What started out as a plan to build a software-based company became an exercise in creating hardware and software from the ground up. That was the tale of Peloton, one of the demos at Tuesday night’s New York Tech Meetup (see slideshow), a monthly gathering of innovators from the city and beyond. Last night’s batch … Continue reading “Spinning Wheels and Breaking Leases at the New York Tech Meetup”
Tag: Lyft
Tripda Makes a Play for the Road Trip Ridesharing Market
Have we been looking at the ridesharing scene from the wrong angle? The team at Tripda thinks so. Rather than go after the for-hire car service market with aggressive players such as Uber, Tripda in New York focused their attention on simply connecting folks who want to share costs on road trips. Listing a planned … Continue reading “Tripda Makes a Play for the Road Trip Ridesharing Market”
Boston City Council Looks for Fees, Numbers from Uber & Lyft
Mobile-tech startups Uber and Lyft have been operating “ridesharing” services illegally in Boston since 2013. City officials say they’re ready to end that run, but they’re hoping to incorporate the popular car-for-hire apps into existing taxi regulations instead of simply shutting them down. It will probably come with a price, and more transparency about the … Continue reading “Boston City Council Looks for Fees, Numbers from Uber & Lyft”
Uber CEO Kalanick Takes a Victory Lap in Boston
Two years ago, smartphone car-hailing startup Uber ran into the kind of bruising regulatory battle in Boston that it seems to start just about everywhere. Faced with a statewide shutdown for using an unapproved taxi meter, the company rallied fans and media boosters to its cause and won a swift reprieve from Gov. Deval Patrick. … Continue reading “Uber CEO Kalanick Takes a Victory Lap in Boston”
Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lyft, Epic, BioTechnique
Here’s a quick rundown of recent news from Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —A federal judge rejected a request by Milwaukee taxi groups to halt a new city law that lifts the cap on taxi permits and provides a pathway to legalization for ride-booking apps like Uber and Lyft, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lyft, Epic, BioTechnique”
RideScout and Austin’s Growing Transportation Startup Ecosystem
Perhaps it makes sense that a hub of transportation innovation takes shape in car-crazy Texas. A booming economy has brought droves of new migrants seeking work and clogging the roads. And while Texas’s metro centers are attracting urban pioneers to revitalized inner-city communities close to work, most still make ever-longer commutes. And that’s prompting Texans … Continue reading “RideScout and Austin’s Growing Transportation Startup Ecosystem”
Carless in Cambridge: Bike & Car Sharing and the Future of Traffic
Nine weeks ago, I lost my fancy hybrid street/trail bike to one of San Francisco’s plentiful bicycle thieves. Seven weeks ago, in preparation for a big move east, I sold my car. Now I’m settling into a new apartment in Cambridge, MA, and for the first time in my adult life, I don’t own a … Continue reading “Carless in Cambridge: Bike & Car Sharing and the Future of Traffic”
Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lovell, BrightStar, Energy Incubator & More
Here are a few notable recent happenings in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Controversial startups Uber and Lyft have gone legit in Milwaukee, after Mayor Tom Barrett signed legislation last week that legalizes the on-demand transportation apps and lifts the cap on city taxi permits, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported. Uber and Lyft, which have … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lovell, BrightStar, Energy Incubator & More”
Mega Deals (Like Uber) Boost Venture Funding to $13B
Venture capital investors pumped almost $13 billion into 1,114 U.S. startups in the second quarter—marking the highest level of VC funding in 13 years, according to the MoneyTree Report being released today. While the number of deals is comparable with recent quarters, the $12.97 billion VCs deployed this spring was a third more than the … Continue reading “Mega Deals (Like Uber) Boost Venture Funding to $13B”
MA Warns Ride-Sharing, Car-Sharing Drivers of Insurance Risks
Changes in the transportation sector are happening pretty fast these days, spurred by the wide availability of smartphones and richly funded startups with a new take on old-school taxi and car rental services. That’s meant clashes with local regulators, established competitors, and even the startups’ own drivers. And lately, a seemingly dry topic has become … Continue reading “MA Warns Ride-Sharing, Car-Sharing Drivers of Insurance Risks”
Wisconsin Roundup: 100health, Harley Electric Motorcycles, & More
The past week’s Wisconsin innovation headlines featured a broad mix of companies in healthtech, mobile apps, life sciences, and traditional manufacturing. Read on for details. —Executives from five Madison startups are in Silicon Valley this week meeting with five venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Fishidy won a spot on the trip, … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: 100health, Harley Electric Motorcycles, & More”
TaskRabbit CEO: Better Job Market Hasn’t Dampened Appeal
