Parkly: The Parking App Turning Driveways Into Solutions
One of the biggest issues car owners have living in metropolitan cities is finding available parking spaces. Even with traditional parking apps helping users to search, the reality is there isn’t enough public parking spaces to begin with.
Parkly tackles this problem by allowing homeowners to rent out their private driveways, reducing the strain on public parking, opening up more space, and generating passive income for the homeowners. Let us learn more about Parkly and the founder Jaco du Toit.
Founder Story: Turning London’s Parking Nightmare Into a Global Solution
There’s this sense of dread every time you get behind the wheel: Will I find a space? How much will it cost? How far will I have to walk?
I lived in London for 17 years. If there’s one thing that connects everyone in that city — no matter your job, background, or borough — it’s the pain of finding parking.
Whether it was the daily grind into central London, late-night drives home, or even something meant to be fun — like a day out at Twickenham or a sold-out concert at Wembley — parking was the part of the experience you dreaded most.
Every time, the irony hit me: just a few streets away, there were rows of empty driveways. Locked gates. Quiet cul-de-sacs. Spaces everywhere…just inaccessible. That contradiction nagged at me for years. Eventually, it became something I couldn’t ignore.
The Lightbulb Moment
I first thought about the idea while I was still living in London. I’d see many people circling for parking, especially around stadiums, events, or central boroughs while rows of driveways sat empty just streets away. It struck me as completely backward, but like a lot of ideas, it just faded into the background.
After I moved away in 2020 and settled in Germany, life went on — new routines, new priorities. The parking idea got buried like so many others. Then one night, I came across an article about how parking had become a growing problem in Berlin. That old thought popped back into my head. What if we could rent private driveways for short-term use?
I researched to see what was already out there. I asked everything I could about private driveways being used for short-term parking. What markets existed? What failed? What worked? The more I read, the more I realised: the model I had in mind didn’t exist yet. And just like that, the idea went from a passing thought to something I had to build.
The Problem and the Opportunity
In London alone, more than 6 million car trips are made every day. Many of them end with a frustrating search for a place to park. According to studies, up to 30% of urban traffic at any given time is caused by drivers looking for parking. That’s not just annoying — it’s expensive and environmentally devastating.
On the flip side, the UK is home to millions of underused driveways, especially in cities where parking is at a premium. These are assets — but right now, they generate zero value for the people who own them.
Parkly Flips the Equation
We’re turning those dead spaces into active micro-assets. A bit like what Airbnb did for spare bedrooms, or what Uber did for idle cars, Parkly turns parking into a flexible, tech-enabled peer-to-peer marketplace — except here, everyone wins:
- Drivers get affordable, nearby parking when they need it.
- Homeowners earn passive income from space they already have.
- Cities reduce congestion, emissions, and pressure on public infrastructure.
How Parkly Works
Here’s how Parkly will function from day one:
- Homeowners list their driveway in minutes via the app. They set availability, approve bookings, and start earning.
- Drivers search and book nearby parking, paying only for the minutes they use.
- Payments are handled in-app, and the system uses GPS + smart pricing to ensure fairness and convenience.
No more paper tickets. No more guessing if a spot is free. No more paying for the full hour when you just need a few minutes. No more praying for a yellow line miracle.
A Global Vision, Starting with Cities that Suffer
While the concept was born in London, Parkly isn’t just for the UK. This is a global problem and a scalable solution. Every major city has the same pattern:
- Overbuilt central zones
- Constant traffic
- Sports arenas, concert halls, hospitals, and schools with nowhere to park
- Suburban spaces around these places and just minutes away — unused
We’re starting where the problem is loudest: major cities like London and Berlin, and as soon as we can, New York. But the long-term goal is a global network, a smart layer that sits above existing real estate and unlocks billions in value. Every major or big city in the world has the same problem and the same sports stadiums.
The global parking technology market is already worth $25–30 billion, and when you include traditional parking, the estimate exceeds $100 billion. But the majority of that is stuck in outdated systems. Parkly’s peer-to-peer model is designed to scale where traditional models can’t — and do it with far less overhead.
What’s Next: Crowdfunding Launch on June 3
To fund our MVP and first city rollout, we’re launching a crowdfunding campaign on June 3.
Early backers will:
- Get priority access to the app in their area
- Receive exclusive parking credits
- Join our Founders’ Circle, which includes the right to first invest in Parkly when we open our next equity round
This is a chance to support a smarter city — and be part of something early, before it becomes a mainstream utility. We’re keeping our campaign grassroots and authentic. No flash, no fluff. Just a great idea, real momentum, and a simple ask: back the future of parking.
Final Thoughts
When I started Parkly, I didn’t want to just launch another app. I wanted to solve a real problem — something that annoyed me for years, and millions of others too. And I’m not going to pretend — yes, it’s also about building a better future for myself.
If you’ve ever circled a block five times.
If you’ve ever missed a kickoff or meeting because of parking.
If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be a better way…” — then Parkly is for you.
Help us bring smarter parking to life: Back the campaign now
Got questions? Reach out anytime: jaco@parkly.online