Daimler hails Greek firm Taxibeat

Daimler Benz is said to be interested in acquiring local start-up Taxibeat, one of the most successful Greek companies set up in the years of the financial crisis, through its MyTaxi subsidiary. The German car giant is offering a particularly attractive price, even when one considers that Taxibeat’s annual growth rate stands at around 180 percent.

Taxibeat was founded in May 2011 by Nikos Drandakis and today it cooperates with 7,000 drivers in Athens. Besides the Greek capital, Taxibeat is also dominant in the capital of Peru, Lima, a market it first penetrated two years ago, and is expanding to the Peruvian cities of Cusco and Arequipa.

Daimler Benz is said to be ready to offer a price close to 40 million euros and is mainly interested in Taxibeat’s Peruvian business, as Lima is the company’s main source of income, with 15,000 drivers and 800,000 users registered there. In total, Taxibeat has over 1 million users in the two countries it operates in.

Taxibeat’s service is particularly popular in Peru because it offers security in city transport, which constitutes a crucial parameter in that market.

Daimler, known worldwide through its Mercedes-Benz and Smart car brands, has recently turned its focus on car leasing and new technologies too.