Chalo, India's leading bus transport technology company, has recently said that it has acquired Vogo, a scooter rental company, to improve bus connectivity for first and last-mile rides by using technology.
According to the transport technology firm, this acquisition will help its plan of improvising bus ridership and city mobility. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Chalo - Vinayak Bhavnani said this acquisition would offer Chalo robust gains. The firm will now be able to offer convenient and cost-effective options for bus passengers to travel from and to bus stops, solving the commute door-to-door daily.
This will intensify bus ridership and serve the essential purpose of making travel more reliable and convenient for all.
In October 2021, Chalo raised a Series C funding round of $40 million, taking its total funding to $62 million and the acquisition of Shuttl shortly after that.
The platform is present in 37 cities across 13 states of India, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and others.
Vogo was present in Bengaluru and Hyderabad before the outbreak and is said to be fulfilling around 50,000 rides every day. Users could access two-wheelers via an app.
Under this acquisition, the firm is shifting to electric vehicles. It will also be expanding beyond two-wheelers and is also planning to offer other types of electric vehicles for sufficing market needs.
Moreover, Vogo will continue to be recognized under the same brand. Its founders, Padmanabhan Balakrishnan and Anand Ayyadurai, and the rest of the team of Vogo will be staying with Vogo and Chalo.
Ayyadurai will be taking up a new leadership role for the Chalo Group. Balakrishnan, earlier the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Vogo, will be serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Abhimanyu Goyal, an earlier vice president for engineering, will be hired as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sharath Parameswaran, the vice president for operations and growth, will be becoming the Chief Business Officer of Vogo.
Source Credit - https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/transport-tech-firm-chalo-acquires-vogo-to-improve-bus-ridership-122032800447_1.html