2Hire, a startup in the Zest portfolio, develops a modular platform that enables car-sharing, rental and mobility service operators to manage cars, scooters, bicycles and other connected vehicles through a single solution. Powered by its proprietary technology, the platform now operates in more than 60 cities across 15 countries, supporting millions of kilometres travelled every year.

We invested in 2Hire in 2017 through the LUISS EnLabs Accelerator Programme, becoming the startup’s first institutional investor with a pre-seed investment, followed a few months later by a follow-on investment in its seed round. From the outset, we were impressed by Filippo Agostino’s entrepreneurial determination and the team’s ability to attract top technical talent to turn an ambitious vision into a tangible venture.

At the time, it was a contrarian investment. The market was primarily focused on digital-only models, while 2Hire operated in the complex connected mobility sector, with long adoption cycles and a hardware component that many investors viewed as a constraint. We chose to look beyond that, believing in their vision: to build the technology infrastructure that could enable the entire connected mobility ecosystem, rather than a sharing service.

2Hire’s story is particularly meaningful for our portfolio because it demonstrates the importance of patience, a long-term vision and team quality in venture capital. Through years marked by profound industry changes and the challenges of the pandemic, the founders continued to grow with discipline, resilience and adaptability, turning an early bet into an international business.

1. How did the idea for 2Hire come about?

The idea emerged from hands-on work digitising car-sharing operations and developing keyless experiences, but there was also a very concrete trigger: when we tried to launch a scooter-sharing service in Rome, we realised we were better at developing technology than running a mobility service as operators. From there, we chose a clear direction: to go beyond micromobility and build a repeatable technology layer that could enable connected vehicle operations at scale, across cars and fleets, regardless of make or model.

At the time, we encountered the same problem every day: to make a mobility service work, you had to bring together different components—vehicle access, telematics, data, a management platform and an app—often involving different suppliers and standards. Every new fleet or vehicle model became a standalone project. At one point, we realised that the real value lay in building a single, reliable and repeatable layer that would abstract away that complexity and allow operators to orchestrate connected vehicles easily. Initially, this vision also took the form of a plug-and-play concept: a device installed in the vehicle that enabled real-time remote use, control and monitoring, ultimately acting as a “digital key” through an app.

That is how the vision for 2Hire emerged: a unified API and an infrastructure that makes connected mobility scalable, regardless of automotive brand. There are four of us founders, and the idea took shape by bringing together different skills: I, Filippo Agostino, as CEO, focused on strategic vision and product evolution; Elisabetta Mari, COO, on operations, commercial strategy and business development; Matteo Filippi, CTO, on architecture and technology execution; and Andrea Verdelocco, Head of Engineering, on building and scaling our engineering capabilities. The journey then continued within LUISS EnLabs, where we turned these real-world operational challenges into a platform.

2. When did you realise it could become something “real”?

When the first operators we worked with began adding vehicles of different makes and models to their fleets, we experienced a very concrete problem first-hand: every vehicle “spoke a different language”, and integrating its communication layer with the management platform we had developed was consistently time-consuming, complex and difficult to scale.

This created an internal need: to build a unified layer that would simplify access to data and commands, making integration much more straightforward.

The real signal that we were onto something bigger came when we realised the problem was not unique to us. Other clients, who already had their own platforms, were facing exactly the same situation: integrating each new vehicle meant time, costs and technical complexity. At that point, we understood that what had started as a solution to an internal operational problem could become a scalable platform with much broader value.

3. What was the most challenging step in turning the idea into a product?

The most challenging step was moving from thinking in terms of features for individual use cases to building infrastructure: a stable, standardised, API-first product capable of handling the diversity of the automotive world.

We had to learn to say no more often, decide what to standardise and what to keep flexible, and, above all, design with an unwavering focus on reliability, security and data quality.

4. How did you validate your initial market assumptions?

We started with conversations and field tests with car-sharing and rental operators. We wanted to understand where processes were actually getting stuck: vehicle onboarding, keyless access, telematics, incident management, fraud prevention and so on.

Validation also involved a structured programme in 2017: joining LUISS EnLabs (LVenture Group) allowed us to concentrate development, testing and iteration into a few months, while an initial seed round enabled us to build a team and deliver a working product.

We then validated the solution through small pilots, integrating what was needed to demonstrate value quickly. What surprised us most was how widespread the problem was and how much it stemmed from fragmentation across brands, standards and suppliers.