When Leah Busque founded TaskRabbit in Boston back in 2008 (under the name RunMyErrand), the terms “sharing economy” and “collaborative consumption” weren’t part of the tech lexicon, much less the national one. Home rental service Airbnb was founded around the same time, and car-for-hire king Uber wouldn’t even exist until the next year. Six years … Continue reading “TaskRabbit CEO: Better Job Market Hasn’t Dampened Appeal”
This Boston Lawyer Could Be Uber’s Nemesis as It Eyes Expansion
When a few taps on the smartphone screen can summon a real-life person to your door, it’s easy to feel like there’s a bit of magic in the air. That’s what makes on-demand services one of the most intriguing frontiers in business. Whether you want a ride to the airport, a bag full of groceries, … Continue reading “This Boston Lawyer Could Be Uber’s Nemesis as It Eyes Expansion”
Over Pizza and Chinese? Sprig Delivers Sustainable Meals on Demand
[Corrected 5/15/09, 11:50 am. See below.] When Sprig co-founders Gagan Biyani and Neeraj Berry went looking for a head chef for their newly founded healthy meal delivery startup, they received hundreds of resumes. Then they held between 60 and 80 meetings with potential candidates. They found a lot of great cooks, but no one who … Continue reading “Over Pizza and Chinese? Sprig Delivers Sustainable Meals on Demand”
Austin’s RideScout Picks Up Steam, Rolling Out to Dozens of Cities
The last time we met Joseph Kopser, he was pitching his newly hatched startup, RideScout, at a Start Houston pitch night. Nine months later, the RideScout app, which Kopser describes as “Kayak for ground transportation,” is preparing to roll out to 40 cities by the end of the summer. Currently, commuters in four cities—Austin, Boston, … Continue reading “Austin’s RideScout Picks Up Steam, Rolling Out to Dozens of Cities”
Wisconsin Roundup: BuySeasons, Uber, 96square, Nuclear Energy
Here’s a rundown of notable news items in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community this past week: —On Monday, I featured Milwaukee serial entrepreneur Jalem Getz’s latest startup, Wantable. Meanwhile, his former company, BuySeasons, continues the CEO carousel that began when Getz left in 2010. On Tuesday, BuySeasons announced that Dev Mukherjee had stepped down and … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: BuySeasons, Uber, 96square, Nuclear Energy”
Wearing Two Hats, Resnick Pushes Tech Issues on Madison Council
Scott Resnick’s appearance doesn’t exactly scream “politician.” On this particular afternoon, the 27-year-old is seated comfortably in the conference room of his software company’s office overlooking Lake Mendota in Madison, WI. He is wearing a collared shirt with blue, grey, and magenta stripes, along with tan pants. No suit, no tie, no problem. Anything above … Continue reading “Wearing Two Hats, Resnick Pushes Tech Issues on Madison Council”
Lyft Lands $250,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79131149-9731-4d1a-9a19-ed07ac2391e3 Date 4/2/2014 Company Name Lyft Mailing Address 548 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94104 USA Company Description Lyft is an on-demand ridesharing service owned and operated by Zimride that is currently operating in San Francisco, CA. Using the Lyft iPhone app, passengers can instantly request a pickup, and a safe, friendly … Continue reading “Lyft Lands $250,000,000 New Funding Round”
Wisconsin Roundup: Tech Transfer, Supercomputers, Stem Cells
Here are a few notable news items from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community over the past week: —Discovery to Product (D2P), the new University of Wisconsin-Madison initiative for accelerating commercialization of campus innovations, named Wisconsin entrepreneur John Biondi as its first director. In his career, Biondi has raised nearly $60 million for nine early-stage ventures … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Tech Transfer, Supercomputers, Stem Cells”
Seattle Roundup: Kickstarter, Kineta, Ride-Share Regs, Lively
In addition to funding news this week for Seattle-area outfits Seattle BioMed, Rover.com, Tipbit, Illumagear, and ComputeNext, we got word of a Kickstarter milestone, more funding for drug developer Kineta, and a potentially big week for Lively. Next week, we’re expecting a final decision on new city regulations on the likes of Uber, Sidecar, and … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Kickstarter, Kineta, Ride-Share Regs, Lively”
Hiding in 172M Cab Rides: A New Frontier for the ‘Sharing Economy’
Splitting a cab fare isn’t usually what you’d call a high-tech activity, even with millions of people carrying sophisticated Internet portals in their pockets and purses. Researchers at MIT think it’s about time that changed. By analyzing a year’s worth of New York City cab rides, MIT’s Sensable City Lab was able to see just … Continue reading “Hiding in 172M Cab Rides: A New Frontier for the ‘Sharing Economy’”
3 Takeaways From Madison Startup Fair: More, Faster, Better
Usually it’s the job candidates who have to fight to stand out in discussions with potential employers at a job fair, not the other way around. But for tech startups operating with a lean staff and budget, trying to entice young talent when your booth is next to big names like Google and General Electric … Continue reading “3 Takeaways From Madison Startup Fair: More, Faster, Better”
Rideshare App Bandwagon Gets Around Legally in the NYC Battleground
