Funding story
Most urban commuters face indescribably large woes during commuting. The rising urban populations, and the overstretched nature of most public transportation services means that commutation often becomes a nightmarish process. Mumbai-based startup Cityflo has launched a revolutionary aggregator startup which aims at making commuting headaches a distant memory. The startup recently raised $750k from IDG Ventures. The funding is likely to be used to for more aggressive marketing, scaling up and technological development.
The story so far
Cityflo was launched very recently, in September 2015, by IIT-Bombay graduates Jerin Verad, Ankit Agrawal, Advaith Vishwanath, Rusabh Shah, Subhash Sundaravadivelu and Sankalp Keshikar. Cityflo decided on using Google Maps, as well as looking into the utility and density of corporate hubs while preparing routes. Thereafter, they introduced 10 routes on which their buses ply. These connect work hubs to residential areas.
Cityflo makes ticket booking effortless, making it possible via a simple three step process, which involves selecting the route and the time and then booking a ride. Cityflo’s services can be easily availed of via the Android app, and the buses involved can all be tracked via GPS, making the entire process extremely convenient for the customer.
Cityflo also makes operating very easy for private bus services, and the aggregation and collation of their services greatly streamlines their services. Currently, Cityflo has tied up with 10 operators, and more and more private operators are expressing interest in their services with each passing day.
Future prospects
Cityflo’s revolutionary approach looks set to make urban commuting, once a treacherous process, easy and effortless. The startup has immense potential for growth, and new routes are being added each week. One can expect Cityflo’s services to bring the vast majority of Mumbaikars under its wing in the coming months, and to thus make Mumbai a better place for commuters and private bus operators alike.
For more information, visit Cityflo’s website. The Android app can be downloaded here.
