When it comes to mobile technologies in Boston, a significant focus as of late has been on parking solutions. Most definitely a space in need of disruption, or any kind of ruption for that matter, parking is generally seen as one of the most cursed of Boston annoyances along, perhaps, with traffic, awful attempts at the local accents, and New York Giants fans not counting Hayden Bird. Yet another startup to dip a toe in the mobile parking solution pool, SpotHero reserves parking spaces in garages rather than from other people.
When Haystack took a shot at opening up shop in Boston after a successful launch in Baltimore, it inadvertently blazed a trail for others to succeed it. It worked briefly as such: one user occupying a parking spot tips off another user circling the block looking for one, and the former relinquishes the spot to the latter for a small sum of money. Mayor Walsh's administration immediately called out Haystack for profiteering off public property and the company has since been shut down.
But the first one through the wall always gets bloody. Haystack can attest to that. Since then the likes of SPOT Parking, SpotLight Parking, ParkWise and now SpotHero are in at the ground floor of what could become Boston's next 'it' industry.
SpotHero takes a different approach than SPOT or SpotLight. The latter two are based on the idea that people can either rent a privately-owned parking space, or summon a valet parker in certain area hotspots, respectively.
But SpotHero allows users to reserve an open parking space within a garage along with comparing best prices and locations. In fact, Jeremy Smith, SpotHero co-founder and COO, assured me that SpotHero has "nothing related to the street" at all.
"It's an on-demand app that give the perfect parking spot," Smith said. "We try to make sure our customers are able to get the spot they want."
Like many contemporary startups, SpotHero was conceived out of necessity. Smith said he accrued upwards of $5,000 in parking tickets in his native Chicago and they've since launched in eight other cities including Boston.
Quickly, though, he and his constituents realized that Boston boasts fertile enough ground to transform residents' indignation into a lucrative business venture – a symbiotic relationship that benefits everyone involved.
"Boston has some of the highest parking rates in the country, right behind New York City," Smith added. " We're relatively new in Boston but definitely seeing a lot of growth."
Not only is their user base growing, but Smith also mentioned that SpotHero recently secured $4.5 million in series A venture funding that'll be used to extensively market the SpotHero name and product nationwide.
As for Boston, the company will use its fatter wallet to help set up more inventory (garage spaces) around the city to the point where "within a block or two, [users] will have a parking spot available on SpotHero."
Also unlike SPOT and SpotLight, the SpotHero brass has yet to sit down with City Hall to talk best practices and other potential pitfalls.
It's not mandate that every innovative startup bend the ear of the mayoral administration, but after the Haystack debacle and talking with SPOT and SpotLight management, the line between public in private as far as parking is concerned becomes all the thinner.
Smith said he hopes to have a chat with Mayor Walsh's people in the near future, and after that's done SpotHero could be getting into the street parking game.
"City government must do the right thing for its constituents and the people living there," said Smith in closing. "I think where I envision parking apps playing a big role is our on-demand feature."
In essence, SpotHero could be benefitted tremendously with something of an endorsement from the City of Boston, but its real-time capabilities, price comparison and location features are what Smith hopes will separate SpotHero from the pack.
SpotHero is available to download on iOS and Android devices for free.
