UK vehicle management app enabling two-tap payments for tolls, ULEZ, congestion charges, and vehicle tax - a mobile-first model for distance-based road charging.
Caura is a UK-based vehicle management app that consolidates the administrative burdens of car ownership - tolls, ULEZ charges, congestion charges, vehicle tax, MOT booking, insurance, and parking - into a single mobile platform. Founded in 2018 by Dr Sai Lakshmi (former Apple business development manager and co-founder of Echo, the medication management app acquired by McKesson/LloydsPharmacy) alongside Bhavin Kotecha and Shaun Foce, Caura has grown to over 300,000 users across the UK. The app's core innovation is its two-tap payment system for city charges. Drivers register their vehicle by entering a registration number, and Caura handles payments for London's Congestion Charge, ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone), LEZ (Low Emission Zone for HGVs), and Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Portsmouth, and Newcastle - all with no additional fee beyond the charge itself. The AutoPay feature takes this further: when a vehicle enters a charging zone, Transport for London's ANPR cameras recognise the registration plate and notify Caura up to five days later, which then automatically charges the driver's payment card. Beyond payments, Caura aggregates insurance quotes from 163 trusted UK insurers, provides proactive reminders for vehicle tax and MOT due dates (with renewal in under 30 seconds), and offers MOT and servicing bookings through a network of over 6,000 vetted garages and dealerships. The company raised $4.2 million in seed funding in 2021 led by TwinFocus Capital Partners, with participation from InMotion Ventures (Jaguar Land Rover's CVC arm), Road Ventures, Pareto Holdings, and Quiet Capital. Notable angel investors include Jon Oringer (Shutterstock founder), Antony Sheriff (former McLaren Automotive CEO), and Rob Wilmot.
Two-tap mobile payments for London Congestion Charge, ULEZ, LEZ, and Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Portsmouth, and Newcastle. No additional fee - drivers pay only the charge amount. Supports Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Automatic payment for London ULEZ, Congestion Charge, and LEZ. TfL's ANPR cameras recognise the vehicle when it enters a charging zone and notify Caura up to 5 days later, which then charges the driver's registered payment card without manual intervention.
Proactive reminders when vehicle tax is due, with renewal completed in under 30 seconds using V11 or V5C reference numbers. Integrated into the app's vehicle dashboard.
MOT due date reminders and online booking through a nationwide network of 6,000+ vetted independent garages and main dealerships. Integrated with the vehicle's DVLA record.
FCA-approved insurance comparison service aggregating quotes from 163 trusted UK insurers. Drivers can compare, purchase, and manage motor insurance policies within the app.
Fast mobile payments for UK road tolls including the Dartford Crossing, M6 Toll, Mersey Gateway, and others.
Caura Ltd incorporated on 16 August 2018 in London (Companies House no. 11520538). Founded by Dr Sai Lakshmi, Bhavin Kotecha, and Shaun Foce.
Caura app publicly launched, covered by TechCrunch. Initial features focused on vehicle management, fine avoidance, and city charge payments. Insurance comparison feature (Caura Protect) launched in November.
Raised $4.2 million seed round led by TwinFocus Capital Partners with participation from InMotion Ventures (Jaguar Land Rover), Road Ventures, Pareto Holdings, and Quiet Capital. Angel investors include Jon Oringer (Shutterstock), Antony Sheriff (McLaren), and Rob Wilmot.
AutoPay feature launched for automatic ULEZ and Congestion Charge payments via TfL's ANPR recognition. Expanded city charge coverage to Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Portsmouth, and Newcastle.
Conventional debt funding of $4.94 million. MOT and servicing booking launched through a nationwide network of 6,000+ vetted garages. User base grows past 300,000.
Partnership with Esure to build a mobile insurance app integrating Caura's vehicle management features including MOT monitoring, vehicle tax, ULEZ checks, and city charge payments.
Future product roadmap includes electric vehicle charging integration and fuel price comparison features.
Founder & CEO
Former Apple business development manager and Bain & Company consultant. Co-founded Echo (medication management app acquired by McKesson/LloydsPharmacy). DPhil in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford; MEng from Imperial College London. Educated at The Manchester Grammar School.
Co-Founder, Chief of Staff & Finance Director
Co-founded Caura alongside Sai Lakshmi and Shaun Foce. Oversees operations and finance.
Co-Founder
Co-founded Caura in 2018. Part of the founding team that developed the vehicle management platform concept.
Caura does not operate in New Zealand, but its model is highly relevant to the design of NZ's future universal RUC system. Caura demonstrates how a mobile-first consumer app can handle the complexity of multiple distance-based and zone-based road charges - congestion charges, ULEZ, Clean Air Zones, tolls, and vehicle tax - through a single interface with minimal friction. The AutoPay feature, which uses ANPR-triggered automatic payments, is conceptually similar to how electronic RUC could work for light vehicles in New Zealand: a vehicle is identified, a charge is calculated, and payment is processed automatically without driver intervention. Caura's success with 300,000+ UK users suggests there is consumer appetite for a single app that consolidates all vehicle-related charges and compliance obligations.
Caura raised $4.2 million in seed funding, with participation from Jaguar Land Rover's venture arm InMotion Ventures, alongside TwinFocus Capital Partners and others. The round funded expansion of the app's vehicle tax, MOT, and congestion charge payment features, with JLR exploring integration of Caura's payment capabilities directly into its vehicles.
Lloyds Banking Group invested £4 million in Caura to accelerate the app's expansion into financial services. This led directly to a partnership with Lloyds subsidiary Lex Autolease, giving its personal contract hire customers access to Caura's all-in-one vehicle management platform.
In May 2025, UK motor insurer esure partnered with Caura to launch a new mobile insurance platform. The collaboration integrates esure's insurance products into Caura's vehicle management ecosystem, combining motor insurance with MOT tracking, city charge payments, and vehicle tax management in a single app.
11520538
UK Private Limited Company
16 Aug 2018
1 Horse Guards Avenue, London, England, SW1A 2HU
Manufacture of electrical/electronic equipment for motor vehicles; Software development; Engineering consulting
Sai Sumanth Lakshmi
London, United Kingdom
Aleksandr Tolchinsky
London, United Kingdom
David Simon Tovar
London, United Kingdom
Source: UK Companies House · Last checked February 2026
View on Companies House
