9-803-096
REV: MAY 9, 2005
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Professor of Management Practice Myra Hart, Senior Lecturer Mich ael J. Roberts, and Research Associate Julia D. Stevens prepare d this case.
This case draws upon portions of an earlier case, “Zipcar,” HB
S No. 802-085 (Boston: Harvard Bu siness School Publishing, 2002), written by
Professor Myra Hart and Research Associat e Wendy Carter. HBS cases are developed so lely as the basis for cl ass discussion. Cas es are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data
, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management.
Copyright © 2003 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To orde r copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call
1-800-545-7685,
write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, us ed in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechani cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School.
MYRA HART
MICHAEL J. ROBERTS
JULIA D. STEVENS
Zipcar: Refining the Business Model
It was October 14, 2000, and Robin Chase was leaving yet another meeting with potential providers of capital for her fledgling venture, Zipcar. Chase was CEO and cofounder of the company, which she and Antje Danielson had starte d some 10 months before. The idea behind
Zipcar—a sophisticated form of car sharing—was simple, yet potentially revolutionary. Chase and
Danielson had conducted some initia l research during late 1999, and by the end of that year, the two had developed a business plan. They had incorporat ed in January 2000 and raised their first $50,000 from one angel investor.