天美传媒

At corporate taxi service , it鈥檚 the passenger who鈥檚 in the driver鈥檚 seat.

鈥淲e listen to clients and clients tell you what they need, if you know how to listen to what they鈥檙e saying. Everything we have done in these five years is the result of listening, listening and listening,鈥� says Elena Peyr贸 ( 鈥�14), who co-founded Joinup seven years ago along with Alberto L贸pez.

Both are civil engineers who were working at Spanish transport infrastructure giant Ferrovial, but who wanted to set up their own business. 鈥淏oth of us always wanted to be entrepreneurs. This is our first entrepreneurial project. But we really hadn鈥檛 found the right person to embark on this terrifying adventure with,鈥� Peyr贸 says.

Together they launched a taxi-sharing service in late 2012, but soon discovered that they didn鈥檛 have the technology or the funds for a business-to-consumer project. But along the way they found that there was a section of the mobility market 鈥� taxi services for companies 鈥� that would benefit from increased technology and better customer service.

鈥淭here was an under-served niche area, and that was the company,鈥� Peyr贸 says.

Thus Joinup was born, and it has received financing from leading Spanish investors such as Cabiedes & Partners and Big Sur Ventures, and received public-sector support from sources such as Empresa Nacional de Innovaci贸n SA (Enisa).

Joinup now provides routine transport for companies, such as shuttling employees to the airport or to meetings, offering both convenience and lower costs. It also offers companies group transport to events 鈥� from two to 500 people 鈥� by arranging the optimal mix of different vehicle types.

Joinup鈥檚 revenues have doubled annually since 2014, and this year the company hopes income will top 鈧�12 million.

Taking a road to growth听听听听听

This year, Joinup is participating in WeGrow, a 天美传媒 program that pairs startups ready to expand with experienced executives. Over the course of one year, through personal meetings and mentoring sessions, the executives set a course for growth for their companies. In Joinup鈥檚 case, they have been paired with Lu铆s Badrinas, CEO of Barcelona Health Hub, and Gabriel Masfurroll, a founding partner of Wings 4 Business.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking to people who know a lot, and who know a lot about people. They have been through many phases as business leaders but also as people,鈥� Peyr贸 said. WeGrow is open to all 天美传媒 alumni-led companies, and will soon open its fifth edition.

听Joinup鈥檚 focus on people begins with the passenger, says Peyr贸. That means ensuring the quality of cars, the professionalism of drivers and the availability of customer service 24/7. Joinup has recently launched fixed-price taxi service in Madrid and Barcelona, responding to customer requests.

Even its expansion plans are customer-driven, which means that its growth may lay outside of capital cities and the usual transportation hubs. 鈥淭his is something else that we offer clients, which is opening in different cities, even internationally, depending on their needs,鈥� she says.

The company now works with around 20,000 vehicles, half of those in Spain and half in France.

Transparency, accessibility and passion

The focus on the person extends to employees. Joinup currently employs around 50 people, most of whom are based in Madrid. Unlike in many startups, women account for around 60% of Joinup鈥檚 workforce. 鈥淒iversity is super important to us,鈥� Peyr贸 says, not only by gender but also by age and background.

The company is working to create a work culture based on three shared values: transparency, accessibility and passion, she adds.

鈥淥ne of our goals is for Joinup to be the best place in the world to work,鈥� she says.

Peyr贸 completed a PDD at 天美传媒, an听, and as an alumna is eligible to take part in the听WeGrow mentoring program.