Share a Cab in London with SplitCab

Today we meet Davide Machado of SplitCab. Davide is part of the Travel Massive London chapter and has designed SplitCab as a way to help travellers save money while supporting London locals and reducing their carbon footprint.

What gap did you find in the travel industry that inspired you to create this startup?

Prior to our launch there were no door-to-door shared transport options in London. We wanted to fix this but also to collaborate with traditional licensed cab firsm rather than seeking to destroy them.

What is your startup about?

We are not looking to reinvent the wheel, simply to optimise the logistics that are currently in place. We not only make use of the nearly 3000 minicab companies that are already operating in the market, but we also support the traditional industry by working in partnership with the trade bodies and the traditional software companies. We have effectively built roaming for minicabs. Wherever you go, your local licensed minicab company’s cars appear on the Splitcab app. It is our aim to introduce unparalleled levels of security not only for the users of our app but also for the drivers and the companies that work with us.

How is your startup disrupting the travel scene today?

We were one of the first to market in terms of shared transfer services in London, especially to put them on an a mobile app. We are significantly cheaper at £10 to Heathrow versus £30 on their original taxi service. We also engage rather than confront the incumbent industry which still holds the lions share of an industry that is worth over £2bn in London alone.

Travel Massive is about empowering change in travel. How is your startup changing the future of the industry or helping to make travel better?

We are a UK company founded by Londoners that has grown out of a legitimate need for a software platform to empower traditional minicab companies/operators, so we support and act as a platform by providing state of the art tech enabling firms to realistically compete with the Silicon Valley led app companies. It’s a London thing born and bred.

Do you have any tips for new entrepreneurs who want to create a successful startup?

Be prepared to work long hours, delegate effectively and build a strong team around you. Be prepared to take advice, but act only on that which you truly believe in. Ensure your product is strong and that you have a legitimate market/problem to fix.

Why do you travel?

I love to play, eat, learn and interact. I believe that learning about other cultures gives me an understanding of the human condition and what ultimately influences us a species.

Travel Start-Up is a monthly series that profiles unique online travel start-ups in the Travel Massive community around the world. Connect with Davide Machado and SplitCab on Travel Massive, Facebook or Twitter.