A year ago, AutoMobili-D was a new idea: a startup zone inside the North American International Auto Show, where mobility companies could stand on the same floor as the automakers and suppliers they hope to work with. This month, it came back bigger, and Vugo was back with it.
A bigger startup zone
Through NAIAS's partnership with Techstars Mobility, 57 startups took part in AutoMobili-D this year, nearly 40% more than in 2017. They came from 11 countries, and 79% of them were exhibiting for the first time. Their work ranged across how people and goods get around, from lighter materials for longer electric range to carpooling, vehicle sharing and delivery routing.
Vugo was listed as what we've become: a passenger infotainment and mobility marketplace.
From the back seat to the dashboard
When we started Vugo, the idea was rideshare advertising: a screen in front of the back seat of an Uber or Lyft, with free entertainment for riders, advertising mixed in, and extra income for the driver. That's still at the heart of what we do.
What's changed is how far the idea reaches. The same thinking applies to any car where the person in the back isn't driving: ridesharing platforms, fleets, and one day self-driving cars. The rider needs something worth their time. The operator needs revenue that doesn't come from raising fares. The brand needs a way to reach people on their way somewhere. A passenger infotainment platform can do all three, and that's what we're building.
That's why AutoMobili-D matters to us. The automakers, suppliers and mobility companies on that floor are deciding what the inside of the next generation of cars will look like. We want the passenger's time to be part of that design from the start, not an afterthought.
The ride is the product
There's a lot of talk about the self-driving car as a technology problem, and it is one. But once a car can drive itself, the question changes: what is the ride for? People will spend that time the way they spend time anywhere else: watching, reading, shopping, planning, relaxing. The companies that make that time valuable, for the rider and for the people who pay for the ride, will shape the business of mobility.
We think advertising will be a big part of paying for it, the same way it has paid for so much of the internet. Done well, it can make rides cheaper, and maybe one day free.
Thank you to the North American International Auto Show and Techstars Mobility for having Vugo back for a second year. If we didn't get a chance to meet in Detroit, we'd love to talk about what the passenger experience could look like in your vehicles.
Read about our first year at AutoMobili-D, see in-vehicle screens, or get in touch.