Ms McEncroe launched Shebah in 2017 after she became increasingly concerned that her daughters were at risk of assault on their way home using taxis or rideshare companies.
The startup has grown to 1,200 “active” drivers on the platform all of whom are women providing a point of difference from competing platforms whose drivers are mainly men.
Shebah services women,men travelling with car seats and unlike other platforms is permitted to transport unaccompanied minors.
The startup has raised over $6.5 million including a crowdfunding raise of more than $3 million in 2019.
Ms McEncroe said when looking to raise more capital this year from investors the value of the exemptions to anti-discrimination laws held by Shebah became apparent.
“Some of these parties have thought they’d be able to just add an ‘I want to drive with a woman’ feature into their apps,” she said. “You can’t preference by age or religion or gender unless you have sourced and been granted an exemption which Shebah has but only on the basis of gender and after,so much work and blood,sweat and tears in every state and territory across the country.”