There's nothing new about media on taxi tops, but a San Francisco start-up called Firefly is trying to go about it with a different approach.
Firefly describes itself as the first mobility-based SmartScreens platform - an advertising media firm that gets it footprint and scale from the rideshare industry.
Firefly is working primarily with the drivers for services like Uber and Lyft, offering a supplemental revenue stream in return for fixing a hyper-local, geo-fenced digital sign on the cartop. Firefly absorbs the capital cost, and spins off an average of $300 a month to the driver. That money isn't huge, but it can be enough to significantly offset leasing or insurance costs and make driving for a living worthwhile.
Co-founder Kaan Gunay is a mechanical engineer by training, but in recent years has found his way to Stanford, where he got his MBA and where the roots of Firefly first developed. He's also very active in community good works, and we spoke about how continuing that was, and is, fundamental to how Firefly does things.
At least 10 percent of all media on screens goes to to promote and advertise local not-for-profit organizations and provide public service announcements for non-commercial entities such as charities.
The car-toppers have sensors - for things like air quality - that generate data that's open for government planners, and others, to use.
I spoke with Gunay last week, just as his company was announcing a big $18.5 million seed funding raise.
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High Coghill-Smith, ONELAN
Martin Romanowski, SmartSign
Ke-Quang Nguyen-Phuc, Quividi
Jerome Moeri, Navori
Burr Smith, BroadSign
Luis Villafane, Maler
Francesco Ziliani, SpinetiX
Jose Avalos, Intel
Dan Dawson, Grand Visual
Chris Riegel, Stratacache
Mike Tippets, Hughes Media Solutions
ISE 2017 Bonus Episode
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Sean Keathley, Adrenaline
Paul Vincent, Flexitive
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Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Europe
Rich Ventura, NEC Display Solutions
Jacob Horwitz, Installation & Service Technologies (IST)
Andrea Varrone, Digital Signage Expo
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