We've all been there: you're at a red light for what feels like eternity, wondering if you have time to type out a quick text message or rummage through your glove compartment before the light turns green.
Or you turn down a road in a city you've never visited, unaware of the speed limit.
Or you drive toward a stop light, only to slam on your brakes as it turns red.
With the latest Tampa app launch, these small inconveniences could become a thing of the past.
CēVē, a Tampa-based transportation technology company, has officially launched its app this week after originally starting in an Atlanta pitch competition in Nov. 2019. Its founder, David Aylesworth, got the call to participate from a friend who knew he was interested in the transportation sector.
"It was just a chance opportunity," Aylesworth said. "I knew someone in Atlanta that worked in transportation and when it came up, he told me about it. We threw an app together in a week."
Originally working in the defense industry with a focus on transportation, Aylesworth has now launched the product in five regions of Florida, as well as northern Virginia.
"I was tracking commercial vehicle applications for connected vehicle technology," he said. "I think we see all what's happening with connected and autonomous vehicles and I thought there was a lot more opportunity in private vehicles."
It is available for consumers on Apple iOs. One of the key features is a countdown clock, letting users know when there are 10 seconds left before a light turns green. It also makes users aware of when they are exceeding over the speed limit and what speed to take in order to hit a stoplight as the light turns green.
While originally wanting to expand to ridesharing options such as Uber, as the coronavirus pandemic has made those services currently obsolete, Aylesworth pivoted.
"Of course with the pandemic, ridesharing is not the same, so we won’t be focusing on that segment," he said. "Instead of rideshares, we're looking at freight and delivery: delivery has increased, with more people doing home groceries, restaurant deliveries and Amazon and the e-commerce shopping sites."
There is also the longer term potential of using the technology in autonomous vehicles, which inch closer to becoming more of a mainstream reality every year.
"Some of this is anticipation of autonomous vehicles — self-driving cars will need to know when to stop," he said. "For commuters, this is more reduced frustrations. They're probably less concerned with 10% savings on their gas bill, but for commercial applications with delivery, freight fuel is a significant expense and as we can demonstrate the fuel saving, it shows it can pay for itself."
The team is currently made up of five employees, three of them locally. The company is a new member of the Embarc Collective innovation hub, and considering a potential bridge round in the future.
