Unitus Seed Fund, which supports innovative start-ups for the masses, has invested in DriveU, a venture that aggregates on-demand drivers for private car owners in the country.

The Bengaluru-based start-up hopes to fill the gap in the utilisation of privately owned vehicles. It is estimated that there are more than 15 lakh private cars in Bengaluru and 30 per cent of the owners are seeking drivers. Founded in 2015, DriveU’s aim is to revolutionise the self-driving habit by targeting that car-owning population. A large number of car owners do not take their vehicles out to save themselves the hassles of driving and parking in the city.

DriveU provides background-verified drivers on-demand for customers who have their own cars. DriveU says it gets the drivers verified by the police and road transport authorities before registering them on its system. Customers can book a driver using the DriveU app or on its website. Once a booking is confirmed, information such as driver’s name, picture, rating and phone number are provided. The fare is ₹99 per hour and there is no surge pricing on the DriveU app. Its services are now available in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.