Shuddle, a San Francisco, CA-based rideshare service designed specifically to transport busy families, closed $9.6m in Series A funding.
The round was led by RRE Ventures with participation from existing investors Comcast Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Accel Partners and angels.
The company, which has raised over $12m in total, intends to use the funds for geographic expansion while improving the experience for riders, as well as for its community of female drivers.
Led by CEO and founder Nick Allen, Shuddle is specifically designed for the needs of busy families and carries an insurance to cover the transport of minors. All drivers pass an extensive verification process, which includes a comprehensive background check against national-, state-, and county-level databases, in-person training, DMV records check & points analysis, vehicle safety inspection and third-party employee reference checks.
Every single ride is monitored by the company’s staff and GPS technology allows parents to track ride progress in real-time through the iOS app. They also receive notifications when the driver is on the way, at pickup, departing with the passenger and has arrived at the final destination. Shuddle also offers in-app call support, allowing parents and drivers to call the staff directly through the app for any reason while a ride is in progress.
Launched in San Francisco in October 2014, the service has since expanded throughout the Bay Area and counts a community of more than 200 female drivers.
The iOS app is available for free at https://itunes.apple.com/TR/app/id916941183
FinSMEs
18/03/2015