Nurturing local startups is a great way to find better transportation options.
The new shared-ride mobility company Split, operating out of Washington D.C., was one of two transportation startups recognized in the recent Tech.Co Startup Competition in Arlington, Virginia.
Split was deemed the standout of the two, being awarded second-place overall in the competition. It’s similar to Uber and Lyft in that it is an app-enable ride-hailing service. The key difference, though, is that Split is also a true ridesharing platform.
By using the Split app, users in select areas of Washington D.C. can get picked up by a vehicle owned by one of Split’s independent contractor drivers, then additional riders are picked up along the same route. Thus, Split provides higher occupancy trips than a single-passenger automobile, but less than transit. True to its name, the service allows users to split fares between passengers.
A bus-rideshare hybrid, Split advertises itself as faster than public transit, but less expensive than Uber. A recent Mobility Lab review of the service bears out that claim. In operation since late May, Split has limited availability in D.C., but Dan Winston says he is excited about expanding throughout the District, which is the hometown of his co-founder Ario Keshani.
Split Co-Founder Dan Winston
Split, as the Tech.Co competition runner-up award winner, did not qualify to move on to the next round of the contest. Its award does bode well for the transportation company’s future, though. Split fills a nice niche role in the current crop of transportation network services in D.C. Winston said, “We’re eager to engage with any community that is interested in our innovative transportation solution, which is convenient, sustainable, and affordable.”
Flexspot was the other Washington-area transportation startup that appeared in the Tech.Co competition. It’s a parking utility that allows private parking-space owners (individuals and enterprises) to rent private spaces to those in need of parking. Like an AirBnB for parking, the company leaders say their technology can result in “a third less traffic and vehicle emissions, and a 12 percent boost in retail sales.”
Flexspot didn’t place in the top five in the Tech.Co competition, but it appears to be a promising innovation intended to solve the lack of parking that is a nuisance in many cities.
Javazen, a startup that has developed a coffee-tea blend that is also rich in superfoods, won the overall prize out of the 12 Washington D.C. contestants. Forty-four more cities in Tech.Co’s traveling competition will choose winners to join Javazen at a Las Vegas conference in October, where a grand-prize winner will be selected. In addition to several unspecified awards, the Las Vegas participants will qualify for a chance to join a top startup accelerator program.