Anti-unicorn unicorn club: How InDrive wins by breaking Silicon Valley’s rules

Breaking Silicon Valley’s Rules: InDrive’s Founder on Building a Global Tech Giant with a Soul

Peter Kiefer, a writer at large for The Hollywood Reporter, introduced Mr. Arsen Tomsky, Founder and CEO of InDrive, at Web Summit Lisbon 2025. Mr. Kiefer highlighted InDrive’s unique approach: solving mobility needs while actively challenging injustice and improving the world.

Mr. Tomsky described InDrive as a global mobility unicorn and the world’s second most downloaded ride-hailing app, operating in 48 countries and nearly 1000 cities. Its core mission is to challenge injustice and provide fair choices to one billion people by 2030.

InDrive’s peer-to-peer model allows passengers and drivers to directly negotiate ride terms, charging a significantly lower commission of 10-12% compared to competitors’ 25-40%. This “fair play” positioning drives organic growth through word-of-mouth, reducing marketing investment.

Originating from Yakutsk, Mr. Tomsky’s hometown and the world’s coldest city, InDrive developed a lean, effective operational model due to limited external resources. This instilled a focus on core life values over extensive capital expenditure, shaping its unique development.

When seeking investment in Silicon Valley in 2019, Mr. Tomsky found investors who valued both strong financial returns and InDrive’s mission to change the world. This purpose-driven approach secured support from three respected US funds, validating their unconventional business model.

Mr. Tomsky observed a shift in Silicon Valley’s values, where pressure for continuous growth can lead CEOs to compromise ethical lines, creating injustice. InDrive aims to demonstrate that a highly successful, ethical business can thrive with fewer resources.

This commitment to fairness is a pragmatic business strategy, driving robust and sustainable growth. The mission resonates strongly with younger employees and those from regions experiencing significant injustice.

For pragmatic senior staff, Mr. Tomsky illustrates how ethical practices translate into tangible business benefits like better growth, capital efficiency, and improved loyalty. This approach helps align the entire team with InDrive’s core values.

Looking forward, InDrive plans to evolve into a “super app,” leveraging its 60 million users. This expansion will be guided by the overarching principle of reducing injustice across various sectors, moving beyond just mobility. The company currently manages five businesses and envisions launching many more.

In addition to its commercial ventures, InDrive operates six non-profit initiatives addressing different forms of injustice, including domestic violence and theological segregation. One notable initiative is the Alternativa Film Festival, which identifies and distributes transformational films to influence life values and behavior on a large scale.

Mr. Tomsky’s advice for aspiring founders is to identify a powerful idea that provides genuine, real-life value to people. This approach generates strong word-of-mouth, enabling effective company development with fewer resources, by focusing on fundamental human values.