Getting a taxi in a busy city is a problem plenty of startups have been trying to solve. There are potholes, though, that developers of ridesharing and car-hailing apps may run into, trouble that has nothing to do with technology. So far, New York’s Bandwagon has avoided much of the courtroom drama that has plagued Uber, … Continue reading “Rideshare App Bandwagon Gets Around Legally in the NYC Battleground”
BuzzFeed, and 4 More Bad Startup Ideas that Look Like Good Ideas
Y Combinator staged its annual Startup School event last Saturday, attracting more than 1,700 young startup founders and would-be founders. Andreessen Horowitz partner (and Xconomist) Chris Dixon, the founder of Web startups SiteAdvisor (sold to McAfee) and Hunch (sold to eBay), gave one of the most interesting talks, under the title “Good Ideas That Look Like Bad … Continue reading “BuzzFeed, and 4 More Bad Startup Ideas that Look Like Good Ideas”
Total Transit Acquires San Diego Mobile App Developer GoFastCab
Total Transit, a Glendale, AZ-based transportation company and taxi cab operator, has acquired GoFastCab, a five-year-old San Diego startup that had developed mobile apps that enable smartphone users to get a taxi immediately or to schedule a future pickup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. GoFastCab founders Josh Komenda and Jeremy Schrage, who … Continue reading “Total Transit Acquires San Diego Mobile App Developer GoFastCab”
Fight Over Uber is Battle Over Innovation in Dallas
I’ve lived in Dallas almost my entire adult life, but until this week I had never attended a city council meeting. The meeting started off with a bang as a woman dressed in traditional African costume (along with an accompanist on drums,) who serenaded Mayor Mike Rawlings just before she accused the sergeant-at-arms of “wanting” … Continue reading “Fight Over Uber is Battle Over Innovation in Dallas”
The Antidote for Strike Stress: Take Carma to Work
California Governor Jerry Brown intervened to stop another BART strike this week, and observers say he’s likely to impose a 60-day cooling-off period on negotiators, meaning Bay Area commuters may not have to worry about transit disruptions again until October. But memories of last month’s 4.5 day strike, which left 200,000 commuters stranded, spurred long … Continue reading “The Antidote for Strike Stress: Take Carma to Work”
FlightCar Hopes Car Owners Will Rent Their Ride for Monthly Checks
If you’re comfortable putting strangers in your car, there’s suddenly some extra money to be made. A new class of small companies is seeking to build next-generation vehicle fleets by tapping into everyday car owners, either having the owners pick up paying hitchhikers or rent their cars to other drivers. Among the upstarts is FlightCar, a startup that … Continue reading “FlightCar Hopes Car Owners Will Rent Their Ride for Monthly Checks”
Uber Boston: $9M of Fares in 15 Months, Barely Denting Cab Market
Smartphone car-booking startup Uber has made a big splash since its debut in Boston, inciting political battles and court fights with competitors seeking to protect their turf. But according to revenue figures disclosed as part of a lawsuit, the well-funded startup still looks like a pipsqueak in the city’s lucrative car-for-hire market. Between its October 2011 … Continue reading “Uber Boston: $9M of Fares in 15 Months, Barely Denting Cab Market”
Uber Still Fighting Two Federal Lawsuits in Boston
Car-booking startup Uber has claimed one victory in court, recently defeating Boston-area officials who were seeking to slow the company’s expansion. But the well-financed startup still has two more federal lawsuits on the docket in Massachusetts. That pair of court battles has pitted San Francisco-based Uber, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture investment, … Continue reading “Uber Still Fighting Two Federal Lawsuits in Boston”
Roundup: Mirabilis Medica, Exo Labs, Yabbly, Ninu Attract Investment
Investors are betting on Seattle-area companies working on everything from uterine fibroids (Mirabilis Medica) to video storage and licensing (Ninu). Those companies, along with microscope camera maker Exo Labs and social decision-making platform Yabbly, raised capital recently. Meanwhile, car-sharing services are getting closer scrutiny from the city. The details: —Mirabilis Medica has raised $4 million … Continue reading “Roundup: Mirabilis Medica, Exo Labs, Yabbly, Ninu Attract Investment”
Lyft Garners $60,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aaf2a3ad-14a5-4815-9648-009f2e838e30&Preview=1 Date 5/23/2013 Company Name Lyft Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94102 Company Description Lyft is an on-demand ridesharing service owned and operated by Zimride that is currently operating in San Francisco, CA. Using the Lyft iPhone app, passengers can instantly request a pickup, and a safe, friendly driver will arrive … Continue reading “Lyft Garners $60,000,000 New Financing Round”
Amid Ridesharing Wars, Hailo Sticks to Cabs (and Loves It)
In the rush to revolutionize taxicabs, the hot new property isn’t a fancy black sedan or a network of hustling cabbies. Instead, digital entrepreneurs are suddenly racing toward the 21st century version of hitchhiking. So-called “ridesharing” services, which enlist everyday people to make some money by picking up other folks, have been spreading from the … Continue reading “Amid Ridesharing Wars, Hailo Sticks to Cabs (and Loves It)”