Wayla

Wayla is an emerging player in the Italian urban mobility market, specializing in on-demand van pooling services. Founded in October 2023 by Carlo Bettini (CEO), Alessandro Villa (COO), Mario Ferretti (CSO), Michele Quagliata (CLO), and Niccolò Ferrari (Marketing Manager), the company aims to address gaps in urban transportation, particularly during late-night hours. The founding team brings together diverse expertise, from sales and operations to strategy and law, with a shared focus on enhancing urban living by tackling inefficiency and bureaucracy.

Operating initially in Milan, Wayla provides a shared transport service that allows users to book rides through a mobile application. The platform's model involves grouping passengers with similar routes into a single vehicle, promoting a more economical and sustainable alternative to individual transport options. This service is positioned to solve the common urban challenges of reduced public transport frequency and safety concerns at night. Revenue is generated from the fares paid by users for these shared rides. The company launched after securing a pre-seed funding round of approximately €900,000 in a mix of equity and debt from investors including MobilityUP, Moffu Labs, and Sullivan Ventures.

The service leverages a fleet of vans, with plans to transition to fully electric vehicles in the medium term to align with sustainability goals. Wayla also emphasizes accessibility, intending to equip its vehicles with devices for people with disabilities. The company has entered into strategic partnerships to support its launch and operations, collaborating with technology partners and mobility experts to refine its business plan and service offering. By debuting in Milan, Wayla is using the city as a laboratory to test and prove its model, with ambitions to expand its on-demand transportation solutions to other cities in the future.

Keywords: van pooling, ride-sharing, urban mobility, on-demand transport, Milan transport, shared mobility, sustainable transport, night transportation, last-mile transport, mobility as a service, MaaS, transport app, Italian startup, shuttle service, public transport alternative, safe travel, electric vehicles, shared rides, urban logistics, smart city transportation