UrbanThings

UrbanThings is a UK-based MaaS company that provides solutions for commuters, transport operators, and businesses. It offers three main products:

Bus Checker: The largest independent bus times app in the UK, which enables passengers to plan their journeys, get real-time information from operators, and book and pay for their tickets. The app supports all major payment methods, such as debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. The operators can register for free and the app charges a commission based on the tickets sold. The app also enables the operators to get insightful monthly reports in their inboxes. 

UrbanHub for cities and operators: A smart transport platform that enables passengers to plan journeys, book and pay for their tickets, receive real-time information, and access GPS solutions and Base, a back-office platform that collects mobility data. It is also offered on a website for customers without smartphones.

Urban Hub for workplaces: A smart transport platform that encourages work staff to use shared transport and transform commuting habits toward net zero. Some of the features provided include a branded employee app, the ability to track and book private shuttle bus services, bicycle and scooter e-booking integration, electric vehicle charge point locations and tracking, and reports.

In August 2023, UrbanThings added new features to its passenger apps, such as app-wide alerts, the ability to hide disruption messages, quicker access to live departure times, and improvements to its existing vehicle markers. 

In 2022, UrbanThings was acquired by Paragon ID, a global provider of identification solutions for e-ID, transport, and smart cities. 

Key partnerships and customers

As of September 2023, UrbanThings’ technology supports over 130 million passenger journeys per year.

In November 2023, the company partnered with Littlepay, a transit payments processing specialist, to enable transport operators to offer Card Not Present (CNP) mobile payments in passenger apps, with Littlepay as the payment service provider (PSP).

Funding and financials 

In November 2021, the firm raised USD 777,000 in a seed funding round, followed by a grant from Innovate UK.