You can’t hop into a cab in Dublin these days without the driver excitedly telling you of the wonders of Hailo. We talk to Jay Bregman, CEO and founder of the award-winning taxi app that is now used by one in 10 Dubliners.
At just 24 months running, Hailo has seen growth that start-ups dream of in that brief time-frame, spreading from London to Dublin, New York, Barcelona, Toronto, Tokyo and beyond. In Ireland, the app has been downloaded 350,000 times and has recently extended its reach to Cork, Galway and Limerick.
Now that the major cities have been captured, the next step is countrywide access to Hailo – which, Bregman explains, is why the strategy in Ireland mirrors Hailo’s plans for the rest of the world.
In this interview, Bregman also discusses the importance of serving users on both sides of the equation, explains why Windows Phone has taken a back seat for Hailo, and offers his advice for start-ups hoping for similar success.
Illustration by Think Visual