“A cost-effective carpooling community with a twist of fun” is how Aldrich Anderson, a co-founder of Ridefind, describes its service.
Ridefind is another startup from the Philippines that wishes to ease traffic in the city by redefining carpooling service. A product of a 54-hour hackathon during the second Startup Weekend in Manila, last April, this startup snagged the second place prize among 30 33 contenders. After the event, the three-person team continued working on their service.
Ridefind is the brainchild of co-founders Aldrich, Kimson Wong, and Mark Conde, but the group behind it has grown to a seven-person team. Anne Peralta, Joe Josue, A.M. Valdez, and Carlos Gavino now “work alongside the three co-founders.”
Update August 21, from Mark Conde: We [were] actually 9 members during startup weekend. We are now down to 7 members (all from the startup weekend team) and we consider everyone a founder.
“It’s no secret: traffic and poor public transit are the bane of every Metro Manila motorist and commuter alike,” says Aldrich.
This service is community-driven, anyone can use the service by visiting their website, Ridefind.ph, and signing up — either to get a lift, or offer their vehicle for carsharing.
How it works:
- The Driver – Create a route from common pickup points to your favorite destination takes just minutes. Iron out the details, join the conversation, and sit back as passengers jump on board.
- The Passengers – Search for and select convenient routes to your preferred destinations with just two clicks. Browse one of the advertised routes under the search tab and simply hit join to commit.
Safety is the company’s priority, so each member must go through a three-point verification process which starts at sign-up through third-party Facebook login. As an added measure, Ridefind also encourages each member to fill out their profile on their website and share their interests to build connections with other commuters to get acquainted with each other before they share rides. It’s a bit like the Chinese startup PickRide that we looked at last year – except that one has mobile apps.
Finding an office space…
When asked where they are based, Aldrich said they “are counting on funding to take us out of Makati coffee shops and into a dedicated workspace.”
Ridefind currently offers a free service but has different “creative ideas to generate revenues”. Options such as “closed-group services and offering a Ridefind API for venues and event-related sites” are being considered as well.
They are open to offers from investors, and “specifically investors who share [its] values and vision of improving life and the environment in Metro Manila.”
Currently in public beta, they do not have competitors yet. Aldrich adds that “inspiring motorists to share their available seats will certainly take time. Current trends show we’ll have several thousand hits and sign-ups in the early weeks of beta. At this stage, we care to hear what commuters find to be the most-needed service in Metro Manila.”
They have also received requests “for private carpool services exclusive to members of specific college campuses and corporate centers” and they are planning to meet these needs in the coming months.
Outside the Philippines, Zimride and Wheelz are known to deliver “peer-to-peer transportation experiences at events.”
When asked what future plans they have:
Safety is the biggest question surrounding every ridesharing service out there. Mobile payment system, location verification, and sponsored road trips are some ideas for the future. Our goal is not only to make carpool possible, but cool and cost-effective option to anyone on the road. Aldrich, who has experience in social entrepreneurship, also sees social benefits in Ridefind. Apart from applying technology to help decongest and lower emissions in Manila, Ridefind is expanding access to the privileges of car ownership. We are fostering the spirit of collaboration that will make the Philippines more pleasant and livable.
Just like the Commute.ph site we featured last week, Ridefind also wants to help free up Metro Manila roads – and they’re doing that one carpool at a time.
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