CityBee

About CityBee

CityBee operates as a prominent vehicle-sharing platform in the Baltic states, offering a flexible and accessible mobility solution. The company was founded in Lithuania in 2012, starting its journey in Vilnius with an initial fleet of 50 Fiat 500 cars. It is owned by Modus Mobility.

The business provides an app-based service for renting cars, vans, and formerly electric scooters, catering to individuals who need short-term vehicle access. Its primary clientele consists of tech-savvy individuals aged 25-35 living in or near city centers who view car ownership as a burden rather than a status symbol. The revenue model is usage-based, with customers charged for the time and kilometers driven. All operational costs, including insurance, fuel, and parking fees within designated "CityBee zones," are covered by the company, simplifying the user experience. The company also offers monthly subscription plans for more frequent users and travel packages for longer trips.

Through its mobile application, users can register in under a minute, locate a nearby vehicle, unlock it with their phone, and complete their trip by leaving the car in a designated area. The platform boasts a diverse fleet of brand-new vehicles, including compact cars, SUVs, and cargo vans, with a significant portion being hybrids. One of the key figures in the company's growth was Lukas Yla, who served as CEO from March 2017 to September 2020. An accomplished executive with a background in marketing and a degree in Political Science, Yla led the company to profitability in Lithuania and oversaw its international expansion. His journey includes a famous marketing stunt where he delivered his resume disguised as a donut delivery person in San Francisco.

CityBee has marked several significant milestones, including expanding to Kaunas in 2016, and further to other Lithuanian coastal cities in 2017. A major expansion occurred in 2018 with a €110 million investment from its parent company, Modus Group, to purchase over 5,000 new vehicles for expansion into Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. While the Polish venture was temporarily suspended in 2020, the company successfully established its presence in Latvia and Estonia in 2019. By 2022, the service had surpassed one million registered customers who had completed nearly 10 million journeys in Lithuania alone.