MaaS Global brings mobility on a whim to Japan

The Helsinki-based mobility-as-a-service pioneer and Japanese real estate company Mitsui Fudosan will incorporate the Whim platform into urban development in Japan in 2019. The strategic partnership includes an investment in the Finnish company, collaborations with local transport service providers and a proof-of-concept trial in Greater Tokyo.

“With its long history in urban development in Japan, we are extremely pleased to have Mitsui Fudosan on board as our investor and strategic partner in Japan,” MaaS Global CEO Sampo Hietanen said in a press release. “Our partnership enables us to continue employing our Real Estate x MaaS vision: the next evolution phase to combine living and mobility.”

MaaS Global’s Whim is the world’s first all-inclusive, commercially available MaaS service and, since its launch in Europe in 2017, its users have made over four million trips using different modes of transportation. The service is also launching in Singapore this year.

The Finnish startup has previously raised over 24 million euros in three sets of funding rounds: in August 2018, in August 2017 and in a Toyota-led round in July 2017.

It was also awarded the first-ever European Startup Prize for mobility by the European Parliament.

For more on the Finnish MaaS pioneer, check out our feature article.