A Manchester-based online car rental company is pushing ahead with global expansion plans after raising £534k (€612m) in funding from investors.

Launched in the UK in 2022, Stressfreecarrental.com is now pushing ahead with international expansion

Stressfreecarrental.com has launched versions of its website to serve Spain, France, Portugal, Brazil, Turkey, Holland and Italy after receiving the funding last November.

It’s now pushing ahead with further international expansion and German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian and Latvian versions of its website are all expected to go live in the coming weeks.

The company operates a price comparison and booking platform for car hire and airport transfers. It aims to bring a fresh approach to product, service and technology and offer lower prices, improved transparency and better customer experience.

Last November’s funding round was led by DSW Ventures and included angel investor Harry Dixon, former technical director at Rentalcars.com.

The brand also signed several partnerships, including with travel agency Ramsey World Travel, price comparison site SkyScanner and London Luton Airport.

Stressfreecarrental.com was launched in 2020 by entrepreneurs John Charnock, David Mathews and Rory Powers; the same team as behind the Inventive IT booking platform focused on the airport services market.

As part of the investment, travel industry veteran James Jennings joined as chairman while Tom Knopek, who has had a 30-year career in the car rental industry, was appointed as non-executive director.

Ellie Boardman, investment manager at DSW Ventures, commented: “The online car rental market is ripe for disruption. Stressfreecarrental.com offers a fresh approach and we believe it is well-placed to achieve significant scale. The business has already gained considerable traction, despite restrictions on travel, and this round will support its further development and growth.”