Micromobility, like many other industries, has faced a lot of uncertainty this year. Many shared electric scooter operators paused their services in the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed operations after putting some safety measures into place. Meanwhile, some industry analysts have pointed to micromobility as a savior for cities where public transit is suffering as a result of low ridership.
Although there have been many layoffs and consolidation across the market, micromobility as a technological tool may be poised to come out of this year stronger than before. And despite the over-saturation companies in the micromobility market, there are still opportunities for new players.
That’s what we’ll be exploring at TC Sessions: Mobility with Tortoise Co-founder Dmitry Shevelenko, Elemental Excelerator Director of Innovation, Mobility Danielle Harris and Superpedestrian VP of Strategy and Policy Avra van der Zee.
Tortoise Co-founder and President Dmitry Shevelenko
Given the volume of micromobility operators in the space today, Tortoise aims to make it easier for these companies to more strategically deploy their respective vehicles and reposition them when needed. Using autonomous technology in tandem with remote human intervention, Tortoise’s software enables operators to remotely relocate their scooters and bikes to places where riders need them, or, where operators need them to be recharged.
On an empty sidewalk, Tortoise may employ autonomous technologies, while it may rely on humans to remotely control the vehicle on a highly trafficked city block. Shevelenko will walk us through his company’s approach to building an operating system for micromobility providers.
Elemental Excelerator Director of Innovation, Mobility Danielle Harris
Given the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created in cities, there is room for electric bikes and scooters to provide alternative transportation options to cities. Additionally, there is growing interest in charging stations as well as the direct-to-consumer market, as society still grapples with ways to live among a deadly virus.
Harris, who used to work as an innovation strategist for San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency’s Office of Innovation, has a a plethora of knowledge about how startups can best work with cities and provide them with relevant and effective mobility solutions.
Superpedestrian VP of Strategy and Policy Avra van der Zee
Superpedestrian first came on the scene with its vehicle diagnostics platform for shared electric scooters. This year, the company launched its own electric scooter provider, LINK, in partnership with Zagster. Avra van der Zee, who came on board to Superpedestrian after working at JUMP, is tasked with ensuring Superpedestrian continues to work well with cities in providing them micromobility services that fit their needs.
At TC Sessions: Mobility, you’ll hear from these experts about what’s next in micromobility.
Get your tickets for TC Sessions: Mobility to hear from these thought-leaders along with several other fantastic speakers from Waymo, Lyft, Nuro and more. Tickets are just $145 until September 4 at 11:59 p.m. PDT, with discounts for groups, students and exhibiting startups. We hope to see you there!
