How to find your niche in the competitive ride-hail market: real-world examples of businesses that resonate

How to find your niche in the competitive ride-hail market: real-world examples of businesses that resonate

The ride-hail market is crowded, fiercely competitive, and often dominated by household names like Uber and Bolt. But don’t let the giants fool you into thinking there’s no place for you. With some creative thinking and a unique angle, you can get on the road quite quickly. The secret? Finding the one thing that sets you apart from others. Let’s explore how some notable players (both veterans and newcomers) have done just that.

InDrive: A pioneer in price negotiation

🔹 Over 200M downloads, active in 700+ cities across 45+ countries
🔹 Unique feature: Set your price - Riders offer a fare, and drivers can accept or negotiate!
🔹 Drivers pay no commission, just a small monthly subscription, giving them better earnings.
🔹 Unique market entry: Initially free usage for drivers (no commission, no subscription).

Before we discuss the latest players, let’s revisit InDrive, a company that entered the market years ago with an approach that sounds almost too simple to work – offer your price.

The idea is straightforward. Instead of accepting a fixed fare, riders suggest how much they’re willing to pay. Drivers, in turn, can accept, counter, or reject the offer. It’s a dynamic that mirrors haggling at a bazaar but digitized for the modern commuter.

This model resonated. Riders felt empowered, and drivers appreciated the flexibility, especially in sensitive markets where fair pricing is a concern. InDrive rapidly scaled across emerging markets like Latin America, Russia, and Southeast Asia, regions where affordability and negotiation are cultural norms.

The takeaway here? InDrive’s “offer your price” model wasn’t just a fun gimmick, but a solution tailored to specific markets and demographics, offering fair rides to anyone who needs it. If you’re entering the ride-hail space, ask yourself: what unique cultural or social nuance can you leverage to disrupt the market in the region?

BLACWOLF: The armed and ready approach 

🔹 Unique feature: Focus on rider security with armed & trained drivers 🛡️
🔹 Launched in Atlanta (2023), now expanding across Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and soon Houston, Austin, and Dallas!
🔹 Over 300K downloads in just 1.5 years.

Now, let’s fast-forward to the present and head to the U.S., where BLACWOLF has entered the scene (launched in Atlanta, 2023), now expanding across Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and soon Houston, Austin, and Dallaswith an eyebrow-raising twist: drivers who carry firearms.

BLACWOLF was launched in response to concerns over driver and passenger safety. Their USP (unique selling proposition) is ensuring peace of mind through armed drivers. As their slogan says, “We didn't reinvent ride-hailing; we just made it safer.” 

As controversial as it sounds, it’s resonating in specific markets like Houston, where personal security is a priority for many.

This approach has gained traction, especially among passengers who prioritize safety or feel underserved by existing ride-hail platforms. Of course, it’s not without its challenges. Regulatory hurdles and liability concerns spring to mind; however, BLACWOLF is scaling rapidly, proving that a polarizing angle can still be a winning one.

Don’t shy away from bold ideas that cater to real pain points. Whether it’s safety, convenience, or cost, identifying an underserved need can help you stand out in a crowded market.

COMIN: France’s bid-for-ride disruptor

🔹 Unique features: Offering a fair 10% commission and Set your price feature (similar to inDrive).
🔹 Quickly onboarded 6,000 drivers, capturing 15% of the market in record time.

Over in Europe, a fresh player called COMIN is shaking things up in France. This newcomer has onboarded 6,000 drivers, taking 15% of the French market almost overnight, a feat that’s turning heads across the industry.

COMIN’s secret sauce? A bidding system that allows passengers to submit offers for rides, giving drivers the choice to accept or negotiate. Yes, it’s like InDrive, but with a hyper-local twist tailored to France’s market dynamics.

To fuel their growth, they’ve also raised €300,000 in seed funding from Station F, Europe’s largest startup incubator. By focusing on one market and perfecting their model, COMIN has avoided doing too much at once—proof that a focused approach often trumps trying to be everything to everyone.

For aspiring ride-hail entrepreneurs, COMIN serves as a case study in starting small but thinking big. Specializing in one region or demographic before expanding can help you gain traction and refine your offering.

The ride-hail market may look like a fortress, but even the strongest walls have cracks. With creativity, boldness, and the right platform to support your vision, there’s no reason you can’t break through and thrive. Are you ready? 

How ATOM Mobility can help

So, you’ve got your groundbreaking idea. What’s next? To turn your vision into a reality, you’ll need a robust platform to build on—and that’s where ATOM Mobility comes in.

ATOM provides a ready-made platform for entrepreneurs looking to launch ride-hailing or mobility services. With customizable tools, seamless integrations, and scalable tech, ATOM lets you focus on your unique value proposition while we handle the backend.

Ready to make your mark in the ride-hail world? Join ATOM Mobility today and start your journey!

Interested in launching your own mobility platform?

Click below to learn more or request a demo.

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ATOM Connect 2025: Where Europe’s shared mobility leaders meet
ATOM Connect 2025: Where Europe’s shared mobility leaders meet

👉 ATOM Connect 2025 is an exclusive shared mobility networking event hosted by ATOM Mobility in collaboration with INVERS. This focused gathering will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from Europe's car-sharing and car-rental sectors to explore the future of shared mobility.

