Romanian car rental group Autonom buys 30% stake in Bucharest taxi firm

ATM Ventures, the investment division of the car rental group Autonom (with bonds traded at Bucharest Exchange), owned by brothers Marius and Dan Ştefan, has taken over 30% of the shares of the Meridian Taxi company operating in Bucharest, according to Ziarul Financiar.

The transaction takes place one year after Meridian, under the leadership of its new owner, entrepreneur Dan Boabeş, took a surprise step, completing its fleet of Tesla electric cars.

The investment in Meridian will allow the company to increase the number of cars by 20%, from 1,100 currently, and to renew the car fleet, according to data provided by representatives of both companies.

"A year ago, our effort to change urban mobility for the better officially began with the launch of Blue Romania. We continue with other investments," Marius Ştefan, CEO and founder of Autonom, wrote on Facebook immediately after the announcement.

The Autonom Group launched a new ridesharing service called Blue at the end of 2023, competing with players such as Uber, Bolt or Elec. The Blue service will be offered through a new company, Blue Technology, established in April 2023.

Blue offers customers the option to order only Tesla electric cars, for which there is a dedicated category in the application.

(Photo source: LinkedIn/Marius Stefan)