Carma
 | |
| Formerly | Avego |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Carpooling, Ridesharing company, Software, Geographic Information Systems |
| Founded | February 2007 |
| Founder | Sean O'Sullivan |
| Headquarters | , Ireland |
| Products | Carma Carpooling |
Number of employees | 50+ |
| Website | gocarma |
Carma Technology Corporation is a real-time transportation technology company headquartered in Cork, Ireland. Its flagship product, Carma Carpooling, matches users with nearby commuters and enables them to share the cost of driving. Carma also has offices in San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas.
Company history
[edit]Formerly known as Avego, the company was founded in 2007 by Sean O'Sullivan as a research and development division of the company Mapflow. In April 2009, Avego became a separate entity associated with University College Cork. Its real-time carpooling service first served the University community in the form of an iPhone application, with seats priced by mileage.[1][2]
In January 2011, Avego and the Washington State Department of Transportation launched a pilot carpool program, called "go520," serving the Washington State Route 520 corridor outside Seattle. Financial subsidies of $30 monthly were available to both drivers and riders for the duration of the pilot.[3]
In October 2011, Avego began a carpooling pilot in the Arlington, Potomac Yard area.[4]
In mid-2012, Avego implemented the largest carpooling project to date in Santa Barbara, Sonoma County, Contra Costa County, and Marin County, California.[5] It was administered by Caltrans and the MTC.
In August 2013, the company changed its name to Carma,[6] unveiling a new corporate identity in the process.
In February 2014, Carma introduced an automated tolling discount program for carpoolers in Austin, Texas, in conjunction with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA).[7] After unprecedented success, the tolling initiative then expanded to Austin's Manor Expressway in May 2014.[8]
In June 2014, Carma opened up its API to third-party developers and unveiled the Carma Prize Fund – a $2.5m stimulus program aimed at boosting ridesharing activity around the world.[9]
Product areas
[edit]Overview
[edit]Carma produces real-time information and management systems that use GPS, GSM, Geographic Information System, Internet and iPhone technologies to facilitate a shift from single-occupancy vehicles to sustainable transport.
Carma Carpooling
[edit]Carma's flagship product is a carpooling app that matches drivers and riders, enabling people to make car transportation more efficient and affordable. The company states on its website that Carma's mission is "to enable people around the world to break free from the tyranny of the modern commute".
Fees
[edit]According to the Carma Terms of service, proceeds of the rider(s) payment (consisting of fixed charge per trip and a variable per mile fee) is split between the driver (85%) and the company (15%).[10]
Smartphone App
[edit]The company introduced its "Shared Transport" app at the DEMOfall 2008 conference in September 2008.[11][12][13] It enables on-demand carpooling. It works by automatically matching a driver's spare seat capacity with a passenger's desire to travel the same route at the same time. Drivers are provided with a price incentive in the form of electronic micropayments from riders at the end of each journey.[14][15] In December 2008, the iPhone app was released as a free download at Apple's App Store and was featured prominently in the New York Times and other major media outlets.[16][17]
In April 2010, the app was awarded the ITS America Smart Solutions Spotlight Award by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Transportation For America » Smarter transportation case study #10: Dynamic Ridesharing in Cork, Ireland". Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- ^ Eisenberg, Anne (21 December 2008). "Need a Ride? Check Your iPhone". The New York Times.
- ^ "Real-Time Ridesharing Launches on SR 520 to Save Commuters Time, Money" (Press release). Business Wire. 27 January 2011.
- ^ "Avego, FAST Arlington Potomac Yard Real-time Ridesharing Pilot Program". Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Avego Chosen as Real-Time Ridesharing System throughout California « Avego Blog". Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
- ^ "Avego Relaunches as Carma, Empowering Stranded Commuters to 'Get There Together'". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ "Irish Carpooling Company Launches in Austin". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Carma Carpooling Expands in Austin". PR Newswire. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Carpooling Startup Carma Launches API, Offers $2.5M For Developers To Drive Ride-Sharing Adoption". TechCrunch. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ "Carma".
- ^ "Best of shows: Top 10 from DemoFall, TechCrunch5 – CNET News". 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ "DEMO 08 Goes Mobile – Fortune / CNNMoney.com article". 2008. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ "San Jose Mercury News article on DEMOFall 08". 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "High-Tech Carpooling to Ease Congestion". The Irish Times. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ "Around the Web in 2008 – ABC News". ABC News. 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ Eisenberg, Anne (21 December 2008). "The Ride Board, Reborn on the iPhone – The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ "iTransport - Could iPhone apps change the way we travel? - Slate.com". 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
- ^ "ITS America Press Release". 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.