-fault driver's claim number and a valid licence.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Economy/Mini vehicles from $21/day |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Fleet — zero upfront cost, corporate discount pricing |
| Subscription | Weekly | Car Subscription from $399/week |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Relocation Deals from $1/day |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards $50–$1,000 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Simba Car Hire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simba Car Hire rents its own fleet of 1,500+ vehicles to consumers and businesses across 7 Australian airport locations, offering daily, weekly, and monthly rentals, weekly/monthly car subscriptions bundled with insurance, rego, and maintenance, corporate fleet rentals with a management dashboard, rideshare-approved vehicle rentals, one-way relocation deals, and accident replacement vehicles. All rentals include basic cover, 24/7 roadside assistance, and free airport shuttle transfers to off-airport counters.
Product overview
Simba Car Hire operates a multi-product car rental platform in Australia offering both daily/short-term rental and subscription-based services. The core offering includes standard car rental (daily, weekly, monthly) available at six major Australian airports (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns) with over 1,500 vehicles across 2,500+ suburbs. The product portfolio consists of: (1) Daily/Weekly/Monthly Car Rental as the primary rental service with flexible terms; (2) Car Subscription as a monthly bundled offering including insurance, rego, and maintenance; (3) Vehicle Relocations for one-way interstate rentals at ultra-low rates; (4) Business Fleet Rental for corporate customers with fleet management tools; (5) Rideshare Rental for Uber/DiDi/Ola-approved vehicles; (6) Accident Replacement Vehicles for not-at-fault drivers; plus supporting features including AI Car Search for intelligent vehicle discovery, Online Check-In for streamlined pickup, Gift Cards, and a Roaring Points loyalty program. The platform targets leisure travelers, business users, rideshare drivers, and families with services spanning airport pickups, interstate travel, and long-term arrangements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Roaring Points: Loyalty program offering rewards on every rental
- Business Saver
- Simba Business
- AI Search
Quantifiable outcome
- Save 57% vs vehicle ownership for business fleets (claim per Business Saver page)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Simba Car Hire
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Simba Car Hire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Simba Car Hire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Simba Car Hire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Avis Australia: Major global car rental brand with significant Australian airport presence and extensive corporate accounts. Overlaps with Simba's leisure and business segments, and has longer-tenured fleet and corporate agreements.
- Hertz Australia: Global car rental incumbent operating across all major Australian airports with on-airport concessions and a global loyalty program. Competes with Simba for the same airport leisure and corporate traveller segments, but at higher price points and broader scale.
- Thrifty Australia: Value-focused global rental brand operating on-airport across major Australian cities. Directly comparable to Simba on price-sensitive leisure customers, though with larger fleet and longer track record.
- SIXT Australia: German-headquartered premium rental brand expanding aggressively in Australia with strong tech/digital booking experience. Comparable to Simba in digital-first GTM and premium fleet offerings, but with global capital backing.
Emerging players
- GoGet: Australian car-sharing and short-term rental operator with a tech-forward booking model and metro-focused fleet. Comparable to Simba's tech-enabled booking experience and Australian positioning, but emphasises urban car-sharing over airport leisure rentals.
Direct peers
- East Coast Car Rentals: Independent Australian car rental operator serving multiple east-coast cities with daily and longer-term rentals. Directly comparable to Simba in fleet composition, daily/weekly rental format, and Australia-only geographic footprint.
- Bayswater Car Rental: Australian independent car rental operator with airport shuttle-based off-airport branches across major Australian cities. Directly comparable to Simba in off-airport model, customer base (leisure + corporate), and price positioning.
- Alpha Car Hire: Australian independent car rental company focused on competitive airport-adjacent rentals with low daily rates. Comparable to Simba in target customer (budget leisure and business travellers), and off-airport distribution model.
- Apex Car Rentals: Long-established Australian car rental brand offering daily and long-term rentals across Australia and New Zealand. Comparable to Simba in airport rental focus, multi-city coverage, and broad vehicle-class offering.
- Bargain Car Rentals: Australian budget car rental brand serving airport and city locations with a focus on low-cost daily rentals. Similar to Simba in price-led positioning and Australian independent operator profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Simba Car Hire social profiles
Digital presenceSimba Car Hire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simba Car Hire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Simba Car Hire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simba Car Hire 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 Simba Car Hire
What does Simba Car Hire do?
Simba Car Hire rents its own fleet of 1,500+ vehicles to consumers and businesses across 7 Australian airport locations, offering daily, weekly, and monthly rentals, weekly/monthly car subscriptions bundled with insurance, rego, and maintenance, corporate fleet rentals with a management dashboard, rideshare-approved vehicle rentals, one-way relocation deals, and accident replacement vehicles. All rentals include basic cover, 24/7 roadside assistance, and free airport shuttle transfers to off-airport counters.
Is Simba Car Hire a public or private company?
Simba Car Hire is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Simba Car Hire founded?
Simba Car Hire was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Simba Car Hire based?
Simba Car Hire is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Simba Car Hire make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Daily Car Rental is the primary driver. The others are car Subscription, business Fleet Rental, vehicle Relocation Deals, rideshare Vehicle Rental, promotional Deals and Discounts and accident Replacement Vehicles.
Who are Simba Car Hire's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Avis Australia, Hertz Australia, Thrifty Australia and SIXT Australia. GoGet is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are East Coast Car Rentals, Bayswater Car Rental, Alpha Car Hire, Apex Car Rentals and Bargain Car Rentals.
Does Simba Car Hire have an API?
No public API is recorded for Simba Car Hire.
What industry is Simba Car Hire in?
Simba Car Hire's product category is Car Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADAAAC, Local City / In-Town Car Rental, with a secondary code of THADAAAE, Long-Term / Monthly Car Rental. Its NAICS code is 532111 and its SIC code is 7510.