About Via
Via was founded in 2012 by Daniel Ramot and Oren Shoval, based on the observation that traditional public transit systems, particularly fixed-route bus services, often struggle to efficiently serve lower-density suburban areas or provide flexible, on-demand service outside of high-ridership core routes and times, while also recognizing that many public transit agencies and paratransit services, which provide specialized transportation for elderly and disabled riders who cannot use standard fixed-route transit, faced significant operational inefficiencies using older, less optimized dispatch and routing technology for these more flexible, on-demand transportation services.
Via's core technology provides dynamic routing and dispatch software that public transit agencies, paratransit providers, and other transportation operators can use to run on-demand shared shuttle services, using algorithms that efficiently group riders traveling in similar directions into shared vehicles and dynamically calculate optimal routes in real time as new ride requests come in, similar in some respects to ride-sharing technology but specifically designed for the shared, pooled, and often subsidized transportation service models that public transit agencies and paratransit operators run, rather than the more purely commercial, individually priced ride-hailing model that companies like Uber and Lyft primarily operate. The company has positioned its technology as helping public transit agencies more cost-effectively serve lower-density areas or specialized rider populations, such as paratransit riders, that traditional fixed-route transit serves poorly or inefficiently, letting transit agencies offer more flexible, responsive transportation options potentially allowing agencies to provide on-demand service without building the routing and dispatch technology internally.". Via's customers span public transit agencies, paratransit service providers, and various other transportation operators, including some school districts using Via's technology for student transportation, across many different countries and cities globally. The company has raised very substantial venture funding from investors including Exor, 83North, and Institutional Venture Partners, reaching a valuation exceeding $3.5 billion, positioning itself as significant technology infrastructure supporting the modernization of public transit and paratransit services.
