Washington, D.C. rideshare startup Split is ending its services as of October 3, according to a new blog post from the company. Launched in 2013, the 1776 tech incubator-based company offered an app-based hailing system similar to Uber or Lyft but without surge pricing and with other unique aspects to its service. The company said the end of service does not mean the end of the company, and its staff will stay on to focus on new products. Split counts Transdev, the company behind Super Shuttle and other transportation services, as one of its backers.
"We're working on a few kind of big ideas of how we can use our technology in ways that will impact transportation," Split CEO Ario Keshani told DC Inno in an interview. "We learned a lot from our years in D.C. about moving patterns of people, the transportation needs of cities and companies. We've started working with businesses to bridge the gap getting employees to offices too."
Keshani said the cars owned by Split will be used in other ways by Transdev, and that drivers will be offered other jobs if they want to continue on in other capacities. While no one will be let go, there aren't any plans to hire new people either.
The hiring freeze comes just a month after Split hired former LivingSocial vice president of analytics Christopher Hogan as head of strategy and analytics. He came on board as part of the plan to change Split's focus, and Keshani described his expertise as integral to the bigger strategy. But, he attributes the fact that Split isn't just shutting down completely to the company's investors.
"Our investors have been very supportive," Keshani said. "They are helping us look for [places] our innovations can help make a real impact."
