Technology

Posted on February 7, 2018 by staff

Tech start-up wants to be ‘Amazon for your car’

Technology

A London-based tech start-up which delivers fuel directly to vehicles and has ambitions to become the ‘Amazon for your car’ has raised $2.5m (£1.8m) in seed funding.

Zebra Fuel’s app allows individuals or businesses to have diesel fuel delivered directly to their vehicle, eliminating the need for a petrol station visit.

Founded in 2016, the company currently operates in London and has 3,000 customers.

According to co-founders Reda Bennis and Romain Saint Guilhem, the start-up is planning to add petrol, eco-friendly diesel and electric charging to its offering in the future.

“We’re like a Formula 1 pit stop for your car, van, truck or coach,” said CEO Reda Bennis.

“We can also do fuel deliveries through the night, so customers can wake up to a full car outside their house or a depot of fully-fuelled vehicles and not have to waste their own precious time.

“Ultimately, our goal is to replace the petrol station and in doing so make filling up your car faster, cheaper, less harmful to the environment, and hassle-free.”

The seed funding round was led by VC investor LocalGlobe, alongside Brent Hoberman’s Firstminute Capital and ‘super angel’ Zoopla founder Alex Chesterman.

Bennis, who came up with the idea for Zebra Fuel after running out of fuel in central London one day, and fellow co-founder Romain Saint Guilhem plan to use the investment to grow their 30-strong team as well as their fleet of vans and drivers.

Zebra is planning a Paris launch later this year, with the goal of operating in four European capitals within two years.

The start-up already offers customers diesel, with petrol and electric becoming available soon. The company’s next product will be ZebraBio – Zebra-exclusive eco-friendly clean diesel which will help improve air quality – while it will also offer hydrogen when that technology becomes more widespread.

“And we don’t plan on stopping there,” Bennis said. “Additional products will be offered through the app making Zebra the Amazon for your car.”