Via: The $2.9 Billion Dollar Company Reshaping City Transportation | Forbes
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- While services like Uber built businesses that compete with cities’ transportation networks, Via sees a lucrative niche catering to-and working with-municipalities.
Daniel Ramot has the kind of marquee education-degrees in math, physics and electrical engineering, capped by a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford-that readies people for careers in science, medicine, tech or AI.
“My mother says, ‘With all this education, you ended up a taxi dispatcher?’ And I always say, ‘No, I’m not. I’m actually a bus dispatcher,’” he jokes. A decade ago, Ramot and longtime friend Oren Shoval, who has a Ph.D. in systems biology, opted to shelve their academic specialties in favor of creating a company aimed at reinventing a deeply unsexy industry: public transportation.
So while Uber burst onto the scene just a few years earlier with the aim of disrupting city transportation, New York-based Via set out to work alongside municipalities and within existing infrastructure. The result: Via now works with cities including Miami, Jersey City, Los Angeles, Winnipeg and Arlington, Texas, providing a software platform for on-demand “microtransit” van rides, paratransit services, route-planning, driver scheduling, smartphone apps and other tools that can help beleaguered urban transit systems lure commuters back. The company’s client list includes more than 500 transportation agencies in 35 countries, and its software powers ride services for the elderly, people with limited mobility, schools and colleges and vanpools for corporate customers.
The closely held company has raised $650 million, including $60 million in March, from industrial giants like Shell and Ferrari parent Exor, along with numerous venture funds. (Porsche is also an indirect investor through Via’s acquisition of Fleetonomy.) It is now worth $2.9 billion, according to Pitchbook. Annual revenue was $225 million in 2019, the only year for which data is available, Pitchbook says. The vast majority of that is from transit agencies and municipal governments, according to Ramot.
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It’s in Arlington Texas where I live and it’s okay! They need to protect their workers more, apparently they stop paying them before you actually finish your shift and you have to pay to work for them by renting their vans
Wish my local government would actually provide a public service that is accountable to all people, especially their workers.
This would be mostly successful near college campus towns for students.
i also agree with you
What a propehcy
@@samduckling5594 did it really happened ? I wonder where is this company now
Via rips off their drivers while using forced breaks and charging for rental cars while on forced breaks as a contractor this is illegal
we got plenty of these in South Africa ...
Uber? I still don't understand the difference between via and Uber
Via is digital on-demand transit. There are three main differences from Uber. Unlike Uber of Lyft all rides are shared with other passengers. There may be a short walk to the pickup point to limit the number of detours vehicles make to pick you up (usually to the nearest intersection). Fares are kept affordable, like public buses, through service contracts with transit agencies.
Via is the poor mans Uber/Lift. And you always car pooling. Got it.
@@JakeHunter2010 It is public transportation.
Via is a essentially riding a public bus, only with a van. You also reserve your seat.
@Jameslad lope no. Uber takes you directly to your destination. Via follows bus routes
Lol many countries already been on this type of transport system. In Ghana is known as tro-tro, and as Danfo in Nigeria i believe. Via is basically the digital age version of these transport system, whereby instead of one going to these pickup point/station and waiting to board these mini bus/vans and sometimes not been able to get on these buses because its full, now the person can just book a ride on an app before heading out, knowing they have a seat reserved for them. Just like ubers ride sharing concept, was similar to many of these African taxi system whereby multiple people traveling alongside the same route are able to utilize the same taxi/car. Anyways all the best to Via for seeing the opportunity and acting fast on it 👍🏽👍🏽. Maybe they can also partner with ma Jamaicans already running these dollar vans, just a suggestion.
Smart "marshrutka" is so obvious for US. Congrats!
Love this yall guys have inspired me to open up my own youtube channel
Incredible person reading this, go after what it is that you want in life! Learn the skills, do whatever it takes! You are capable of anything! I believe in you! ✨
Love - Nat ❤️
Thank you so much for your care😍
These are just kombis 😂. If you don't know what a kombi is search Zimbabwe kombi
If you're looking to work for Via IMHO DO NOT DO IT. They make you rent their vans at a per hour cost which is not terrible idea however they charge you BEFORE your hourly time starts. Which means you're already in the hole BEFORE you're even paid since you have to go to a terminal or get a task before your clock starts.
Need to fill up your tank? Once again that's on YOUR TIME so your rental meter still running while they request you spend your non paid breaks on filling THEIR vans.
