Tech-enabled driving education and mobility platform Lane has raised ₹8.5 crore in a funding round led by Kae Capital, with participation from DeVC, Antler India, Panthera Peak and prominent angel investors.
The Bengaluru-based startup is building what it describes as a driver intelligence infrastructure for India’s next generation of driving education and vehicle ownership. The company aims to address a longstanding gap in the country — the lack of structured, accountable and high-quality driver education at scale.
Addressing the Driver Education Gap
Lane’s approach is built around the observation that obtaining a driving licence does not necessarily translate into becoming a confident or competent driver. The company points to the largely informal nature of driving education in India, where many learners are taught by family members or friends.
The startup also highlights the limitations of conventional driving tests, which are typically conducted at low speeds on fixed tracks and do not fully replicate real-world traffic conditions.
Founded by Samiksha Agarwal in 2025, Lane is seeking to build a more structured learning ecosystem focused on practical driving skills, safety and long-term driver confidence.
“Every driving school in India chases the same thing: the licence. We’re after something harder and far more valuable — a confident, competent driver. Confidence behind the wheel is a life skill: built once, carried forever,” said Samiksha Agarwal, Founder, Lane.
30,000+ Hours of Driving Instruction
Within 18 months of operations, Lane says it has delivered more than 30,000 hours of driving instruction to over 3,100 learners.
Notably, nearly 70% of its customers already held driving licences when they enrolled, highlighting the potential gap between obtaining a licence and developing practical driving skills.
Lane’s safety-focused training methodology was developed through more than 400 hours of pilot classes, with inputs from automobile researchers. Its instructors are assessed across 15 driving parameters, including simulated lessons, before being onboarded.
The platform says qualifying instructors can earn between ₹80,000 and ₹90,000 per month, while operating within micro-markets close to their homes.
Expanding Beyond Driving Lessons
Lane views driving education as the starting point of a broader mobility ecosystem. The company has begun offering services related to car purchases and RTO processes, among others.
According to Lane, nearly 60% of its learners have expressed an intention to purchase their first car, creating an opportunity to support customers beyond the driving-learning stage.
“We’re not in the business of repeat enrollments. We’re in the business of building trust that lasts well beyond the last driving class,” Agarwal said.
Building an AI-Powered Driver Intelligence Platform
Lane’s longer-term strategy centres on developing an AI-powered, automotive-grade driver intelligence system.
At the core of the platform is a sensor-based technology designed to capture behavioural data from driving sessions and develop an evolving profile of individual drivers.
The company believes this data could have applications across the automotive and insurance ecosystems. For insurers, driver behaviour data could potentially provide additional inputs for assessing risk. Automotive manufacturers could use real-world driving data to understand vehicle performance, while policymakers could gain deeper insights into driving behaviour and road safety.
Sunita Viswanathan, Partner, Kae Capital, said the investment was driven not only by the size of the opportunity but also by the strategic position of driving education within the broader vehicle ownership journey.
“What convinced us wasn’t just the size of the category, but where it sits in a person’s life, the moment you learn to drive is the moment you start thinking about owning, insuring, and building a life around a car. Samiksha found the right entry point, and she’s exactly the founder to build from it,” she said.
Supporting India’s Road Safety Goals
Lane’s expansion comes as road safety remains a major national priority. The company believes that while government initiatives can establish policy frameworks, scalable driver education, instructor accountability and behavioural data can help translate road safety objectives into everyday driving practices.
The startup aims to contribute to this ecosystem by creating a structured system for learning, assessment and continuous understanding of driver behaviour.
Funding to Support Expansion and Technology
The newly raised ₹8.5 crore will be deployed across three key areas.
Geographic expansion: Lane plans to expand its instructor network across Bengaluru and enter additional Tier 1 cities.
Sensor technology: The company will accelerate development of its proprietary driving behaviour technology and sensor-based data infrastructure.
Car ownership: Lane intends to strengthen the downstream infrastructure connecting trained drivers with their first car purchase and related mobility services.
With its focus extending from driving education to driver intelligence and vehicle ownership, Lane is positioning itself to build a broader technology-enabled mobility ecosystem around India’s growing base of vehicle users.
