Wayla

Wayla is an Italian startup founded in 2023 by Carlo Bettini, Mario Ferretti, and Alessandro Villa, which introduced the first urban van-pooling service in Italy. The company launched its service in Milan on October 31, 2024, to address the significant gap between supply and demand in evening and nighttime transportation. Operating through a mobile app, Wayla allows users to book and share rides on vans that follow dynamic routes based on passenger requests, offering a more affordable, sustainable, and safer alternative to traditional taxis or private cars. The service initially operates from Thursday to Sunday during evening and night hours within Milan's external ring road, and has since expanded to Monza and Brianza.

The business model is primarily B2C, where revenue is generated from fares per passenger, with prices calculated based on distance and time. Users can see the fare in advance and pay digitally through the app. Wayla has also stated plans to develop a B2B segment, providing van-pooling services for corporate clients and large events. The company operates legally using M2 category vehicles (9+ seats) under bus rental with driver regulations, which does not require a taxi license. Since its launch, the app has recorded over 60,000 downloads in approximately eight months.

Wayla has successfully raised capital to fuel its growth. In January 2025, the startup closed a Pre-Seed round of €900,000 (approximately $938K), with investors including MobilityUP and Moffu Labs. The company is currently seeking to raise €1 million through an equity crowdfunding campaign on the Mamacrowd platform, which launches on September 4, 2025. These funds are intended for expansion into new Italian cities, extending service hours, increasing the fleet of eco-friendly vehicles, and enhancing its technology. Carrani Tours, a historic travel company, is participating as a main investor in the crowdfunding campaign, signaling strong confidence in Wayla's model.

Keywords: urban mobility, van-pooling, ride-sharing, transportation app, Milan transport, nighttime mobility, shared mobility, sustainable transport, on-demand transport, Italian startup, mobility-as-a-service, MaaS, public transport alternative, B2C mobility, dynamic routing, carpooling