FlightCar

FlightCar operated within the peer-to-peer car-sharing market, specifically targeting airport travelers. The company was founded in 2012 by Rujul Zaparde and Kevin Petrovic, who were teenagers at the time, along with Shri Ganeshram. Zaparde and Petrovic, who had previously started other ventures in high school, deferred their university admissions to Harvard and Princeton, respectively, to launch the business after being accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator program.

The business model centered on providing a platform for individuals to rent out their personal vehicles to other travelers. Car owners could park their cars for free at one of FlightCar's locations near an airport for the duration of their trip. In exchange, FlightCar would rent the vehicle to incoming travelers, offering the owner a share of the rental income, which could range from $10 to $30 per day depending on the car's age and model. For the car owners, this arrangement offered a way to avoid expensive airport parking fees and potentially earn money. For renters, FlightCar provided vehicles at a lower cost than traditional rental agencies. All rentals included insurance coverage.

FlightCar's service was operational in several major U.S. cities, including San Francisco (SFO), Boston (BOS), and Los Angeles (LAX). The company managed the logistics, including cleaning the cars, verifying renters, and handling the key exchange process. Despite raising approximately $40 million in venture capital from investors like a16z, General Catalyst, and actor Ashton Kutcher, the company faced significant operational and regulatory challenges. In July 2016, after four years of operation, FlightCar announced it was ceasing its rental operations and had sold its technology platform to Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America. The acquisition led to the shutdown of the FlightCar service, and the team joined Mercedes-Benz to work on new mobility initiatives.

Keywords: peer-to-peer car sharing, airport parking, car rental, Y Combinator, mobility service, collaborative consumption, travel tech, vehicle sharing, sharing economy, transportation service