From Startups.co.uk
Valentine and Akker met twice a week to meticulously comb through potential business ideas, seeking out the ideal opportunity. They eventually stumbled across an American business called Zipcar, which operates in New York, Boston and Washington.
The business partners realised that there was no UK equivalent to the company and set about creating Streetcar, which offers a fleet of self-service pay-as-you-go cars to urban commuters. The cars are located in designated off-street parking sites across London and Brighton.
Users are given a special PIN number to access the specially-adapted cars. They are charged £25 for membership and then have to pay a fee based on the amount of time they use the car.
Valentine and Akker put up £60,000 in funding for the business, after taking advantage of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme. Much of this was eaten up in the quest to assemble a fleet of cars, a task Valentine admits was “a long, hard process.�
Here’s more about their inspiration, Zipcar
In the fall of 1999, our two Zipcar founders were sitting in a café, excited about a concept they had seen in Berlin while on vacation. Cars were parked around the city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles. They had a Eureka! moment (or maybe it was more like, “Duh! What an obvious idea.”) They put an American spin on it - outfitting the cars with wireless technology, creating a hassle-free reservation system and strategically placing the cars around key cities and neighborhoods. In June of 2000 the first Zipcars were on the road. The masses could now drive cars by the hour or day - on their terms.
Today, tens of thousands of smiling drivers use Zipcars. In many neighborhoods, Zipcars are as ubiquitous as ATMs. Z2B (business) and personal drivers alike are loving the freedom and cost savings a Zipcar brings to their life - many have even achieved transportation nirvana. That’s why over 30% of our customers have either sold their car or have stopped their purchasing decision. The revolution is underway, at least in the minds of members who no longer give a second thought to how they will get where they need to go. With a Zipcard in your pocket, a car is only a wireless signal away. Viva la revolution!
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