Companies to Watch - October 17, 2019

Five New York Transit Companies to Watch

October 18, 2019 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Five New York Transit Companies to Watch

New Yorkers are no strangers to transit challenges. The city’s transportation infrastructure carries millions of subway and bus riders, cyclists, and motorists trying to get to work or get your packages delivered on time every day. There are several recent bright spots we’re keeping our eye on — OMNY’s

, the roll out of the

, and more — but there are plenty more ideas for how best to fix our biggest challenges. And New York tech is ready to help.

To move those ideas forward, Tech:NYC is partnering up with

Crain’s New York Business

to host the

, where we’ll bring together industry executives and government officials to discuss how to keep things moving. On October 31, you’ll hear from executives of several Tech:NYC members — companies like Via, Lyft, Transfix, Numina, and more — sharing the stage with city officials to discuss the tools we need to modernize and streamline the experience of getting ourselves — and our things — around.

We’re proud that many of the companies in Tech:NYC’s network are doing just that. Before we see you at the summit, we’re highlighting just five of those companies, all startups working to make our commutes easier — however we (and our pets) choose to get around. Get a peek at their work below, and

.

(P.S. If you haven’t already grabbed your seat for the Future of NYC Summit, use code TECH to

.)

Coord

What does your company do?Coord co-founder and CEO Stephen Smyth: At Coord, we’re working to improve mobility and expand access to opportunity by digitizing the curb. We help government agencies, architects, engineers, construction firms, logistics and mobility companies, and everyone else working with streets, to get them the valuable data they need to make best use of the city - whether that’s by spotting a city’s parking regulations or totally redesigning a neighborhood’s streets. Mapping city curbs is crucial for cities–particularly as new mobility options continue to transform the way we move around–and we provide a suite of tools, including curb analytics, management and surveying capabilities, that allow cities to do that in a quicker, more efficient and cost-effective way than the traditional methods currently availableYour platform recently expanded to five new cities as part of your goal to offer data on more than 100 global cities by 2021. Have you found a common concern that cities want to address? Can cities learn from each other on how to solve their curb and mobility issues? SS: Cities across the world have had to respond to the many changes caused by the advent of new mobility. Scooters, bikeshare, ride-hail, 24/7 delivery, you name it, have completely transformed the way we view and use our streets. For many of the cities we are talking to, this is a major, lingering concern. Cities in all corners of the globe want to make their streets more livable and productive for residents, businesses, and visitors alike. I think as you see more cities using innovation, like our Toolkit, that address these nuanced issues and create more efficient streets, neighboring cities will be compelled to take action too.  

Revel

What does your company do?Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig: Revel is a shared electric vehicle company that helps people who live and work in cities get where they need to go in a safe, reliable, and convenient way. We currently operate fleets of shared electric mopeds–Revels–in New York City and Washington, DC.Why did you found your company in NYC?FR: As extensive as New York City’s transit system is, it still has holes, especially in the outer boroughs. Getting around Brooklyn and Queens using public transportation can be really inefficient, and traveling between these boroughs or even within them on the subway may require a detour into Manhattan. Revel is a great match for New York City because our vehicles help fill these gaps. We also know that New Yorkers take a lot of trips that are a bit too long to walk and a bit too short to justify taking a taxi or ridesharing and risk sitting in traffic. Revels are ideal for this kind of travel, which is why our average trip length is around three miles. 

What does your company do? SpotOn founder and CEO Aparna Srivnivasan: SpotOn is a ride hailing market place for pets and the people who love them.SpotOn often is quickly compared to other ride-hailing services. What do you do to make the point that SpotOn is clearly forging its own path forward?AS: We are much different. Our focus is on a particular group of people: pet parents. We have a driver force that is 100% dedicated to taking pets. They don’t “opt in.” Our drivers are provided with backseat covers and harnesses that keep the pets safe during travel. They’re offered a bigger financial incentive for driving with us. Additionally, we have forged key partnerships with pet-focused companies to address their particular needs, including piloting unaccompanied pet rides. We’re always working to make our service meet, serve, and anticipate the specific needs of our customers.  

Civilized Cycles

What does your company do?Civilized Cycles founder and CEO Zach Schieffelin: We make next generation e-bikes that redefine the category. No other ebike can carry two adults in comfort and style, has fully integrated locking storage, or has a suspension that automatically adjusts to the rider.Safety for riders of all kinds, and road safety in general, is on the minds of many in NYC. Besides the safety features that the Civ includes, such as brake lights, turn signals, and full suspension, what do you see as some broader steps or needed conversations towards safer, friendlier roads?ZS: The number-one safety factor for cyclists is the number of other cyclists on the road. Separated bike lanes, risk based law enforcement (i.e ticket dangerous cars before cyclists), and strict right of way rules are what work globally. More of that please!

Rally

What does your company do? Rally co-founder and CEO Numaan Akram: Rally is bus rideshare — a platform that allows riders to self-aggregate and create bus trips on-demand. We specialize in rideshares to events such as concerts, sporting events, political rallies, and other large gatherings. It is a marketplace for event stakeholders. Rally integrates its technology with motorcoach operators (bus companies) to modernize their booking process, offer modern smartphone apps for operations, and automate support for riders and driversWhat and where was the most memorable event a Rally Bus has taken a community to?NA: On January 21, 2017, Rally transported almost 45,000 people to the Women’s March on Washington and to sister rallies across the country. They came from 250 cities, across 30 states, on almost 1,000 buses. No individual organization has transported this many people to a single day event before in history. 

Join Us

If you’ve been thinking about joining Tech:NYC as a member, now’s the time.

, and let us know if you have any questions.

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