The following article was penned by eCabs Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bezzina

This is an exciting time for all of us at eCabs.

A few days ago, we announced the first phase of our internationalisation process.

After years of perfecting our product at home, we’re leaving the sandbox and taking the eCabs Technologies ride hailing platform to a number of major cities in Europe and beyond.

So this is the story of how we’re teaming up with exciting new partners, and why.

A desire to change

14 years ago, eCabs was born out of a single-minded obsession: there had to be a better way of getting from A to B.

We knew the traditional taxi model needed to change.

I should know, back in 2010 when we first launched our 24/7 manned operation I was driving cabs myself.

Having my hands on the wheel was essential for me - not just to keep a finger on the pulse of what was happening, but because I’ve always believed that if you’re going to change something you first have to now how it works.

We knew that the days of waving down a cab from the curb were through.

And we were right. Things were changing, fast.

The rise of smartphones and app stores coupled with a desire for more flexible work all conspired to accelerate the transport tech revolution.

So we got to work and started creating our own in-house platform; driven, above all, to raise the bar of consumer convenience and driver optimisation.

Building that tech was a painstaking process.

We were cutting against the grain - challenging long-standing industry orthodoxies.

But we followed through because we believed then, as we still do now, that the future of sustainable transport really is digital.

Over the years, eCabs transitioned from a market leading round the clock dial-a-cab operation to a digital platform-based taxi and booking dispatch platform with multiple revenue streams built with purpose

To me that’s what has always set us apart from other ride-hailing and taxi platforms.

We are a tech company that also has years of real-world, hands-on industry expertise. Our Product Developement team is built from that invaluable experience.

Today, our tech provides seamless mobility solutions for users as well as rewarding and flexible work for partner drivers.

Learning our lessons

The transition wasn’t easy. Believe me.

Over a decade and a half, we’ve learned a lot about how the ride hailing sector works - and how it doesn’t.

From navigating the day-to-day complexities of a nationwide transport operation on one of the world’s densest road networks to managing delicate stakeholder engagement and educating a complex and nuanced market - we’ve been there.

We’ve sifted through terabytes to find those golden needles buried in the endless data haystacks.

We’ve harnessed the power of machine learning and employed world class engineering talent to help us do it.

We’ve sat down with reluctant drivers who were apprehensive of change.

And with policymakers and regulators tasked with overseeing a rapidly changing sector that they may not have fully grasped.

And we’ve done it all while successfully locking horns with cut-throat industry giants.

So surely we can use all this experience - this incredible journey that eCabs has been on - to help others make the same transition and embrace tech?

Yes, we can. And we are.

Passing on what we’ve learnt

We’re applying what we’ve learned over these past 14 years to build new meaningful partnerships with operators across Europe and beyond.

By teaming up with strategic players in markets where millions of rides are up for grabs every day, we’re taking eCabs’ tech out of the sandbox and into the rest of the world.

What we have created is something really special: a turnkey white-label solution that provides tailored, city-specific mobility tech, coupled with our operational guidance and expert support and years of marketing and branding experience.

We’re giving businesses the opportunity to launch their own brand and take that brave leap into the future of ride-hailing.

At the same time, we wanted to ensure users in these new jurisdictions can count on the same standard of service we pride ourselves on providing back home in Malta.

So we aren’t just sharing a product, we’re sharing the risk.

We are invested in our partners’ success, and are committed to having skin in the game in these new jurisdictions.

These partnerships are going to change the face of mobility for millions of users.

Our mission has always been to make transport accessible, safe, and sustainable for everyone.

Now we’re taking the next step in that journey.