Swiftly raises $2.5M from US and French mobility leaders to expand its big data platform for urban transportation

San Francisco, May 3, 2017 – Swiftly, the leading big data platform for public transit and mobility services, has raised $2.5 million for international expansion in a round led by Via ID (Mobivia) with participation from RATP Dev, Ford Smart Mobility, LLC and Samsung NEXT. The San Francisco based company provides data analytics and real-time passenger information for a growing list of cities and transit agencies, delivering cutting-edge solutions to improve urban mobility.

“We are thrilled to announce this new funding round with many of the leading companies and investors in the mobility space” said Jonathan Simkin, Swiftly’s Co-Founder and CEO. “In addition to this capital investment, we are excited to partner with these industry leaders to develop and distribute next generation technologies that enable cities to move more efficiently than ever before.”

The round also includes investments from 1776 Ventures, Wind Capital, Zipdragon Ventures, 2L Investments, Millennium Strategic Group, Gary Swart, and others. In addition, Swiftly was recently selected as an Elemental Excelerator portfolio company and will receive $75,000 in grant funding.

“We are excited to leverage our network and expertise in the field of mobility to help Swiftly improve transportation in cities across the world”, said Xavier Gury, North America partner for Via ID. Via ID is the first European fund in the world of transportation. “After opening our office in San Francisco in 2016, it’s our first stake acquired in the United States and we will announce others very soon”.

Swiftly’s data-driven solutions have been deployed in large metro areas such as Chicago and Boston, as well as scores of small- to mid-size cities. Their next generation technologies help transportation operators improve performance and service reliability, while providing customers with more accurate real-time vehicle arrival information.

For Laurence Batlle, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at RATP Dev, “We are delighted to acquire this stake in the capital of Swiftly and to be a part of this new mobility adventure, as we share the same vision of innovative and sustainable transport for the benefit of cities and travelers. This ‘win-win’ partnership is a perfect fit for our open approach to innovation, aimed at collaborating with startups to allow new mobility solutions and services to emerge.“

This funding round also includes a leading automaker making significant investments in the future of transportation. “Ford Smart Mobility was created to develop and invest in new mobility solutions as Ford expands its business to be both an auto and mobility company,” said Raj Rao, CEO, Ford Smart Mobility, LLC. “Our City Solutions team is collaborating with cities around the world to address their public transportation challenges and, our investment in Swiftly will provide a basis for working together toward helping cities improve their mobility options for commuters.”

Samsung NEXT is also participating in the round. “I and my team are thrilled to back Swiftly with this investment and day-to-day support as they look to make cities move more efficiently,” says John Rodkin, Managing Director, San Francisco, Samsung NEXT – Start.

Swiftly develops enterprise software to help transit agencies and cities improve urban mobility. Built by transportation experts for transportation professionals, the Swiftly platform harnesses billions of data points and sophisticated algorithms to improve transit system performance, service reliability, and real-time passenger information. Swiftly’s technology platform is installed in cities from coast to coast, improving transportation services for millions of riders each day.

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