TRIBBU takes the wheel: €2 million boost for Spanish startup to end the lonely commute and tackle carbon emissions

Madrid-based carpooling platform TRIBBU, formerly known as Hoop Carpool, has raised over €2 million in a fresh funding round to transform daily commutes in Spain through efficient, sustainable, and community-powered mobility.

The round led by Iberdrola and Grupo Ruiz, with legal support from Eleva Legal. Each of the two strategic investors contributed €1 million.

The investment marks a pivotal step forward for TRIBBU, as it coincides with the integration of Energy Savings Certificates (CAEs) into the platform’s operations – a feature that allows drivers to earn €1 per passenger per journey, essentially turning carpooling into a financially rewarding habit.

Paloma Martín, CEO and Co-founder of TRIBBU, stated: “We are proud to have the support of companies like Grupo Ruiz and Iberdrola, who bring us closer to fulfilling our vision. We will work to ensure that in cities, everyone moves as comfortably as in a car and at the cost of public transport, using every empty seat as an opportunity. Our goal is to bring people together and show that through smart collaboration, we all live better.” (Translated)

TRIBBU’s strategic funding aligns with a broader 2025 trend across Europe, where mobility startups are advancing shared, low-emission transport solutions.

Recent examples include Milan-based Wayla securing over €1 million to expand its shared van-pooling service, Maxi Mobility raising €1.2 million to electrify Italy’s taxi fleets, and Stockholm’s Standab collecting €3.6 million to deploy pan-European micromobility charging infrastructure.

Compared with these rounds, TRIBBU’s focus on monetising carpooling through Energy Savings Certificates (CAEs) introduces a distinctive incentive-based approach to shared commuting.

Andrés Ruiz, CEO of Grupo Ruiz, noted: “Every day we waste our most valuable resource – time – stuck in traffic caused by thousands of cars with empty seats. With TRIBBU, we have the opportunity to solve this paradox today through more efficient, sustainable, and human mobility, where sharing means everyone wins.”  (Translated)

Founded in 2019 by four young entrepreneurs from Madrid, TRIBBU connects drivers and passengers making similar daily journeys, targeting both urban and interurban travel. Since its inception, the platform has enabled over 500,000 shared rides, and is already in use by more than 100 organisations, including Iberostar, Mercedes-Benz, Schneider Electric, Universidad Complutense, and Universidad Francisco de Vitoria.

TRIBBU’s vision extends beyond Spain. The company is already active in Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Panama, and Guatemala, and plans to continue its international expansion – particularly in Latin American countries where public transport infrastructure is often lacking, making carpooling a critical mobility solution.

The funding will be channelled into three key areas: expanding TRIBBU’s user base across Spain, further developing its app and energy-saving certification system, and targeting underserved user groups such as university students, commuters living on the outskirts of cities, and those without access to robust public transport options.

By enabling drivers to monetise shared trips through CAEs, TRIBBU aims to not only helping reduce carbon emissions, but also incentivising a behavioural shift towards more communal and cost-effective commuting.

The startup’s broader ambition is to normalise carpooling to the extent that it becomes as common as boarding a bus.

Óscar Cantalejo, Head of Perseo at Iberdrola, said: “This investment forms part of our commitment to support the best startups like TRIBBU, combining our strengths with the brightest entrepreneurs to jointly accelerate the adoption of technologies that drive decarbonisation and electrification of the economy.” (Translated)

Just as shared accommodation has revolutionised hospitality, TRIBBU may well be the startup to make shared mobility second nature.

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