ABeam Consulting and Autofleet Enter Agreement to
Expand Mobility-as-a-Service in Asia-Pacific Region 
 ～AI Optimization of Mobility Businesses～

ABeam Consulting Ltd.
Autofleet ltd.

ABeam Consulting Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Tatsuya Kamoi, president) and Autofleet Ltd., an Israeli mobility start-up with its own AI-based fleet optimization platform, announced a business collaboration aimed at supporting companies to launch and expand mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) businesses in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, including Japan.

Mobility as a Service seeks to enable the shift away from private vehicle usage to shared and multi-modal mobility solutions, such as ride-hailing, car-sharing, micromobility, and more. In order to solve social issues such as traffic congestion and environmental problems, various mobility services are being developed not only in the automobile industry but also in the public transportation, IT industry, and local governments in each country. Although demand for passenger transportation has now drastically decreased due to the impact of the infectious spread of COVID-19, the need for delivery of the essentials of daily living such as medicine, food and household goods has heightened. New services and solutions that provide for this surging demand are needed now more than ever.

A startup that leverages AI for mobility business optimization, Autofleet is active in over 10 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, where it is used by major car rental and car sharing service providers. The service employs proprietary algorithms to analyze external data such as weather, events, as well as road and traffic conditions, in combination with factors such as fleet size, vehicle dispatch times and trip destination. It optimizes vehicle dispatch assignments, routes and fares in real time based on demand forecasting, while helping maximize profit margins by maximizing vehicle ridership rates. In order to plan and design new services before their launch, Autofleet offers a ride and vehicle simulator that makes it possible to predict operational performance and forecast profits, and also to verify the effectiveness of improvements to existing services without needing to run a single vehicle on the road. 

ABeam Consulting has for many years been providing customers in a wide range of industries with diverse consulting services, including business strategy formulation and business process reengineering aimed at implementing those strategies. ABeam Consulting applies the technologies, knowledge and experience accumulated through this work to helping clients create new business operations in the MaaS field, not just in the automotive industry, but in associated industries such as real estate, government, and more.

The business collaboration between ABeam Consulting and Autofleet makes it possible to offer a comprehensive and uniform service that takes MaaS projects from strategy proposal to business plan formulation to validation, to systems implementation and successful establishment. The partnership will begin operations in Japan, where mobility service deployments are expanding, and in southeast Asia, where economic growth is accompanied by increasing transportation demand. Services will be aimed at taxi, car rental, car share, leasing and other fleet-based service providers, as well as local governments considering new mobility services. It will provide grocery and other high-demand retail and food delivery operators with access to a new and comprehensive service that achieves all the functions they need to optimize their deliveries by optimizing vehicle distribution based on pre-order demand forecasting, then implementing improvements afterward. The platform can also help cities plan and launch new mobility services, and supporting infrastructure for smart mobility solutions, such as charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Links with medical, educational and administrative institutions, as well as commercial facilities, could even help resolve broader societal issues through the total optimization of urban traffic volumes and the elimination of regional disparities in mobility levels.

As an initial project, the partnership will support a proof of concept of a microbus ride-sharing  service in Phnom Penh, Cambodia offered by FIGIX Industry Co. Ltd., a taxi dispatch service provider. *1
“Aiming to become a MaaS servicer in Cambodia, we have regarded transportation as a service, and have been developing public bus systems in the capital city of Phnom Penh and developing and operating vehicle allocation applications.”  said Tsuyoshi Fukada,CEO, FIGIX Group. “Through this PoC, we will fully utilize the advanced technology and know-how of both companies to establish a MaaS service model.”

[Kobi Eisenberg, Autofleet CEO]
 “Autofleet’s mission is to realize the full potential of fleets in their transition to becoming the mobility service providers of the future A great example of this transition is FIGIX Group that are taking significant strides into new and innovative mobility business models in Cambodia.We’re excited to partner with ABeam Consulting, trusted by large corporations to support them with leading technology solutions and services, to accelerate Autofleet’s adoption in Asia. 

[Hiroyuki Aitani, Executive Officer, Principal, Manufacturing & Consumer Business Business Unit Leader, ABeam Consulting]
“As the rapid evolution of digital technology brings on major changes to mobility environments, the impact of COVID-19 is making still further transformation of MaaS a necessity. In order to deploy sustainable businesses using MaaS, which represents the next generation of infrastructure, it is critical to anticipate the post-pandemic reality, and incorporate into the business model an accurate grasp of the ways in which human mobility will change. This latest business collaboration combines the know-how of ABeam Consulting with the advanced solutions of Autofleet, thereby contributing to the maximization of MaaS business while also enabling us to do our utmost toward resolving transportation-related and societal issues in various countries.”

*1 About PoC of FIGIX Industry Co. Ltd
ABeam Consulting and Autofleet developed a demand model for mobility in Phnom Penh, then simulate optimal vehicle positioning, routing and fleet size according to demand forecasts based on the model. Through the PoC, the partnership aims to eliminate some of the severe traffic congestion affecting Phnom Penh, and to provide transportation to areas not served by bus routes. Past the initial phase, the partnership will focus on realization of a mobility business that achieves both convenience and profitability through establishing collaboration with shopping malls and peripheral services and facilities related to tourism demand.
 

FIGIX Industry supports the growth of Japanese companies into ASEAN by a business group consisting of six divisions, making a business loop for each company to form its own ecosystem.
http://figix.asia/

Autofleet provides the leading Vehicle as Service platform for fleets to optimize existing operations and to seamlessly launch new business models from existing assets. The platform leverages advanced machine-learning algorithms for demand prediction, optimized placement and matching, automated fleet servicing management and in/de-fleeting, and more. Autofleet is managing thousands of vehicles with activity in over 10 countries. For more information, please visit https://www.autofleet.io/

ABeam Consulting provides business transformation services that create strategic advantages, improve business processes, leverage technology innovation, and enhance organizational performance for leading multinational and domestic companies worldwide. ABeam partners with clients to diagnose and solve their real challenges with solutions that combine industry and operational best practices with technical expertise. Pragmatic approaches ensure that clients gain measurable value more quickly. Headquartered in Tokyo, ABeam's 6,600 professionals serve clients throughout Asia, the Americas, and Europe. For more information, please visit https://www.abeam.com/jp/en

ABeam Consulting Ltd.
Wakana Kabasawa, Senior Manager, Corporate Communication Unit
Eri Senju, Corporate Communication Unit
TEL：+81-3-6700-8227, +81-80-2003-1833 ,+81-80-2075-8650AI Optimization of Mobility BusinessesFAX：+81-3-6700-8145 
E-mail: wkabasawa@abeam.com,esenju@abeam.com