In 1999, when a friend (and co-founder) Antje Danielson saw a shared car in Germany, she mentioned the idea to Robin Chase, who immediately saw the concept’s potential. As the matriarch of a family of five living in the city with one car, Chase knew that if a car sharing service appealed to her own convenience and practicality, it would appeal to others. And she was right. Her husband developed the technology, which was “consumer product number 2” to use wireless (number 1 was mobile phones). Zipcar launched a beta car in May 2000 and had 22 people wanting it. Since its formal launch in June 2000, Zipcar transformed the car rental industry, making renting a car as convenient as having your own.