Driversnote is a global mileage tracking platform that helps individuals and businesses document trips for tax deductions and reimbursements. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Driversnote co-founder and CEO Martin Poulsen to learn more.
Martin Poulsen’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Poulsen said:
“I’m an engineer by training, but I’ve really been an entrepreneur since I was 17. I started out building websites as a teenager and quickly realized that building the product was only half the job — people still had to find it.”
“That led me into the early days of SEO and AdWords, which shaped how I think about product, growth, and measurability. Over the last 25 years, I’ve built online businesses — mostly two-sided platforms — and spent time in online marketing and consulting along the way.”
“In many ways, Driversnote is the most focused expression of that background: building a product that solves a real problem and making sure it actually reaches the people who need it.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Poulsen shared:
“The idea came from a very practical problem: people driving for work needed a simpler, more accurate way to document their trips for tax deductions and reimbursements.”
“From the beginning, the goal wasn’t just to build an app — it was to remove friction from a task people already had to do. Mileage logging is repetitive and easy to get wrong if you rely on memory, spreadsheets, or paper logs.”
“So we built Driversnote in a deliberate, product-led way, focused on making that job as automatic and reliable as possible. That origin still shapes how we build today: focus on a real problem, reduce effort, and keep improving the product over time.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Poulsen reflected:
“What stands out isn’t one big moment — it’s the accumulation of small improvements over time.”
“I’m proud of how much better the product has become through continuous refinement and a team that genuinely cares about the details and about users. The best moments are when something becomes meaningfully simpler for customers because of work that’s been done consistently over time.”
“Reaching millions of users globally is of course meaningful — but what matters more is that it came from building something people trust and choose because it works.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Poulsen explained:
“Driversnote is an automatic mileage logbook built to make a necessary job almost disappear.”
“We measure success by how little time users need to spend in the product while still getting the job done. The ambition is that people can keep their phone in their pocket while Driversnote does the work in the background.”
“At its core, Driversnote offers:
- Automatic trip detection that tracks drives in the background — eliminating manual start/stop while still allowing manual edits when needed
- Accurate GPS tracking for precise distance and route data
- Easy categorization of trips (business, personal, etc.) for correct reporting
- Clear, organized logbooks with date, time, locations, distance, and purpose — including notes, tags, and transparent edit history
- Export-ready reports (PDF or Excel) that are ready for accountants or reimbursements
For businesses, Driversnote Teams adds:
- Multi-user support with admin dashboards
- Centralized reporting and approval workflows
- Custom reimbursement rates and better visibility
Across everything we build, the goal is the same: automation, accuracy, and simplicity — so users spend less time on mileage admin and more time on their actual work.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Poulsen acknowledged:
“We think about two end users: the person driving and the person who has to collect, review, and process the mileage afterward.
The challenge is balancing three things at once:
- strict compliance
- low user effort
- strong privacy
The easiest technical solution isn’t always the right one for the user.
Our approach is to solve the real friction points incrementally. We started by making life easier for drivers, and over time we’ve expanded to make things easier for managers and finance teams as well.
The goal isn’t to make people spend more time in Driversnote — it’s to make the task disappear as much as possible for both sides of the workflow.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Poulsen noted:
“We started with a narrow focus: making mileage logging as automatic and easy as possible.”
“Since then, the product has evolved not through giant shifts, but through lots of incremental improvements — improving automation, accuracy, and battery efficiency rather than launching big headline features.”
“In other words, first we made the driver’s job easier, then we started making the manager’s and finance person’s job easier too.”
“We expanded from iOS to Android, added a web platform for reporting and team management, and introduced a Bluetooth device like our iBeacon to make tracking more seamless.”
“In recent years, we’ve also focused more on the admin side — making it easier to collect, review, and process mileage claims in companies.”
“So while the core job hasn’t changed, we now support more of the full workflow around it.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Poulsen cited:
“A few stand out:
- Building a product used by millions of drivers globally
- Expanding across markets with multiple languages and tax compliance systems
- Launching Driversnote Teams to support the full reimbursement workflow
- Bringing VIA Equity on board as a strategic co-owner to support the next phase of growth
For us, the most meaningful milestones are product and trust-related — building something people rely on consistently over many years.”
Partnership With Wave
You recently announced a partnership with Wave. How do strategic partnerships like this fit into the company’s broader growth strategy? Poulsen explained:
“Mileage tracking is one part of a broader workflow for small businesses.”
“People already use tools for accounting, invoicing, and payroll — so partnerships like Wave make sense when they make that workflow more seamless.”
“We don’t need to become everything ourselves. We want to fit naturally into the tools our users already rely on.”
“Strategically, it also strengthens our position in the small business segment and helps reduce friction by connecting mileage data directly to where it becomes useful.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Poulsen highlighted:
“Most of what we see are small but meaningful wins.”
“For example, self-employed users who used to spend hours reconciling trips manually can now generate an accountant-ready report in minutes.”
“On the team side, companies that struggled with inconsistent submissions now have a much clearer and more structured process — with less back-and-forth and less manual work.”
“It’s not dramatic — but turning a recurring hassle into something simple and reliable has a real impact.”
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? Poulsen revealed:
“We don’t disclose detailed financials, but we can say that we have well over 100,000 paying customers.”
“Driversnote has been built as a sustainable, product-led business, and that’s still the foundation of how we operate.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Poulsen affirmed:
“There are a few things that matter.”
“First, product quality and refinement. We’ve spent more than a decade improving the same core product, which matters in a category where trust and accuracy are critical.”
“Second, privacy by design. A user’s data is theirs — nothing is shared unless they explicitly choose to share it. That’s true even in team setups, where managers only see submitted reports, not raw trip data.”
“Third, our product philosophy: we measure success by how little time users spend in the app. The goal is automation — not engagement.”
“Combined, that means a product that is simple and automatic for the driver, structured and reviewable for the admin, and private by default for both.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Poulsen emphasized:
“We want to continue improving automation and accuracy so the product requires even less time and attention from users.”
“A big focus is also strengthening the team and admin side — making it easier to collect, review, and process mileage claims across organizations.”
“We’re also working on deeper integrations with accounting and business tools, so Driversnote fits more naturally into the systems people already use.”
“Overall, the direction is consistent: less user effort, more reliability, and a product that increasingly works in the background.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Poulsen concluded:
“One important topic in our category is privacy — not just as a principle, but in how the product is built.”
“At Driversnote, users own their data. Nothing is shared with employers or anyone else unless the user explicitly generates and shares a report. That matters because automatically tracked trips can include private travel, and we don’t think that should ever be exposed by default.”
“More broadly, changes in how people work — hybrid work, freelancing, and flexible employment — mean more people are using personal vehicles for work. That increases the need for simple, reliable, and privacy-conscious mileage tracking.”
“It’s not a flashy category — but it’s a foundational one. Small improvements save people time, reduce stress, and make sure they don’t miss out on reimbursements or deductions.”
