Two transportation solutions firms based in Austin and Portland, Oregon have united and are rebranding to focus on creating a place where all transportation works together.
Austin-based RideScout and Portland-based GlobeSherpa will now be called
moovel North America LLC and will be headquartered in Portland with a second office in Austin. Daimler AG, the German-based maker of Mercedes-Benz, established moovel’s parent company,
moovel Group GmbH.
“Moovel’s vision is really a place of urban mobility where all forms of transportation can break out of the silos where they reside today, and [users] can have a well-connected experience,” said Nat Parker, moovel NA CEO and co-founder and former CEO of GlobeSherpa.
Former RideScout CEO Joseph Kopser will serve as president of moovel Group GmbH. Kopser said he will remain in Austin as an active member of Austin’s transportation scene.
“Nothing changes internally, though,” he said. “Everyone is committed together, and the merger just helps us consolidate that and move forward with greater efficiencies. Other than the title, it stays the same.”
RideTap is a new program by moovel that allows third-party apps to show users transportation options within the app. It launches in Portland later in 2016.[/caption]
Moovel will use RideScout’s and GlobeSherpa’s existing technology to focus on two products.
The first is
RideTap, which is an evolution of RideScout’s app that helps users find nearby ground transportation, including public transit and taxicabs. RideTap will allow third-party apps, such as a messaging or restaurant review app, to show transportation options in own app at the push of a button, Parker said.
“We’re getting people into the right ride, into the right place when they need it,” he said.
The second product is
moovel transit, formerly the platform used by GlobeSherpa. Moovel transit is a mobile ticketing and payment platform that will help other public transit apps integrate with other urban transportation ecosystems, such as first- and last-mile options, Parker said.
“That’s where we think the consumer wants to go,” he said.
Moovel transit has 16 transit agency partners in 14 cities, including Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Austin’s transit provider, Capital Metro, already has its own
award-winning app that provides real-time arrival information and mobile ticketing.
As moovel grows and RideTap officially launches later in 2016, Parker said the company will add more employees to the 45 currently in Austin and 63 in Portland.
Kopser said that although Texas is usually viewed by outsiders as car-centric, he is proud of the recognition Austin will have because of the companies' merger and rebranding.
“[Moovel] is attaching their brand and logo now to the community in Austin and merging together with Portland,” he said. “Austin is known for a lot of things, and we can add transportation and mobility innovators to that long list.”
Moovel North America is part of moovel Group GmbH, which was created by Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG.[/caption]
RideTap is a new program by moovel that allows third-party apps to show users transportation options within the app. It launches in Portland later in 2016.[/caption]
Moovel will use RideScout’s and GlobeSherpa’s existing technology to focus on two products.
The first is RideTap, which is an evolution of RideScout’s app that helps users find nearby ground transportation, including public transit and taxicabs. RideTap will allow third-party apps, such as a messaging or restaurant review app, to show transportation options in own app at the push of a button, Parker said.
“We’re getting people into the right ride, into the right place when they need it,” he said.
The second product is moovel transit, formerly the platform used by GlobeSherpa. Moovel transit is a mobile ticketing and payment platform that will help other public transit apps integrate with other urban transportation ecosystems, such as first- and last-mile options, Parker said.
“That’s where we think the consumer wants to go,” he said.
Moovel transit has 16 transit agency partners in 14 cities, including Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Austin’s transit provider, Capital Metro, already has its own award-winning app that provides real-time arrival information and mobile ticketing.
As moovel grows and RideTap officially launches later in 2016, Parker said the company will add more employees to the 45 currently in Austin and 63 in Portland.
Kopser said that although Texas is usually viewed by outsiders as car-centric, he is proud of the recognition Austin will have because of the companies' merger and rebranding.
“[Moovel] is attaching their brand and logo now to the community in Austin and merging together with Portland,” he said. “Austin is known for a lot of things, and we can add transportation and mobility innovators to that long list.”