5. Looking back at your evolution, what was the most significant iteration that changed the startup’s direction?

The iteration that truly changed our direction was the transition from solutions designed to make a specific use case work to a platform.

We initially started with hardware because it was the only way to connect vehicles: until a few years ago, you could not access vehicle data without an onboard telematics device.

In parallel, a significant technological shift was taking place in the industry: vehicles were becoming connected by design, and the first OEMs were launching programmes that gave third parties access to connected cars.

We seized this opportunity and shifted our focus towards a software-driven, API-first approach, using native OEM connectivity where available while retaining a hybrid model—OEM connectivity plus retrofit IoT—to cover vehicles that were not yet connected.

On top of this, we built standardised APIs and shared logic that allow operators to integrate all vehicles through a single integration.

This shift turned 2Hire into enabling infrastructure: one platform, multiple use cases—rental, car sharing, fleet management and insurance—and a real opportunity to scale internationally.

6. What convinced you to choose Zest as a partner?

We were looking for a partner who understood that we were building infrastructure and could help us think through execution and our long-term trajectory.

Zest, one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors, had hands-on experience supporting early-stage teams and helping them make the right decisions when resources are limited, while also providing access to advice and a network.

7. How did Zest’s support go beyond capital?

Beyond capital, the support was primarily about approach: strategic discussions when we needed to decide on product priorities and positioning, feedback on our B2B go-to-market strategy and the materials we used to explain clearly what we do, and access to the right people—operators, advisers and other founders—at times when a single introduction could save us months.

There was also very practical operational support: fundraising, key hires and the discipline of measuring progress against KPIs that truly matter.

8. If you had to describe what “building with Zest” means in one sentence, what would you say?

Having a partner who helps you turn ambition and complexity into execution while keeping the focus on what creates long-term value.

9. What inspired you to become founders?

The inspiration came from being immersed in a rapidly changing industry whose behind-the-scenes tools were still far too analogue.

Seeing enormous inefficiencies and friction every day—and knowing technology could solve them—gave us a sense of urgency: “If we don’t do it, who will?”

Then there was the energy of the accelerator experience: being around other founders encourages you to believe that building something from scratch is possible.

10. How do you manage the team during periods of pressure or uncertainty?

Transparency and clear priorities. Under pressure, we try to avoid adding noise: we clarify what is a must-have, what is a nice-to-have and what we will not do.

We also create an environment where people can take real ownership: a high level of trust, supported by explicit metrics and expectations.

Our guiding principle is to protect focus and quality, because credibility in an infrastructure platform is built on reliability.

11. On such an intense journey, what keeps you grounded?

Two things: routines and people.

Routines include working in a structured, standardised way, because that gives you continuity when everything is changing.

People remind you that you are not alone: co-founders, the team, family and friends who help you keep things in perspective.

More broadly, it is about regularly returning to the “why” behind the product: when you see that what you are building genuinely makes an operator’s life easier, you immediately regain your sense of purpose.

12. What is the next major goal for 2Hire?

Our next major goal is to accelerate scaling further: broader OEM coverage, more automation and operational intelligence within the platform, and deeper international market penetration with enterprise clients.

In practical terms, this means making connected vehicle integration and management increasingly simple and seamless for operators, reducing time, costs and complexity.

13. What is your greatest ambition?

To become the global de facto standard for orchestrating connected vehicles: the layer that allows any mobility operator to build digital services on top of vehicles, regardless of automotive brand or country.

If, in five to ten years, “connected mobility” means APIs and seamless integration, we want 2Hire to be an invisible but essential part of that infrastructure.

14. If you could leave a message for other founders starting out today, what would it be?

I would say it takes time. It is a long journey, full of ups and downs, and you need to learn how to navigate the most difficult moments in particular.

Preparing for challenging periods is just as important as enjoying the positive ones. Along the way, it is essential to capture the insights that emerge day after day and turn them into strengths.

Beyond rare strokes of luck or genius, what really makes the difference is the ability to persevere and keep your goal in sight.

15. If you could meet someone from the world of entrepreneurship, past or present, who would you choose, and what would be the first question you would ask them?

Probably someone who has built infrastructure in complex, regulated markets, including outside mobility.

The question would be: “Which product or positioning decision, in hindsight, truly changed the scale of your company, and how did you recognise it as it was happening?”

16. If you had not embarked on this entrepreneurial journey, what path would you have taken—and why?

Honestly, I do not know. This was my first job, and I have never had the opportunity to think about what I would have done if I had not started with 2Hire.

I guess we’ll never know…