Zeelo

A London-based smart shuttle company that designs and runs bus and coach commuter services for employers and schools.

About Zeelo

Zeelo runs shuttle services for organisations. Employers and schools use its platform to plan routes, book coaches and buses, track vehicles and support riders, while Zeelo works with a network of vetted local bus and coach operators to run the journeys. It covers staff shuttles for shift workers, school transport, park and ride, last-mile links to stations and event travel. It has an app for drivers, riders, businesses, schools and parents, and a routing system that plans journeys from demand.

Its headline is "Empowering opportunities through sustainable transportation". The company says it aims to get people to work and education safely, efficiently and sustainably. It describes itself as carbon neutral through offsetting, and one profile says it has committed to moving all its bus operations to fully electric vehicles by 2030. These are company claims, so ask how far along it is.

Zeelo was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in London. Its founders are Sam Ryan, Barney Williams and Dani Ruiz, who had earlier built a student ride-sharing app called JumpIn, sold to Addison Lee in 2014. It started with event travel, including a contract with Manchester City FC, then moved to corporate shuttles and independent school transport. During the pandemic it changed course again to carry frontline workers to distribution centres. UK customers named on its site include Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado, the Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover at Gaydon, Barclays and the University of Kent.

An older profile reported over 130 employees across the UK, North America, South Africa and Spain, so the team size is likely different now. The company talks about localised teams of transport experts, and its mascot is the orca. It reports a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot and a 4.7 out of 5 average rider rating in its app, again its own figures. It says it works with a nationwide network of vetted operators whose drivers have background checks, and that it offers round-the-clock support.

A shuttle business needs software engineers, data and routing specialists, operations planners, supplier managers, customer success teams and sales staff. It is a good example of how technology can change something as ordinary as the commute.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Managed commuter shuttles for staff, including shift workers.', 'title': 'Employer shuttles'}
• {'desc': 'Bus and coach services for independent schools.', 'title': 'School transport'}
• {'desc': 'Transport for events and groups.', 'title': 'Event and private hire'}

Key facts

• Founded 2016; headquartered in London
• Founders: Sam Ryan, Barney Williams, Dani Ruiz
• Named UK customers include Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado and Jaguar Land Rover
• Reports 1,000+ customers across the UK, Ireland and North America (own claim)

Website: zeelo.co