Photo: Instagram Арсена Томского
Arsen Tomsky is the founder and CEO of inDrive; his background spans programming and the development of a global mobility platform (arsentomsky.indrive.com). The service lets passengers propose their own fare. After an investment round in 2021, the company was valued at $1.23 billion (blog.indrive.com).
Arsen Tomsky: biography and education
Tomsky entered business with a background in programming. He studied at the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering at the Riga Civil Aviation Institute but did not graduate. He then enrolled in the mathematics faculty at a university in Yakutsk (kz.kursiv.media).
Later, the entrepreneur continued his education as a business leader. In 2021, Tomsky completed an executive programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business (kz.kursiv.media). This part of his biography concerns his management training.
How Tomsky explains the idea behind inDrive
On his official website, Tomsky describes his professional mission as fighting injustice through freedom of choice. This is how the founder publicly explains the purpose of his work. He presents inDrive as a global mobility platform (arsentomsky.indrive.com).
In the ride model described by the company, choice starts with the terms of the booking. The passenger proposes a fare, and the driver accepts it or suggests another amount. Once drivers respond, the passenger decides who to ride with (blog.indrive.com).
From a drivers’ community to a company
The company’s history dates the emergence of the independent drivers’ movement to 2012 (careers.indrive.com). After local taxi services raised their prices, Yakutsk residents began arranging rides through social media. According to the company, the app grew out of this way of tackling expensive transport.
The community and the company have different starting dates. The company was founded in 2013 and registered in the US in 2018 (indrive.com). These events mark separate stages in the service’s development.
An article on inDrive’s journey from Yakutia covers the business’s development. A brief overview is available in the inDrive company profile.
How passengers and drivers agree on a fare
In the published product description, the passenger starts a booking by proposing a fare. A driver can accept that amount or make a counteroffer. The passenger then chooses from the drivers who respond (blog.indrive.com).
The passenger considers the fare when choosing. They can also see the driver’s rating and details about the car. A driver’s offer therefore includes more than just a price, and the final decision rests with the passenger.
The fare is agreed directly between the people taking part in the ride. This process describes the model in which the passenger proposes a price. A separate article covers another booking option, the “No Bargaining” fare.
In figures
inDrive raised its first $10 million in 2017 at a valuation of $65 million (careers.indrive.com). The company’s timeline places this deal in its early funding history. The amount raised and the business valuation describe different aspects of the same deal.
In 2019, the company operated in 20 countries and reported one million rides a day (careers.indrive.com). These are historical measures of the platform’s activity. The number of daily rides does not represent the number of unique passengers.
The investment round closed in 2021 raised $150 million (blog.indrive.com). It valued inDrive at $1.23 billion (blog.indrive.com). The company links its unicorn status to this funding.
The company later announced that its agreement with General Catalyst had expanded to $300 million, up from the initial $150 million raised in 2023 (blog.indrive.com). The additional funding was intended to support further growth in 2024 (blog.indrive.com). This was a separate stage in the company’s relationship with the investor.
In the same announcement, inDrive reported 54% growth in net revenue for 2023 (blog.indrive.com). The term used by the company is net revenue. The release gives the percentage change without stating the actual revenue figure.
The corporate website lists a presence in more than 1,200 cities and 47 countries (company.indrive.com). This is the platform’s stated geographic reach. No clear date for these figures appears beside the counters.
The same page reports more than 400 million app downloads (company.indrive.com). This is a cumulative download count. No date is given beside this figure either.
Which investors backed inDrive
Insight Partners, General Catalyst and Bond Capital participated in the 2021 investment round (blog.indrive.com). The corporate release names these funds as investors in the company. Their involvement concerns financing the business.
A valuation set during fundraising applies to the whole company at a particular stage. It differs from the amount the business received from investors. A historical valuation also cannot establish Tomsky’s personal wealth or the value of his stake.
The company describes the later agreement with General Catalyst separately from the investment round. Expanding that agreement does not, by itself, confirm a new valuation for inDrive. The funding amounts therefore need to be read alongside the terms of the respective deals.
What changed in funding and plans
The company said the increased funding from General Catalyst was needed to support further growth. Product improvements were one stated priority. inDrive also planned to expand its range of services and enter new markets (blog.indrive.com).
The company described what the funding was for without providing a detailed budget for each area. These plans show which tasks inDrive linked to the expanded agreement. The announcement does not separately confirm spending on each task.
What geographic reach and downloads show
Geographic reach and app downloads describe different aspects of inDrive’s spread. The number of cities and countries shows the platform’s stated presence. Downloads represent a cumulative total that does not establish the number of active passengers or drivers (company.indrive.com).
In the company’s history, these figures complement the information on daily rides. Rides measure use of the service over a particular period, while downloads accumulate over time. Treating them as equivalent audience measures would be inaccurate.
raem.kz also features other profiles of entrepreneurs and technology companies: Mikheil Lomtadze’s biography and the Higgsfield AI company profile.
Frequently asked questions
Arsen Tomsky is the founder and CEO of inDrive
Arsen Tomsky is the founder and CEO of inDrive. On his official website, he presents the company as a global mobility platform. Tomsky links his professional mission to freedom of choice and fighting injustice (arsentomsky.indrive.com).
Tomsky’s official website is arsentomsky.indrive.com
Yes, the entrepreneur’s official website is on the corporate subdomain arsentomsky.indrive.com. It lists his position and sets out his professional mission. This is Tomsky’s public profile on the company’s website.
Tomsky studied in Riga and Yakutsk and completed a Stanford executive programme
He studied at the Riga Civil Aviation Institute but did not graduate. He then enrolled in the mathematics faculty at a university in Yakutsk. In 2021, Tomsky completed an executive programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business (kz.kursiv.media).
inDrive was founded in 2013
The company dates its founding to 2013 and its US registration to 2018 (indrive.com). Its corporate history dates the user movement from which the service grew to 2012 (careers.indrive.com). inDrive’s history thus distinguishes between the emergence of the community and the formal establishment of the business.
inDrive raised $150 million in its 2021 investment round
The company reported raising its first $10 million in 2017 (careers.indrive.com). It then closed a $150 million investment round in 2021 (blog.indrive.com). The later agreement with General Catalyst was expanded to $300 million, up from the initial $150 million raised in 2023 (blog.indrive.com).
These announcements describe separate stages and forms of financing. The expanded agreement cannot automatically be treated as a new equity round. Simply adding the amounts together would mix different deals.
inDrive was valued at $1.23 billion in 2021
The company received a $1.23 billion valuation following its 2021 investment round (blog.indrive.com). This is a historical valuation of the business during fundraising. It relates to a specific deal and needs to be read alongside its date.
