Huge news today for
RideScout, a mobile app developed in D.C. and Austin, Tx—the company, cofounded by Joseph Kopser and Craig Cummings, has been acquired by
moovel, a subsidiary of Daimler AG and the parent company of
car2go. RideScout
launched in D.C. in November 2013.
The RideScout app aggregates transportation data in 69 cities across the United States, allowing users to choose the best route to get from point A to point B, whether by bus, train, bike, rideshare or other mode of transit.
According to Kopser, negotiations for the acquisition "have been going on all summer. We've been working with the Daimler team." He declined to specify financial details of the acquisition but says "[it indicates] moovel's commitment to the future of mobility worldwide."
The acquisition will allow the RideScout team to take advantage of "car2go's amazing resources," including "a tech team with grand engagement and engineers," Kopser says. RideScout users will see the same branding, but "we will be able to implement recommendations from users at quadruple speed," thanks to car2go's existing tech and engineering resources.
The majority of RideScout's existing team, which has been divided between D.C. and Austin, will be consolidated in Austin. "We will keep team members in D.C.," says Kopser. The company will also have teams in Chicago and San Francisco. "To do transportation best, you have to understand [it]. There are no better cities than D.C., Austin, Chicago and San Francisco [in which to] pioneer and understand transportation."
Kopser says that the RideScout and car2go teams have been in the same space and known each other for about two and a half years, which ultimately led Robert Henrich, former head of car2go and now director of moovel, to "reach out and get the conversation rolling."
Finally, Kopser gives a shout-out to D.C. as a great place to start and incubate a business. "[D.C. gives] great opportunities for entrepreneurs," he says. "Incubators in D.C. like
1776 are a great place to start, to fail fast and to learn from your mistakes. Now we get a chance to see what [RideScout] can do for the future of mobility and beyond."