Every great innovation begins as a single drop in a still pond—an idea that ripples outward, creating waves of change. For Chris An, the founder of FleetNexus, the question, "What if there was a better way to manage fleets?" was that drop. It wasn’t just a momentary ripple but the start of a transformative current, reshaping fleet management through decades of vision, persistence, and innovation.

An’s journey began in Beijing as a product director at Baidu, often referred to as “China’s Google,” where he gained invaluable experience in building scalable systems. This role honed his technical expertise and sparked his interest in solving large-scale operational challenges.

In 2015, inspired by the growing demand for seamless travel solutions, An launched his first startup, backed by Eddie Wu, the CEO of Alibaba, with an investment of 12 million RMB. The company connected Chinese travelers with global chauffeur services. The venture proved successful and was later acquired by Trip.com. As CEO of Trip.com’s international ground transportation division, he gained insight into the inefficiencies of fleet management—a realization that ultimately led him to found FleetNexus.

“When managing over 1,500 cities worldwide, deeper issues in the system became apparent—supply was disconnected, operations inefficient, and small operators struggled to grow. I knew there had to be a better way,” says An.

Today, the company bridges the gap between local fleet operators and the global demand for transportation services. Through an intuitive dashboard, fleet managers can monitor activities, manage bookings, and dispatch vehicles with a click. The platform helps operators of all sizes—from small businesses with ten vehicles to enterprises with 500—streamline processes and cater to international demand. It also offers real-time tracking for drivers via an easy-to-use app available on iOS and Android. This app tracks driver activity, location, and customer interactions, ensuring safety and accountability.

A key feature that sets FleetNexus apart from other on-demand services is its pre-booking service model. Instead of depending on real-time, demand-based bookings, the system enables customers to schedule services in advance, ranging from one day to six months ahead. This flexibility allows fleet managers to better plan and optimize their vehicle utilization, ensuring maximum efficiency. The system even helps avoid underutilization by allowing managers to schedule buffer times between bookings to account for delays like flight cancellations or traffic jams.

Beyond just offering management tools, FleetNexus acts as a global aggregator that lets fleet operators connect with a steady stream of bookings. Its partnerships with major travel platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, and Trip.com ensure access to international demand. This helps small businesses with a few vehicles or large enterprises grow in the global marketplace. For example, orders from major travel agencies like Air Canada are routed to FleetNexus through a channel partner, and the company’s platform then distributes those bookings to local fleet operations. Its emphasis on helping smaller operators who may struggle with high upfront costs is an admirable trait. It brings this vision to life by offering fleet operators the choice between a subscription fee for the fleet management system and a transaction-based fee for each booking. This flexibility suits a wide range of businesses. The platform also simplifies payments, ensuring fleet providers receive an upfront payment for services once completed, as long as no complaints are made.

FleetNexus stronghold in Canada, a nation renowned for its startup-friendly ecosystem and open business environment, signifies quick growth in the North American market. It believes that its model will help local economies thrive and provide much-needed solutions to the growing demand for more affordable and efficient ground transportation. In line with this vision, FleetNexus founder Chris An is currently applying for Canadian permanent residency through the federal Start-Up Visa(SUV)program. This strategic move aims to secure long-term operational stability in North America, allowing the team to deepen market penetration while resolving visa status challenges.The company continues to offer a gamut of possibilities to the global fleet management market by blending innovative technology, global partnerships, and a customer-first approach. Its knack for bringing in travel demand and connecting it with local operators ensures no fleet goes out of the way, whether it's efficiency, affordability, and connectivity for businesses of all sizes.