Taiwan Taxi's 55688 app is already the largest mobile platform in Taiwan, with about 6.5 million users, according to venture capital firm Headline Asia, which has just announced a partnership with the taxi fleet with a US$5 million investment plan.
Taiwan Taxi has more than 22,000 taxi cabs, accounting for 24% of Taiwan's taxi industry. Its 55688 app, operated by its subsidiary Taiwan Intelligent Life, offers various services such as ride-hailing, dry cleaning, housekeeping, and moving, the taxi fleet said in a press release.
The new investment plan aims to accelerate 55688's expansion into a "super app" that offers users "one-stop solution" lifestyle services, it said.
Joseph Huang, a partner at Headline, underscored Taiwan Taxi's early adoption of digital technology and innovation as the key to its sustained leadership in Taiwan's transportation industry.
Huang said 55688 is already Taiwan's biggest platform among Android and Apple's IOS mobile apps, and the app attends to various aspects of lives, including entertainment and games.
The 55688 app's goal is simple: making people's lives easier, said Taiwan Taxi CEO Tracy Lin.
"By leveraging the high traffic volume of our existing ride-hailing service, we can buoy other relevant services by leaning on big data and AI," she said. "Meanwhile, our higher-margin services will supplement those of lower margin."
With Headline's international resources, Taiwan Taxi hopes to promote its services to the global community, Lin said.
