Via

Via began as a transport company providing a shuttle service with a fleet of vans in Washington DC and New York. The service employed a mobility platform it developed known as Transit Tech, a complete mobility management system, which it began offering to cities as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform in 2012 and has since become the firm’s core business focus.

What sets Via apart is the wide range of use cases offered by its platform, including public transit, paratransit (mobility for differently-abled individuals), student and university transit, corporates, healthcare providers, and logistics. In addition, Via offers a number of solutions to extend the capabilities of its platform including fleet and driver management, advertising and marketing as well as driver and rider customer support.

The firm has leveraged acquisitions to enhance its services and extend its capabilities. These include 1) REMIX, a transport mapping tool, which introduced a new product for transport authorities for transit management (November 2021), 2) Remix Scheduling, an intelligent scheduling software for transit agencies (December 2022) and 3) Fleetonomy, an AI-based fleet management solution, which the firm used to expand into the logistics and delivery space. More recently, in March 2023, the company acquired Citymapper, a UK-based leading transport planning app.

Key customers and partnerships

As of January 2023, was used by more than 600 partners across 35+ countries.

Via has created strategic alliances to broaden its market reach abroad. In July 2022, the company partnered with bus manufacturer IVECO BUS, to explore the possibility of future collaborations in the development of digital solutions and associated services for public transportation in buses. In September 2022, the firm partnered with Chino City, Japan, to launch “Noraza," an AI-based microtransit service to help the city reach its transportation needs. During the same month, Via launched “BVG Muva”, an on-demand public transport service powered by its proprietary solution in Berlin, Germany. In May 2023, the firm partnered with Autoguidovie, the largest private bus operator in Italy, to introduce mobility solutions in the country. 

The company also formed strategic collaborations to increase its presence in its home market. Via partnered with May Mobility in September 2022, an autonomous vehicle (AV) solution provider, to launch a public transportation system using American Disability Act (ADA)-compliant autonomous vehicles in the rural community of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In January 2023, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA), a member of NEORide, an Ohio-based organization that develops mobility solutions in the US, partnered with Via, to launch “TARTA Flex,” an on-demand public transit service app.

Funding and financials

The firm claimed that, as of November 2022, the revenue from TransitTech had more than doubled YoY and recorded an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of USD 200 million.

In February 2023, Via raised USD 110 million in funding led by 83North, and was valued at USD 3.3 billion (same price per share as Via's previous funding round in November 2021). It planned to use the funds to broaden its product offering and advance its goal of providing a comprehensive digital infrastructure for public transportation.