In 2019, Toyota launched KINTO, its new mobility services brand, in Europe – to address the increasing shift in consumer preferences from ownership to on-demand usership. KINTO was only the third brand to be launched by Toyota in its history (after Toyota and Lexus). This signaled to the market that the world’s largest automaker was serious about transforming from a car manufacturer to a mobility company. The case describes how, under the leadership of Tom Fux, the fledgling company grew through market-by-market deployment of KINTO-branded services across Europe. To build a robust foundation and spur progress, KINTO leveraged the strengths of various Toyota enterprises, including Toyota Financial Services, Toyota Insurance Services, and technological partner Toyota Connected Europe. Toyota’s retailer network also played a crucial role. KINTO enabled the retailers to go beyond their traditional sales and maintenance role to offer new mobility services to give customers access to their preferred vehicles when and where they want, for as long as they like. Over time, KINTO’s services expanded into car subscriptions, car sharing, carpooling and multi-modal solutions tailored to private individuals, businesses and cities. By 2021, KINTO was well placed to address the demand for smart, innovative and flexible mobility services depending on the maturity of different markets. As Tom Fux moved to his next role in Toyota, Miguel Fonseca took charge as the new CEO of KINTO Europe. He pondered how he could launch the company on its next growth trajectory. • How could KINTO become a one-stop-shop for future mobility solutions? • How could the company scale up its services in different countries? • How could the leadership balance organic and inorganic growth to secure new business opportunities?
