The VTC sector on demand has one more player in Paris. The app Wheely made its appearance this Monday, September 16, 2019 while this market already has several companies installed – Uber, Bolt, Kapten, Marcel – not to mention the taxis. Based in London, Wheely relies on high-end, even luxury, service to attract new customers. Where Uber drivers mostly drive used cars like Peugeot 508s for reasons of remuneration , Wheely will only offer Mercedes-Benz. The app will start with Mercedes-Benz S class and will extend from November to E and V class for minivan.

“It is not possible to offer a cheap and secure service at the same time, you have to choose two,” CEO Anton Chirkunov told the Financial Times last year. Like Uber in his early days, Wheely assures that his drivers will wear a suit and will take care of “the passengers from the opening of the doors to the assumption of luggage”. The company insists in its communication on the selection of drivers “through an individualized and rigorous process to be sure they can offer the best possible experience”. Wheely does not only offer on-demand shopping but also pre-bookings for airport shopping for example. You can choose that the car arrives only in 15 or 30 minutes for example.

Founded in 2010 by Anton Chirkunov, Wheely is present in Moscow, St. Petersburg and London. It has 4,500 independent drivers for whom it takes 20% commission on the races. She raised $ 15 million last April. The challenge for the company is now to prove that customers are willing to pay higher prices for high-end service and deploy its model in several cities to achieve economies of scale. Paris, which knows a lack of available drivers becomes a good test for Wheely.

The company says it generates $ 50 million in annual bookings and has grown 100% annually since its launch in 2012.

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