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§ Private Profile · Boston, MA, USA
Zoba is a technology company.
Zoba provides an AI-driven demand forecasting and optimization software-as-a-service platform for shared mobility companies. The platform utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms, combining proprietary data with customer-generated and external sources, to accurately predict demand and optimize fleet distribution. This scalable solution helps operators make real-time decisions and strategically manage their assets, moving beyond simple utilization metrics to forecast true underlying demand.
Founded by a team emerging from Harvard and MIT, Zoba recognized the critical need for operational excellence within the rapidly expanding, yet thin-margin, shared mobility sector. The insight was that effective spatial analytics, particularly disentangling actual demand from observed utilization, was paramount for companies to optimize their supply-demand tradeoffs and improve efficiency in dynamic urban environments. This foundational understanding drives their approach to logistics and resource allocation.
The platform serves micromobility and car-sharing companies seeking to enhance their operational strategies. Zoba's vision extends to empowering these mobility operators to maximize fleet utilization rates and profitability. Looking forward, the company aims to broaden its impact by providing aggregated demand data to a wider ecosystem, including city planners, public transportation authorities, and other urban logistics stakeholders, fostering more efficient urban mobility ecosystems.
Zoba has raised $15.4M across 3 funding rounds.
Zoba has raised $15.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Zoba is a Boston-based technology company that builds an AI-driven decision automation platform for urban mobility operators, powering fleet rebalancing, driver tasking, routing, dynamic pricing, and demand forecasting to boost revenue and cut operational costs.[1][2][3][4] It primarily serves micromobility, car-sharing, and delivery companies in over 150 cities worldwide, solving the core problem of inefficient fleet distribution amid unpredictable demand patterns, such as supply-demand feedback loops and real-time disruptions like weather.[1][2][4] Founded in 2016 or 2017, Zoba raised $14.97M–$15M before its acquisition by Marti in February 2024, achieving strong growth through partnerships with top operators and backing from investors like CRV, NTTVC, Founder Collective, and Mark Cuban.[1][2][3]
Zoba emerged from Harvard and MIT in 2016 (or 2017 per some records), founded by brothers Daniel Brennan and Joseph Brennan, who leveraged their academic roots in spatial analytics to tackle urban mobility challenges.[1][2] The idea stemmed from recognizing that micromobility and shared vehicle operators struggled with demand forecasting and fleet optimization, often misplacing vehicles due to flawed in-house models that confused usage with true demand.[4] Early traction came via seed funding, including a $3M round led by CRV with participation from Founder Collective, Kaggle's Anthony Goldbloom, Matt Brezina, and Mark Cuban, enabling rapid scaling of its API-first platform.[2][3] This foundation propelled Zoba to serve global operators, culminating in its 2024 acquisition by Marti.[1]
Zoba stands out in the urban mobility space through these key strengths:
Zoba rides the explosive growth of urban micromobility and last-mile delivery, fueled by electrification, e-scooters/e-bikes, and post-pandemic demand for sustainable transport amid rising urbanization.[1][4] Its timing aligns perfectly with operators scaling globally yet grappling with operational chaos—Zoba's tools turn data into actionable insights, much like how analytics platforms revolutionized other sectors.[2][4] Market forces like regulatory pushes for efficient fleets and investor focus on profitability favor Zoba, influencing the ecosystem by setting benchmarks for AI automation; competitors like SWITCH (simulation platforms) and Locale (workflow tools) address adjacent needs, but Zoba's mobility-specific edge accelerates industry-wide utilization rates.[1]
Post-acquisition by Marti, Zoba's platform will likely deepen integration into larger mobility networks, expanding from 150 cities to emerging markets while enhancing AI for autonomous fleets and multi-modal transport.[1][2] Trends like AI advancements in predictive logistics, regulatory compliance for EVs, and climate-driven urban planning will propel its evolution, potentially influencing acquisitions or standalone growth in delivery/logistics.[1][4] As operators prioritize profitability over raw expansion, Zoba's decision automation cements its role in making shared mobility viable at scale—echoing its origins in optimizing everyday urban chaos for maximum efficiency.[1][2]
Zoba has raised $15.4M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $12.0M Series A in October 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2021 | $12M Series A | FAY Hazaveh Costa | NTT Venture Capital, CRV | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2019 | $3M Seed | CRV | AIX Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Balderton Capital, Bowery Capital, Buckley Ventures, Canvas Ventures, DCM, Electric Capital, Footwork, Founder Collective, General Catalyst, Goat Capital, Human Capital, Kindred Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Pioneer Fund, Presence Capital, Quiet Capital, GIL Penchina, South Park Commons, The General Partnership, UpHonest Capital, VitalStage Ventures, Adrian Aoun, Charlie Songhurst, Chris Fanini, Desmond LIM, Dharmesh Shah, Emmett Shear, Immad Akhund, Karim Atiyeh, Kevin LIN, Kyle Vogt, Manish Shah, Michał Borkowski, Mikhail Seregine, Paul McKellar, Rene Reinsberg, SAM Altman, Samvit Ramadurgam, Sohail Prasad, Tikhon Bernstam, Tirto Adji, Travis Vanderzanden, Wayne Chang | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2017 | $450K Seed | — | Flybridge Capital Partners, G20 Ventures | Announced |
Zoba has raised $15.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Zoba's investors include Fay Hazaveh Costa, NTT Venture Capital, CRV, AIX Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Balderton Capital, Bowery Capital, Buckley Ventures, Canvas Ventures, DCM, Electric Capital, Footwork.