Just one year ago, the company set a goal of 100,000 members in Norway by the end of 2023. Now, another ambitious goal has been achieved, but the company has no plans to rest on its laurels.
Safedrive, the largest community along Norwegian roads, has quickly mustered close to 100,000 drivers who share information about potential road hazards. Now, the company is gearing up for further growth, with a political heavyweight joining the team.
From left: Magnus Wester (founder and CEO), Ketil Solvik-Olsen (chairman) and Anders Skjærvik (main shareholder).
Safedrive is a small device that allows drivers to send and receive alerts about everything from accidents, animals in the road or other obstacles. Former Norwegian Minister of Transport and car enthusiast Ketil Solvik-Olsen now becomes chairman of the company.
- Safedrive is a very exciting company with big ambitions. They have successfully developed a platform for fast and efficient information exchange between road users. This contributes to increased road safety, which is my main motivation for taking on this role. The fact that it's a Norwegian start-up company is an added bonus. I look forward to introducing the technology to a global audience, while ensuring that the company maintains its Norwegian roots, says Solvik-Olsen.
As a minister, Solvik-Olsen was known for his commitment to improving roads and increasing traffic safety, having personally lost close friends in traffic accidents.
- Norway is a vast country, and for many of us, the car is the most important means of transportation. Animals and obstacles on the road often appear suddenly and can create serious situations. With Safedrive, we have a platform that has gained significant popularity, where drivers are alerted to such dangers. I have many ideas and thoughts on how we can further improve the product, not only to provide greater value and benefits to our customers, but also to make driving even safer, says Solvik-Olsen.
Founder and CEO of Safedrive, Magnus Wester, is pleased with the new chairman of the board, and saysthat the company will be unveiling more exciting news in the future. For instance, Safedrive is working on various solutions to reward wise choices behind the wheel. Wester also envisions closer collaboration with entities such as the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, where Safedrive can share anonymous traffic data to help improve road safety.
- With all the information we have, we can assist, for example, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in identifying stretches and points in the road network with the highest risk. Some areas have more hazard warnings than others. This information can be valuable in their efforts to make our roads safer, says Wester.
- Safedrive has had experiencced adventurous growth, and with Ketil on the team, we are gearing up for a new chapter. His experience and interest in transportation in general, and especially cars, is a perfect match for us. We have made Safedrive Norway's largest community for drivers on the road, and we are particularly pleased that such a large proportion of our customers remain loyal year after year. This gives us the opportunity to develop the product further, and Ketil's expertise and commitment are key, says Wester.
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