As Colorado continues to attract transplants from across the country and the world, the state’s mobility and infrastructure is becoming increasingly stressed.
A recent study by national transportation group TRIP revealed that Coloradans are in traffic for an average of 52 hours a year and pay more than $1,000 per year due to rough roads, the cost of lost time and wasted fuel, and the cost of crashes.
The state’s drivers are paying $7.1 billion annually as a result of transportation shortcomings.
In an effort to solve some of the state’s most pressing issues, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce created the Trout Tank: Mobility Pitch Accelerator.
Businesses taking part in the accelerator have eight weeks to perfect their pitch and gain valuable skills to build their transportation-focused business before a pitch night.
Three companies pitched at last night’s event, highlighting opportunities to make travel around the state simpler and more efficient. Let’s check them out:
Juggernaut Cargo Bikes
Don’t have a car, but need to pick up a big package or a bunch of groceries?
Juggernaut Cargo Bikes are handcrafted tricycles, two wheels in the front and one in the back, with a cargo platform between the two front wheels that can support up to 300 pounds.
The startup launched in 2016 and based the idea off of a popular cargo bike model used across Europe. The bike, outfitted with electric assist, is expected to debut in Boulder next year.
“We envision our product being used in six different areas: factory transport, delivery of goods, commuting, shopping, inside bike shares and hauling the kids,” co-founder Jeff Mauck said.
To date, the company has been entirely bootstrapped, but Mauck said they’re looking for a $250,000 investment to release a batch of 10 bikes in Boulder next year.
Swoop Rideshare
Toy scooters, as Swoop founder and CEO Kelsey Kerling calls them, are all the rage in Denver.
The city allows a maximum of 1,750 electric scooters split between five companies at any given time. Kerling thinks there’s an opportunity for a new electric vehicle to make waves in Colorado.
Swoop is a sit-down electric scooter sharing service, think Lime for Vespas. The keyless, free-floating scooter system costs $5 for the first 15 minutes, then $0.15 per minute after that.
The batteries have a 34 miles range and Kerling said the scooters are taken out of commission for battery replacement once they dip under 40 percent charge.
“We promote an affordable, available and reliable solution so the users will never have access to a scooter with under 40 percent battery,” Kerling said. “Our scooter will talk to our server and tell us the battery is low.”
Swoop will launch 55 scooters in Denver in late spring.
BDI
Although it took part in the accelerator, don’t call BDI a startup.
The company has been around for nearly thirty years and joined the Trout Tank accelerator in search of business advice and mentorship.
BDI is a consulting and manufacturing firm that provides high-quality instruments, testing and monitoring services to bridge projects worldwide.
The company has about 50 employees and two main corporate offices in Louisville, Colorado and Metairie, Louisiana.
President Scott Aschermann said BDI would triple revenue by 2022, making money less of a priority at this stage.
“I’m not here for money, we’re actually doing pretty good, so hopefully we keep that. I’m an engineer, I’m not a businessman. I’m looking for mentors, looking for people to teach us, other than pure horsepower, how to run a company,” he said.
