Fleet, a female-led startup, wants to transform night time travel with a razor sharp focus on shared, safety-focused rides underpinned by demand-responsive technology.

With a series of strategic milestones and pivots under their belt, Cooper Project alumni, Fleet is on track to redefine safe, night time travel.

The journey so far

Fleet was founded in 2022 by Bex Winter, Abi Kennett and Rosie Trevillion, who share a desire to tackle the inadequacies in public transport, and an ambition to overcome societal inequalities through systematic change. Chris Bainbridge, an expert in transport planning and sustainable travel, joined the founding team as an advisor and director after seeing Bex speak at a Better Buses rally.

Fleet achieved some major milestones whilst on the Cooper Project between 2022-23. After securing Innovate UK funding they undertook a research project to identify the safety concerns faced by their core demographic: people travelling at night. Through workshops, interviews, and surveys with the public, Fleet gained crucial insight into what night-time travellers require for safer and more reliable transportation.

This data shaped the company's mission, product and service offering, and informed a rebrand. The team explains,

“We rebranded to appeal and connect to our market more and to reflect how we as a company have shifted over the last two years.”

During this time, Fleet was named one of the Top 50 Most Exciting Companies in Yorkshire and secured second place in the prestigious Empower Women in Shared Mobility awards.

Navigating pivots and bumps in the road

Like most startups, Fleet has had to make key strategic pivots. Initially focused on addressing the general shortcomings of public transport, particularly its infrequency and unreliability, the team soon realised that greater potential lay in the night-time travel space. “There’s no public transport at night, and even if it did exist, many people wouldn’t use it because they don’t feel safe,” they said.

This led to Fleet’s primary pivot: developing a night-time service that not only fills the public transport void but also places a premium on rider safety. Fleet’s solution combines shared rides with demand-responsive technology to provide a safer, more reliable option for those travelling late at night.

The journey has not been without challenges, particularly in relation to funding and investment. However, the Fleet team remains unfazed, and has learnt that resilience is key. "We know the demand for our service, and to keep pushing on despite bumps in the fundraising road," they shared.

A focus on funds

Since graduating from the Cooper Project, Fleet has doubled down on two key areas: tech and service developments and fundraising. The company's goal is to ensure that its night-time travel service is underpinned by robust demand-responsive technology, enabling more efficient and sustainable transport options.

Fundraising is a priority, with the team working hard to secure investments. Fleet has this week launched a crowdfunding campaign to support their service launch in 2025. The campaign is seeking sponsorships from hospitality venues and other companies, helping to amplify Fleet’s mission of getting people home safely after dark. Through these partnerships, Fleet wants to build a network of stakeholders that together can ensure safety sits at the forefront of night-time travel.

You can get on board with Fleet’s mission by supporting their crowdfunding campaign: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/get-home-safe-with-fleet