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BlaBlaCar is actually owned by SNCF, the French state-owned railway company. So Blablacar is actually part of the government monopoly on all long-distance trave
by boreas 11y ago
BlaBlaCar is actually owned by SNCF, the French state-owned railway company. So Blablacar is actually part of the government monopoly on all long-distance travel (even highways cost money to use). I don't think it's the best standard-bearer for the European startup scene.
- SilasX 11y agoWait, what? The Wikipedia page says it's private. Even the French version makes no reference to SNCF. The closest I could find was SNCF being one of many investor-owners. [1] Even if it were so owned, its entire history looks like a startup (lots of financing rounds, building out the product, about having to raise capital), so even if there was a buyout, it overcame whatever regulatory hurdles should have prevented this kind of thing in France. Where are you getting this information? [1] http://bfmbusiness.bfmtv.com/entreprise/la-sncf-investit-28-millions-d-euros-dans-un-concurrent-de-blablacar-897371.html http://bfmbusiness.bfmtv.com/entreprise/la-sncf-investit-28-...
- tim333 11y agoTurns out SNCF set up a Bla Bla competitor / rip off which it owns - idvroom.
- pyb 11y agoNot at all.
- ThomPete 11y agoBut the way BlaBlaCar work is as far as I understand very different from the Uber model no?