Heading back at end of the day you can't stop work until there's no more tasks in your queue. If you're 15 minutes away and your shift ends yep... Your pay is stopped but your rental continues. You might spend 10 minutes cleaning and taking photos so that's even less time. They say you can call support to adjust but it's 50/50.
Ive never seen IMHO a more dubious payment method which also IMHO seems very shady. I couldn't take the nickel and diming and the others drivers at least in my market are getting fed up with their business practices. They talk a good game but once you experience it you keep wondering how is it legal.
Third world countries ahead of the curve in this one🤣
I know right 🤣😅🤣
It’s called a jeepney where I’m from
Honestly, I would use it
Smart move
why sell it?
So basically the company Chariot all over again.
great. swvl is doing this in Nairobi, Kenya
These are basically glorified javs
They ended service in NYC. Operating in Jersey City around Journal Square pretty much. 🤣😂
Wow, when did they end service there?
@@jasslynpage7845 I got their email stating they'd end service in NYC on December 20, 2021.
In Africa they call them matatu taxis. The drivers drive like maniacs and they've been around since the 80s or something.
Kombi where in the southern part of Africa 😂
In Africa? Your country don't have a name?
@@souljaunt They exist in several African countries, my guy.
@@souljaunt matatus are kenyan
VIA HAS ALSO CHANGED THEIR BUSINESS NAME WHILE STILL PROVIDING A VIA SUPPORT PHONE NUMBER SOUNDS SHADY 😂
There is nothing new about this concept. Many countries (big cities) rely on this services for many decades now. For example any big city in India, Cairo, istanbul (Dolmus Bus), and more. Its like me trying to sell you the idea for a new way of food delivery via bicycles, where you can track nearby cyclists and their stock of food, so you can get your food even faster than using other delivery services.
The way ppl on public transit treat bus drivers I’ll say no thank you. Via driver is just waiting to be assaulted or spit on or some other shenanigans. Nightmare. Unless they offer a barrier between driver and passenger with zero interaction this will be a huge liability waiting to happen. Especially in todays climate when most big cities are teeming with hypersensitive ppl living on the brink of being triggered by something small. Provide a solution to protect ur drivers from these animals. Then we can talk.
Value is a joke. Dial a ride, with an app. Suppose they are a tech firm 🙄
Here's the one thing missing to make this work: MASS
As we are approaching winter ❄️ also the anual christian festival celebration is close, I'm really happy for those involved in the market at the moment because crypto precisely would be massive.🤶🎄
predictions for Christmas 🎅Bitcoin is going up rising🇺🇸 So because of the economic crisis and the rate of unemployment, now is the best time to invest and make money 💯*
The philosophy of the rich and the poor is this: the rich invest their money and spend what is left. The poor spend their money and invest what is left.”
The government don't care about us, that's why i always advice people to invest.
@@chloewilliam3112 You're right, but i will advice everybody who is into cryptos to Stick with ETH and BTC as much as you can. everyone sells when it starts to fall, which some points it will, the dream may be lost because it being too volatile for companies to get behind.
Good talk! I said that to my friends everyday. Saving is good, but investing is much better, I used to think saving money would save me but NO, saving is just keeping it to spend later.
Basically the African taxi🤷🏾♂️
This company is worth 2.9 billion? They don't even really know what they do. So its a private company getting into a saturated market but somehow as a private company they're going to serve municipal public transportation riders as customers? Even though public transit is subsidized and has cheaper customers... So somehow they're going to corner a public market that already has to be subsidized to exist, and somehow they're going to make money on it? Doesn't add up. Something weird with this company. Seems like they're just trying to wedge their private bullshit into a public market and take govt handouts to stay afloat. SKIP this company.
Very nice
Its tax subsidized Uber.........
We already have Uber pool 😔😔😔😔
A Scam!
мы в россии ради вас уже протестировали маршрутки 30 лет, ребят, ниче хорошего вас не ждет
Sauer Islands
Forbes has a dead TH-cam Channel.
😂😂
The valuations these days are ridiculous it’s a $1 van immigrant have done
Indeed. It is insane! People are throwing money on this technology apps .
There is prehistoric public transportation in US, tens of years behind Europe, there are not even sidewalks, you need a car to go to toilet in your own house :) and a shiety van will sort your problems.
Let us never forget Covid 20
no
hello
🧙♂️
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