Scoop, the Automated Carpooling App for Commuters, Launches in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (November 2, 2015) – Brothers and tech entrepreneurs Rob and Jon Sadow today announced the launch of Scoop, a groundbreaking mobile carpooling application for Bay Area commuters. Scoop’s mission is to end traffic congestion nationwide by turning single-occupant vehicles into efficient carpools. Scoop’s automated carpool solution enables commuters to efficiently schedule and share their commutes, saving time, money, and the environment. The app lets commuters enjoy all the benefits of carpooling without sacrificing control over their individual schedules. The company has received significant Seed Round funding led by Signia Venture Partners and Index Ventures.

Unlike other carpooling and ridesharing offerings, Scoop focuses on developing partnerships with Bay Area employers, allowing them to offer Scoop to their employees as an affordable and effective transportation solution. Scoop began active trips in August 2015 along pilot routes to Pleasanton and San Jose in partnership with local employers including Workday, Kaiser Permanente, Clorox, Gap, Cisco, and Samsung. This month’s launch of Scoop in SF adds major employers like Salesforce, AirBNB, and many others, bringing total employees as Scoop partners to more than 50,000 Bay Area wide.

“Joining the fight against traffic has never been easier for Bay Area residents,” said Rob Sadow, CEO of Scoop. “For most employees, driving to and from work is the most frustrating time of the day -- it is expensive, unproductive, and stressful. We’ve built an app that allows commuters to enjoy all the benefits of carpooling with none of the hassle.”

The Scoop iOS and Android apps enable commuters to request a carpool for each commute trip, one way at a time and without any long-term commitment. Scoop’s matching algorithm places commuters into carpools with neighbors and co-workers based on a wide variety of factors, including home and work locations, employer, traffic conditions, pick-up time, and more. The entire process takes seconds to complete and Scoop handles logistics, sharing of expenses, and trip coordination. With this flexibility, Scoop commuters along the Pleasanton and San Jose routes have taken an average of four trips per week, with a growing percentage of commuters using the service as often as eight to 10 times per week.

“Traffic keeps us from the things we love – home, kids, pets – and degrades the environment,” said Jon Sadow, CPO of Scoop. “Scoop allows commuters to get into the carpool lane, split the cost of gas, network with co-workers, and reduce their emissions. The estimated average savings for those who utilize Scoop is $2,000 to $2,500 annually -- but more important are the precious minutes and hours they get back to spend with family and friends.”

By having co-workers and neighbors share trips, Scoop provides all of the benefits of carpooling at a fraction of the cost of more expensive ridesharing options. Scoop users split the cost of the commute and riders reimburse the driver for gas and the cost of wear and tear to the car. No cash is ever exchanged -- all payment is handled through the app. For riders, Scoop is at least 25 percent cheaper than driving alone. The rider’s share of the commute cost is fixed and based on distance traveled with no frustrating “surge” pricing during high traffic time periods. Drivers get 50 to 100 percent of their commute cost reimbursed, depending on the number of passengers.

With its launch into San Francisco, Scoop turns its attention to alleviating the persistent traffic challenges employees experience commuting to San Francisco on routes up 101 and 280, or west on 80 (via the Bay Bridge) - all of which have time-saving HOV lanes. Scoop specializes in longer distance (10+ miles) commutes, an ideal solution for San Francisco, the 3rd worst commuter city in the country, with an average commute of 30 or more minutes. Scoop’s solution is targeted for commuters coming into the city from other parts of the Bay Area, versus those who commute intra-San Francisco.

Scoop is not only flexible and simple, but offers a safe commuting alternative. All Scoop drivers go through a motor vehicle history check and must verify that they own insurance before driving in a carpool. Scoop commuters can easily set preferences regarding whom they ride with, and Scoop’s Guaranteed Ride Home program ensures no rider is ever stranded late at night by unforeseen schedule changes.

Scoop was founded by Rob and Jon Sadow. Rob was previously a manager at Bain & Company, specializing in customer strategy and marketing. He also spent time working at an electric vehicle startup in Tel Aviv. Jon, a former product manager at Google with expertise in enterprise software, was one of the first members of Google’s “autonomous” Consumer Surveys team.

For general inquiries or to download the application, visit www.takescoop.com.

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Media contacts: Alison Stout, Erin Wickman, or Evan Nicholson at Glodow Nead Communications, 415.394.6500 or ScoopPR@glodownead.com.