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What happens when professionals from Europe’s car sharing and car rental industries gather under one roof? You get a day filled with fresh ideas, insightful discussions, and valuable connections that help shape the future of mobility. That’s what awaits at ATOM Connect 2025 - a dedicated industry event hosted by ATOM Mobility in partnership with INVERS.

This year’s gathering takes place on October 30, 2025, in Riga, Latvia, at the panoramic top floor of the AC Hotel by Marriott. With views stretching across Riga’s historic Art Nouveau district, the setting offers an inspiring backdrop for meaningful conversations about the next steps in shared mobility.

Date & Time: October 30, 2025, from 15:00 onwards
Location: AC Hotel by Marriott, Riga (top floor with panoramic views)
Hosts:
ATOM Mobility & INVERS
Format: Expert talks, interactive Q&A, networking sessions, and evening drinks
Topics covered:
- Market insights from INVERS
- Scaling car sharing businesses
- Digital transformation in rentals
- Corporate mobility opportunities
- Eastern Europe’s shared mobility landscape

Why Attend ATOM Connect 2025?

Learn from industry experts
The agenda is designed to address today’s most relevant mobility challenges. Expect data-driven insights from INVERS, practical strategies for scaling car sharing operations, discussions on digital rental solutions and corporate mobility, plus a closer look at the unique opportunities and challenges in Eastern Europe.

The event will also be joined by BYD, one of the world’s fastest-growing electric vehicle makers, who will showcase their innovative, affordable EVs at our event.


Build valuable connections
ATOM Connect 2025 is a focused gathering that brings together operators, rental businesses, and mobility experts from across Europe. With a mix of talks, networking breaks, and an evening reception, the event offers the perfect setting to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and explore future partnerships.

Join the Conversation

If you’re active in car sharing or rental industry and want to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market, ATOM Connect 2025 is a must-attend event. Together with INVERS, we’re creating a space where the European shared mobility community can connect, learn, and look toward the future.

👉 Save the date and request your spot today*: https://www.atommobility.com/atom-connect-2025

*Please note: ATOM Connect 2025 is intended for shared car mobility and car rental industry professionals. Registration requests will be reviewed before confirmation.

Blog
Web-booker for Digital Rental: Launching seamless booking from your website
Web-booker for Digital Rental: Launching seamless booking from your website

🚗 ATOM Mobility launches a new Web-booker for Digital Rental 🗓️ - letting customers book vehicles directly from the website. Frictionless, branded, and enabled by default for all rental merchants ✅

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ATOM Mobility is introducing a new way for users to start their rental journey: the Web-booker widget 🗓️

With this tool, users can book a car (or other vehicle) directly from merchant's website without first downloading the rider app. It creates a smoother entry point for new users while keeping the app central for payments, ID verification, and ride management.

How it works

✅ A dedicated booking link for every merchant
✅ Customers choose area, vehicle, and rental period → confirm booking in seconds
✅ Widget syncs bookings into system automatically
✅ After booking, a QR code + App Store / Google Play links are shown so users can continue in the app
✅ In the mobile app, users finalize payment and ID/driver’s license verification before starting the trip

🎨 The widget matches app’s primary color for a seamless, branded look.
📊 Every booking now shows its Source – App, Web-booker, Dashboard, or API.

👉 Demo it here: app.atommobility.com/rental-widget

Why it matters

Many successful digital rental and mobility platforms combine web and app booking flows to maximize conversion.

Take Turo for example:

  • Customers browsing online can instantly reserve a car on turo.com.
  • But to unlock the car, upload their driver’s license, and manage the trip, they switch to the dedicated mobile app.
  • This dual flow lowers friction for new users while keeping security and payments centralized in the app.

New ATOM Web-booker works the same way - creating an easy on-ramp from website, while letting the app handle verification and payments.

This feature also aligns with the broader industry evolution we covered in Traditional Car Rental vs Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing vs On-demand Car Sharing artticle. As booking models diversify, offering multiple access points - web + app + api – is becoming a standard expectation from customers.

Market context

The global car-sharing market (including peer-to-peer sharing) is projected to reach USD 28.7 billion by 2030, growing from USD 11.5 billion in 2025 at 20% annual growth rate, with digital-first players outpacing traditional operators. One of the biggest success drivers? Reducing onboarding friction and providing automated processes.

  • Majority of new customers discover rental brands online before downloading an app.
  • Peer-to-peer platforms like Turo and Getaround already leverage web-based flows to capture demand at the discovery stage.
  • Traditional operators are also moving to hybrid web+app models to compete with on-demand mobility startups.

The message is clear: giving customers multiple, seamless entry points directly impacts conversion and utilization.

Enabled by default

The Web-booker is enabled by default for all ATOM Mobility digital rental merchants for free. Just place the booking button on your website, and your customers are ready to go.

📩 Want to see how the Web-booker can boost your conversion and simplify rentals? Get in touch with our team and let’s set it up for you.

Launch your mobility platform in 20 days!

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