Brands
BlaBlaCar extends service to Brazil
MUMBAI: BlaBlaCar has expanded its service in Brazil. It is the company’s first market in South America following the launch in Mexico earlier this year.
With BlaBlaCar’s Brazilian team, based in Sao Paulo, Brazilians will have access to affordable, city-to-city, social travel options that optimize the capacity of the country’s 50 cars.
The local team is currently working on marketing and communication to help build the service’s Brazilian community of drivers and passengers looking to share the costs of long-distance travel.
BlaBlaCar COO and co-founder Nicolas Brusson said, “We’re thrilled to be launching BlaBlaCar in Brazil today and by the prospect of making city-to-city ridesharing second nature for Brazil’s 205 million inhabitants, many of whom are in need of affordable transport. BlaBlaCar is well-versed in launching and rapidly building communities in new markets, and we look forward to bringing this knowledge to Brazil with the help of a stellar local team.”
BlaBlaCar founder and CEO Frederic Mazzella added, “Today’s launch in Brazil, our second country in Latin America after Mexico, brings us one step closer to our goal of bringing a cost-effective transport alternative to all those that need it worldwide. Ridesharing is seeing phenomenal adoption on a global scale and is not only fundamentally changing the way we use our cars but is also impacting the way we relate to one another.”
“BlaBlaCar has a powerful track record of bringing ridesharing to new markets around the world, as well as pioneering features designed for improved safety, convenience and trust. We are excited to be offering Brazilians up and down the country the chance to make their long-distance journeys more enjoyable and cost-effective by sharing,” said BlaBlaCar Brazil country manager Ricardo Leite.
Brands
Nestlé weighs trimming ice cream footprint and Froneri stak
Swiss giant reviews options including stake cut in €15bn JV as it eyes higher-margin focus post-Unilever split.
MUMBAI: Nestlé is melting down its ice cream ambitions or at least scooping back a few spoonfuls amid a strategic review that could see it slim its stake in blockbuster joint venture Froneri. According to a Bloomberg report published 18 February 2026, the Swiss food and beverage powerhouse is mulling a reduced presence in the global ice cream segment. Options on the table include trimming its holding in Froneri, the joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners that houses crowd-pleasers like Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Rowntree’s or even shifting some of Nestlé’s remaining wholly owned ice cream operations into the JV.
Discussions remain fluid, with no final decisions locked in and no guarantee of any transaction materialising. One scenario has PAI Partners boosting its ownership if Nestlé pulls back, while another could see the Swiss group offloading a portion of its stake to an existing investor like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Froneri itself got a hefty valuation boost in October (likely 2025), when Goldman Sachs and ADIA poured in fresh capital, pegging the business at around €15 billion (about $17.69 billion). The move turned heads in the sector, especially as Unilever spun off its ice cream arm last year into the now-independent Magnum Ice Cream Company freeing both giants to chase sunnier, higher-margin pastures.
Nestlé’s rethink, reportedly overseen by new CEO Philipp Navratil as he sifts through the company’s vast portfolio, mirrors broader industry trends: consumer giants are sharpening focus on core strengths amid shifting tastes and profitability pressures. Ice cream might be delicious, but it’s not always the creamiest part of the balance sheet.
Whether this ends in a stake sale, JV expansion, or just more pondering, the frozen dessert world could soon see another ownership shake-up. For now, Nestlé isn’t screaming “last orders” but it’s definitely checking the freezer temperature.
