These 7 startups will help shape tomorrow’s transportation landscape

Illustration by Tech in Asia’s Kathrinna Rakhmavika

The global population is estimated to hit 8.5 billion by 2030, and most people will choose to live in metropolitan areas. This poses a major challenge for transportation and calls for ways to address the needs of the growing urban population early on.

Transport solutions are beginning to face the looming ordeal head-on. Self-driving vehicles can reduce traffic congestion through platooning, where cars are grouped. Accelerating or braking together allows for a smaller distance between each vehicle, increasing road efficiency.

Meanwhile, with the rise of digital-savvy commuters, mass transit operators have introduced mobile ticketing to promote efficiency. Paper tickets will soon fade into oblivion as 90 percent of transactions will operate digitally by 2020.

Luxury car maker INFINITI is taking part in reshaping modern transportation by launching INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility. The pioneering eight-week program aims to provide intensive training and mentoring to startups in the mobility space. The participating startups will receive exclusive mentorship from industry experts at INFINITI and Nest from April to June 2017. The founders will pitch ideas to top decision makers of the automobile company at the end of the program.

These seven startups aim to reshape the future of transportation.

Jason Baik, founder of Blue Signal. Image Credit: INFINITI.

1. Blue Signal

If you live in a congested city and always get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, BlueSignal can help you avoid the traffic nightmare. The app predicts future driver risk rate and traffic status anywhere from two hours to two days in advance by analyzing stored information based on its artificial intelligence algorithm. This technology helps reduce traffic congestion and makes driving safer. BlueSignal operates in Korea and was founded by Jason Baik.

Jessika Lora, CEO and founder of CarForce. Image Credit: INFINITI.

2. CarForce

The daughter of an avid collector of 1960s Mustangs, Jessika Lora also grew up to be a car enthusiast. Later in life, she discovered her latent passion for big data trends and pursued a Masters in decision theory and predictive analytics. She eventually founded CarForce, a startup that provides US dealerships with real-time updates on the condition of their customers’ vehicles. CarForce is a cloud-based software that enhances customer service and aims to increase customer retention revenue for car dealers.

Ravi Puvvala, founder of Savari. Image Credit: INFINITI.

3. Savari

It’s not Superman – it’s a car with X-ray vision. Savari facilitates V2X, or Vehicle-to-everything communication technology, a 360-degree sensor that allows cars to see through buildings and communicate with other cars. The sensor solution also connects cars to infrastructure, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Savari was founded by Ravi Puvvala, who aims to make the world accident-free by 2020 through V2X.

Remi Dessa, CEO and co-founder of Pantonium. Image Credit: INFINITI.

4. Pantonium

Pantonium uses proprietary algorithms to optimize transportation through a real-time mix of fixed routes and flexible on-demand services. Its platform also provides cloud-based mobile technology that helps automate daily processes like dispatch and optimization, driver and vehicle scheduling, and billing and scheduling. Co-founded by Remi Dessa, Pantonium is based in Toronto, Canada with users located in over 30 states and provinces across North America.

Rick Robinson, senior vice president of product and co-founder of Urgent.ly. Image Credit: INFINITI.

5. Urgent.ly

Urgent.ly provides roadside assistance service, products, and technology to millions of customers worldwide. The technology offers real-time dispatch, affordable rates, and fast digital payment. Co-founder Rick Robinson was an executive at AOL and veteran entrepreneur who founded and sold hyperlocal media company Locl.ly.

Terence Zou, founder and CEO of Ryde. Image Credit: INFINITI.

6. Ryde

Using GPS technology to match drivers with riders going the same way, Singapore-based startup Ryde helps solve congestion and pollution issues. Ryde’s carpooling app also helps riders save money and aids drivers to recover costs. Founded by Terence Zou, the platform wants to transform the way people connect to each other and bring the community together with a common sustainable cause.

Syed Ahmad Fuqaha Syed Agil, managing director and founder of Katsana. Image Credit: INFINITI.

7. Katsana

Founded by Syed Ahmad Fuqaha Syed Agil, Katsana is a startup that allows you to monitor and retrieve the location of your vehicle using an advanced GPS tracking system. The startup operates in Malaysia, and has tracked, analyzed, and scored more than 230 million kilometers of driving data over 12 months. About 60 cars are stolen every day in Malaysia. Notably, Katsana has a 98.2 percent recovery rate of stolen cars.

---

Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong will be sharing her entrepreneurial journey along with pastries, cupcakes, and canapes at a fireside chat on 18 May.

A degree holder in economics, she eventually attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and was named “Asia’s Best Pastry Chef” by Restaurant magazine in 2013 and 2014. She’ll be speaking on her decision to take the leap to become a chef, expanding her business internationally, and how ecommerce affects her craft.

This post These 7 startups will help shape tomorrow’s transportation landscape appeared first on Tech in Asia.

from Tech in Asia https://www.techinasia.com/startups-transportation-landscape
via IFTTT