# Kyte

> Kyte was a San Francisco car rental company that delivered vehicles to customers and collected them after trips. Founded in 2019, it combined an app, dispatch software and delivery contractors with a growing fleet, then added longer subscriptions. It reached 14 US markets but retreated to San Francisco and New York in 2024 as expansion markets struggled to produce free cash flow. After loan defaults led to repossession of its fleet, Kyte shut down in August 2025; Turo acquired select assets, including its customer list.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Founders:** Nikolaus Volk (Co-founder and CEO), Ludwig Schoenack (Co-founder; operations and suppliers), Francesco Wiedemann (Co-founder; product lead)
- **Products:** Doorstep car rental, Tesla Model 3 subscription, Vehicle subscription
- **Notable:** Expanded to 14 US markets at peak., Reported more than 5x growth between its 2021 Series A and November 2022 Series B., Reported 6x growth from 2022 to March 2024 and operations in 12 markets at that date.

## Products & services

- **Doorstep car rental** — App and web booking for daily, weekly or longer rentals, with a Kyte Surfer delivering and collecting the car.
- **Tesla Model 3 subscription** — A monthly electric-car subscription introduced in selected markets.
- **Vehicle subscription** — Longer-term subscriptions across sedan and SUV classes, with advertised monthly pricing that varied by class.

## Achievements

- Expanded to 14 US markets at peak.
- Reported more than 5x growth between its 2021 Series A and November 2022 Series B.
- Reported 6x growth from 2022 to March 2024 and operations in 12 markets at that date.

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — Kyte reduced staff by roughly 40%-50% and retreated to San Francisco and New York City, including Jersey City.
- **2025-07** — Turo agreed to acquire select Kyte assets and welcomed its customers.
- **2025-08** — Kyte shut down after loan delinquencies, fleet repossession and unsuccessful attempts to secure new financing.

## Links

- Website: https://kyte.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drivekyte
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DriveKyte
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyte/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drivekyte

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kyte
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-30