Uber Technologies, Inc. announced Thursday its acquisition of Routematch, an Atlanta-based software company that develops tools for public transit systems. The move was reported in a press release, which describes Routematch as “an industry-leading software provider serving more than 500 transit agency partners in urban, suburban, and rural communities around the world.” The two companies aim to create an “expanded suite of technologies” to provide the best transportation services to riders.
Founded in 2000, Routematch’s specialties include creating technology for payments, paratransit, and trip planning services. The Verge reported that it “had some success helping small, rural communities improve their bus service,” and that it provided assistance for Cecil County, Maryland in developing a “free, on-demand bus service for people with opioid addictions to travel to and from recovery meetings.”
David Reich, Head of Uber Transit & Pepper Harward, is confident about the acquisition. “We are extremely excited to bring together ideas, products, and insights from our team’s collective expertise,” he said. “As allies of public transit, we look forward to finding new ways our technologies can improve transit riders’ end-to-end experiences, and expand accessibility even further for those who need it.”
Earlier this month, Uber began managing Marin Connect, an on-demand ride service in the San Francisco Bay area as part of its “broader strategy to push into public transit,” according to TechCrunch. Last year, the company announced its plans to sell bus and train tickets through its app to Denver, Colorado customers.
This is the second acquisition the company has announced in recent days; the rideshare giant also unveiled its $2.65 billion acquisition of food delivery platform Postmates last week.
