BlaBlaCar acquires bus ticketing platform Obilet

Ground transportation platform BlaBlaCar has acquired a controlling stake in online inter-city bus ticketing service Obilet for an undisclosed amount.

BlaBlaCar said the acquisition of Turkey-based Obilet, which was founded in 2012, cements its position as an aggregator of shared ground transportation. The move puts BlaBlaCar is a step closer on its road to becoming the “leading platform for sustainable transportation.”

Obilet provides data to B2B partners as well as ticketing software to bus operators. The company also aggregates bus services from more than 500 operations as well offering train and ferry tickets. It distributed about 45 million tickets across 50 countries in 2024, a statement said.

“We have long followed Obilet’s growth story and witnessed its success in leading the digitalization of the bus sector in Turkey, thanks to its strong team and competence in executing its strategy,” said Nicolas Brusson co-founder and CEO of BlaBlaCar. “We believe that our investment in Obilet will reinforce BlaBlaCar’s mission to enhance access to sustainable mobility in markets outside of Western Europe, now representing a significant portion of our growth.”

Obilet will maintain its operational autonomy with its founders, Ali Yılmaz and Yiğit Gürocak, remaining in their roles as co-CEOs.

“Upon becoming Turkey’s leading travel and tourism platform, we turned our focus to markets. Our shared vision and values with BlaBlaCar and the opportunity to lead their bus ticketing operations as they pursue their goal of becoming the global leader in multi-modal travel, were key factors in our decision to pursue this investment,” Gürocak said. “We believe this agreement will greatly benefit all of Obilet’s partners and users.”

BlaBlaCar announced a €100 million financing deal in early April with Brusson saying at the time that the funds would help its growth strategy including acquisitions. 

The Paris-based company has also made a number of acquisitions in recent years including carpooling startup Klaxit in 2023.