Rideshare Startup SPLT Seals Funding From Jaguar-Backed InMotion Ventures

InMotion Ventures — powered by Jaguar Land Rover — has inked a deal with SPLT, sealing the rideshare startup’s second round of seed funding.

So far, the startup raised $1.2 million in total funding, from investors including Techstars, Verizon Ventures, and Wells Fargo. SPLT joins GoKid, the ridesharing platform for families, in the InMotion Ventures portfolio.

SPLT’s Founder Anya Babbitt told AFN last month that the Detroit-based startup was working on a partnership “by which SPLT’s ride-matching algorithm will be used during autonomous vehicle testings.” This appears to be that partnership, although SPLT did not immediately comment as to whether Jaguar Land Rover will be testing its self-driving cars with SPLT’s algorithm.

SPTL is a carpool service that creates a commuting community for coworkers, instead of pairing riders up with strangers.The startup also provides non-emergency medical transportation. The startup partnered with Lyft last year to allow seniors in Michigan to request transportation to and from appointments.

“SPLT is not just a tech platform; we see it as a partnership solution for many industry players,” Babbitt said.

SPLT operates in Atlanta, Austin, Detroit, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, and is now prepping for a European expansion next month.

“We are starting off with Germany and England, receiving interest from our customers,” she said. “We are also seeking to further expand in Latin America.”

Municipalities, universities, as well as different corporations — such as Bosch and Honda — have already used SPLT’s platform, which totaled 50,000 users at the end of 2016.

“Our platform is already helping thousands of people and this round of funding will allow us to expand even further,” Babbitt said in a press release.