Heetch

Heetch is a Paris-founded ride-hailing platform that connects passengers with professional drivers through a mobile app, operating on-demand transportation across European and African cities. The service accepts card and cash payment, provides 24/7 driver and passenger support, and positions itself on a low driver commission — 18%, described by the company as the lowest on the market — together with immediate driver earnings.

The company began in 2013 as a night-time peer-to-peer service in Paris aimed at 20-somethings travelling back to the city's outskirts and suburbs after nights out, a segment poorly served by taxis and public transport. Drivers were recruited from the same age cohort as riders. Regulators shut the original model down for using unlicensed drivers, and Heetch relaunched around professional drivers while retaining a younger, informal brand positioning. It then exported the model to francophone markets with less developed transport infrastructure.

As of the May 2019 Series B, Heetch operated in France (nine cities including Paris, Lyon, Nice and Lille), Belgium, Morocco and Ivory Coast, with Paris its largest market, Casablanca second and Brussels third; expansion to Algeria, Cameroon and Senegal was planned for later that year. Later sources describe a 24/7 service spanning seven countries in Europe and Africa, an emphasis on drivers' rights and working conditions, and community-oriented brand campaigns such as Playground Reborn.

Founding story

Heetch was started in 2013 in Paris by Teddy Pellerin and Jacob Matthieu to serve young riders returning to the Paris suburbs after late nights out, a group they judged underserved by taxis and public transport. The founders built a service they described as truly peer-to-peer, recruiting drivers of a similar age to passengers so that rides felt casual and social. The approach spread virally among millennial users but was blocked by regulators because drivers were not licensed, prompting a rebuild around professional drivers.

Business model

Heetch runs a marketplace app that matches passengers with professional drivers, taking a commission on each fare. The company markets an 18% driver commission as the lowest on the market, supports payment by card or cash, provides drivers with immediate access to earnings, and offers 24/7 support. In emerging markets it adapts its model to local rules, which can include working only with professional drivers or painting vehicles a specific colour to run a livery service.

Revenue comes from commission on rides taken through the platform, stated at 18% of the fare charged to drivers. Estimated annual revenue was placed in the $10-25 million range as of mid-2026.

Traction

At the time of the May 2019 Series B, Heetch operated in nine French cities plus Belgium, Morocco and Ivory Coast, with Paris the largest market, Casablanca second and Brussels third, and management stating it was close to profitability across its four markets. Later sources report roughly 703 employees across four continents, operations in seven countries, and estimated annual revenue of $10-25 million as of mid-2026.

Latest developments

In November 2019 an additional $4 million of Series B financing from AfricInvest was reported. In November 2020 Heetch replaced its homegrown feature flagging system with LaunchDarkly. In December 2024 Enakl was identified as a competitor in its markets, and in July 2025 Heetch launched the Playground Reborn campaign, installing 300 new nets on public courts.