Wheely founder and CEO Anton Chirkunov. Wheely

Wheely, which pitches itself as a "luxury" alternative to ride-hailing giant Uber, plans to raise at least $30 million to fuel an expansion overseas. The start-up currently operates across three European markets — London, Paris and Moscow — but founder and CEO Anton Chirkunov said it would seek the extra funding next year to expand into either the U.S. or Asia. It's currently got its sights set on three major cities in America — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — and four across Asia — Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka and Shanghai. Though it's not yet decided which region it will expand to first, the firm's boss told CNBC it invests around $10 million on each new city expansion. "This year, we're focused on building out the business in Europe. There are some milestones we want to reach," Chirkunov said in an interview. "Realistically after that we would say it's time to do another fundraise — a slightly larger one — and to expand beyond Europe." London-based Wheely claims to have a run rate — which is used to measure annual financial performance — of $110 million in gross bookings. While the overall group remains lossmaking, Chirkunov said it's reached profitability in Moscow. To date, the company has raised $28 million from investors.

What is Wheely?

Wheely began life in Zurich a decade ago as its Swiss-Russian founder Chirkunov set out to establish a data aggregation app similar to Booking.com but aimed at connecting users with the best taxis rather than hotels. Without a driving license of his own and unhappy with his experience of the taxi industry, Wheely's boss eventually switched focus to develop a premium ride-hailing platform that connects riders with accredited chauffeurs. Its services are currently available in London, Paris and Moscow.

Chirkunov said he's had a handful of bad experiences in a taxi, but one in particular came to mind. When living in Zurich, for example, a cab driver asked him to exit the vehicle because Chirkunov was yawning. "He thought that, if you yawn, you're being disrespectful," he said. "I'm sure there are worse stories." "These sorts of things basically led me to try to build something that I would like as a customer," Wheely's CEO said, adding he's a day-to-day user of his own app. "I don't have a car. I don't drive. I don't have any special arrangements with my company like a certain driver driving me."

Not cheap