For all the headaches that the rise of app-based taxi and scooter rental services have created for cities, they've also provided a new opportunity for them.
Such offerings generate copious amounts of data about how people are moving about metropolitan areas. Populus Technologies Inc. has designed a service to help cities put that information to good use. The San Francisco startup's software processes such data so that transportation officials can use it to better manage traffic flow and parking on their streets.
"Cities have realized that they need to manage their precious physical real estate — curbs and streets — to ensure that as mobility continues to evolve, city leaders can prioritize transportation safety and sustainability," Regina Clewlow, co-founder and CEO of the San Francisco startup, said in a news release.
Populus' software integrates data from scooter and bike rental, car sharing and delivery services. Through its software, transportation officials can adjust parking rates or permissions on the fly, limit ride hailing traffic on particular routes to respond to real-time conditions or set rules for the use of electric scooters. They can also use Populas' service to analyze traffic and parking over time to plan for longer-term improvements or adjust policies.
More than 100 cities globally are already using Populus' software, according to the company. It's aiming to serve more.
The startup announced Tuesday it's raised $11 million in a Series A round led by Zero Infinity Partners and Climactic. It plans to use its new funds to hire more staff and offer its software to more cities, according to its news release.
Read on to learn about more about Populus' new round and other Series A deals from this past week:
3T Biosciences Inc., South San Francisco, $40 million: Westlake Village BioPartners led the round for this developer of immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Lightspeed Venture Partners also invested.
Populus Technologies Inc. (Populus), San Francisco, $11 million: Zero Infinity Partners and Climactic led the round for this provider of software that helps city transportation officials manage traffic and parking. Comcast Ventures and Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Ventures also invested.
Clarity Movement Co., Berkeley, $9.6 million: Amasia and the Active Fund co-led the round for this developer of an air quality monitoring devices and software. Spero Ventures, SOSV Ltd., Launch Fund and The Climate Syndicate also invested.
