Voya becomes part of the CARIAD family

CARIAD sees great potential in the technology developed by Voya: In addition to the core focus on business travel, this technology is to be further developed and scaled for future intermodal services in the digital ecosystem of automated cars.  

Digital business of the future: CARIAD has acquired the travel technology startup Voya, which offers a digital platform to book and pay for business travel. CARIAD sees great potential in the technology developed by Voya: In addition to the core focus on business travel, this technology is to be further developed and scaled for future intermodal services in the digital ecosystem of automated cars.

CARIAD is pursuing the goal of developing software-based services for Volkswagen Group models. For this reason, Voya's technology stack and the field of expertise of its employees are of interest to CARIAD. Currently, the start-up, founded in 2015, offers a digital end-to-end platform that companies can use for the entire business trip process.

Users can plan trips with various different modes of transport – from rental cars, trains and flights to hotels. At the same time, companies can integrate travel policies and approval processes on the platform, manage travel expense reports or call up real-time reporting. The travel agency chain Lufthansa City Center is on board as a strong partner, enabling a customer-oriented interaction between online platform and personal travel service. CARIAD intends to continue strengthening this business model.

In addition, the software experts see a great opportunity to further develop the technology for future digital services of the Group. On its way to becoming a software-oriented mobility provider, the Volkswagen Group is relying more and more on software-based services. After all, in 2030, almost one-third of sales in the global mobility market are expected to come from such services. With increasing automation, the car is transforming into a smart, digital companion. The driver will become a passenger who can now use the time in the car to work, relax, read or use entertainment services. CARIAD has a crucial role to play here – as an enabler along the way. In addition to the uniform, scalable software platform for all Volkswagen Group brands, CARIAD is developing a standardized infotainment platform as the basis for a broad range of digital services. The aim is not only to provide the Volkswagen Group's service offerings, but also to create connection points for a wide variety of digital ecosystems.

Voya was initially acquired as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG. The focus was on supplementing the mobility offering for fleet customers with travel management for business trips. CARIAD and Volkswagen Financial Services will work closely together on this offering in the future.