Optibus

Founded in Israel, Optibus offers a range of mobility planning and management platforms, providing solutions for public transit agencies, cities, and shuttle operators. The platform leverages AI and algorithms for route planning, vehicle and crew scheduling, rostering, and predicting vehicle running times. In June 2022, the firm launched ‘Operations’, the first real-time management platform for bus depot operators. In August 2024, the company introduced “Optibus Shuttles” to enhance shuttle operations through automated dispatching and routing.
 

Optibus claims that its platform is the first cloud-native platform that has a drag-and-drop interface, where key metrics are displayed and updated in real time. A case in point is the Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA), where Optibus’s platform was applied to 30 bus routes in Youngstown, Ohio. The firm claimed it managed to reduce undesirable driver shifts by 17% while keeping up identical levels of service. The firm also claims that it has had “zero churn” and has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a technology pioneer.

In April 2022, Optibus acquired Trillium, a developer of multimodal mobility solutions to expand its product offerings and grow its presence in North America. In February 2024, the company expanded its transit data management software, GTFS Manager, developed by Trillium, to Spain, making it available to the European market for the first time.

In August 2024, the company acquired Datik, a provider of real-time visibility and operational efficiency for public transportation providers.

Key customers and partnerships

As of February 2023, Optibus has been deployed in 25+ countries across 5,000 cities including New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, London, Sao Paulo, and Hong Kong. According to the firm, Optibus's platform helped run 30% of London’s public transportation and accounted for 25% of public transportation in the UK. Optibus has been expanding its presence globally, with a particular emphasis on Latin America, Asia Pacific region, and Europe. In March 2022, the company opened a new office in Santiago, Chile, and by June 2022, it had expanded its leadership team to support local teams in the APAC region. In September 2022, Optibus opened new regional offices in Rome, Italy, and Stockholm, Sweden, while also signing new clients. In March 2023, Optibus continued its expansion into Europe with the opening of its office in Lisbon, Portugal.

Optibus has strategically partnered with several organizations to enhance its service offerings and integrate advanced technologies into its operations. These include, 1) Ito World to enhance data-driven insights (September 2022), Stratio to optimize vehicle maintenance for transport operators (March 2023); 3) Kayseri Ulasim to streamline its operational work and create an AI-powered bus business planning structure (August 2023); 4) CarMedialab to introduce an end-to-end electric vehicle management solution (October 2023); 5) HADAG in Hamburg, Germany to include ferry operations (October 2023); 6) Swiftly, to integrate Swiftly's run-time data into the Optibus platform (April 2024); 7) Snapper Services to offer improved data analysis for public transit operators (May 2024); 8) Volvo Buses to provide Volvo’s customers access to Optibus’ connected services (July 2024); and 9) Roma Transportes to deploy AI-powered shuttle services in Brazil (November 2024).