Traveling around D.C. isn't always the easiest task and TransitScreen wants to take the hassle out of making plans with its geo-location technology. The District-based startup is helping users track their buses, trains and rideshares all with one platform.
Matt Caywood, co-founder and CEO, came up with the idea for the company in 2006 while trying to navigate his grad school campus at the University of California, San Francisco. Years later in 2013, Caywood created TransitScreen and has since joined the 1776 incubator and moved into a dedicated office.
Sustainability is one of TransitScreen's biggest initiatives. The company prides itself on encouraging city residents to use rideshares, scooter, bikes and buses to get around as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that cause harm to air quality.
"We believe in the importance of public transportation as the biggest decision an individual can make to lower their carbon footprint," Chief Operations Officer Ryan Croft said. "As a company, all of our employees take alternative modes of transportation to get to work every day; nobody drives their own car."
TransitScreen currently has partnerships with a list of ride and car-share companies functioning in D.C. Uber, Via, Lime, Bird and car2go are just a few names using the platform to help travelers track their rides in the city. TransitScreen also helps employees trace their companies' shuttles and vans.
"We work directly with several different tracking systems to provide the most up-to-date, real-time information possible," Croft said. "These companies usually work by placing a small tracking device on the bus, which can then be used to build a real-time information feed."
TransitScreen also markets to apartment complexes, commercial offices, retail businesses and various other industries to help visitors navigate through the city. It offers a way for companies to send messages about events locations and travel times directly through the app, and curates a list of local events for employees and other city residents to attend.
Companies can get TransitScreen for their office in a few steps. After a consultation, a TransitScreen representative creates a customized demo screen of the app, tailored to the client's location. Once the business is satisfied with the draft, TransitScreen ships tools including HDMI cords and a TransitBox, so that its client can set up TransitScreen at their location. TransitScreen does not provide monitors, which are required for the TransitBox to work. After the TransitBox is connected to an Ethernet cable and television, users can start planning their trips around D.C.
As the District continues to add alternative ways for residents to navigate, TransitScreen is hoping to make the process smoother for commuters by continuing to add trackers and interfaces. So far, the company has raised a total of $3 million from angel and seed investors, including McCune Ventures and Moderne Ventures.
