Overview

• Velocia just launched their app officially on December 5, 2019, and is still working out some kinks with their blockchain technology. After they perfect the technology and app, they plan to expand to other large cities in the US & Canada.
• Velocia offers rewards based on the customer commuting with their mobility partners.
• They focus on getting any person that uses public transit or ride sharing to install their app. They have integrated with the Miami-Dade Transit so the user may use the app to upload money to ride public transit.
• Velocia positions themselves as an answer to overcrowded, congested roadways, and a sustainable, environment- friendly alternative to private transportation.
• They use blockchain (Aion Network with AION Cryptocurrency) to acquire information from users. Users are offered incentives to share their information. This information, in turn, will be used to inform the company and their partners of things like where there should be more opportunities to rideshare, etc.

Rewards

• Commuters can earn VELO Tokens as reward points. VELO tokens are earned by competing campaigns which are found in the app.
• VELO tokens are issued for using public or mobility services like the public transit, Bolt, Citi Bikes, Getaround, and SwiftSeat.
• The reward system is based on an open ecosystem and may be used with any of the partners. For example, if you earn points for using Lyft, they can be used to ride the metro.
• The tokens may only be used with their partners and redeemed for mobility services.
• Pictures of the app and reward examples may be viewed here 

Business Model

• Velocia has received multiple grants from Miami-Dade to develop this app. $500,000 was raised by Miami-Dade County, the Knight Foundation, the Codina Family, and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority for Velocia to develop it. They also received a $20,000 grant from the county as a winner of the Miami Foundation Public Space Challenge.
• It appears that the goal for their business model is to offer the blockchain data to business, who then can use this information to target customers by putting campaigns on the app. The use of Aion and their cryptocurrency platform, would also indicate this will be a revenue stream.

Market Reach

• Velocia currently only operates in Miami-Dade county. They have hopes to expand to other large cities once they refine the app and address issues with usability and their blockchain technology.

Partnerships

• Velocia partners with public transit, mobility as a service providers, and companies that reward daily commutes.
•  Transit Partners: Brightline, CitiBike, dashee, getaround, SwiftSeat, Facile, Panorama Tower (offers Velocia as an amenity), Miami-Dade County, and Bolt.

Overview

•  Hytch is used by employers and communities to promote sharing ride, walking, biking, or using mass transit.
• Every trip that is logged by the app and validated is sponsored with carbon offset, retired on the users' behalf.
• To Hytch, the user installs the app, enables Bluetooth sharing, selects their buddies they will be riding with, enables location sharing, and then uses the app. Once they have collected $10 in rewards, they can cash out. There is also the option to donate the earned money to donation partners.
• One of Hytch's biggest selling points for governments is that by using their app, they can save on infrastructure expenditures.

Rewards

• "Users participate in a rewards system that gives them credits towards other rideshares or mass transit, if that is what the sponsor chooses. Once a company or community participates, they can set goals for their users that will best benefit them. They have a dashboard that enables them to set goals, track users, and see what rewards have been earned by users.
• For instance, a user might earn $.04 each time they use the app before peak times, riding the bus, train, or having more than two people in their car. An employer might use it to promote parking in a remote parking lot. The user can essentially make any rule that assists them in meeting their transportation/congestion goals. "

Business Model

• Companies and communities that partner with the app make an "investment" that allows them to provide rewards to their users. There is no mention of a minimum investment. The example data was set at $40,000. Once the investment money is used as payouts, more money will need to be invested. There were no timelines, or mentions of contracts on the website or in any press release.
• San Francisco created the Transportation Demand Management Coalition, and Hytch is a part of that. The coalition will work with Hytch to promote the app to area employers, transportation agencies, and local governments.
•  Portland, Oregon's EcoChallenge has partnered with Hytch in an eco-friendly partnership to reward participants.
•  Agile Mile announced a partnership with Hytch in 2019. Agile Mile is a provider of transportation demand management (TDM) software for state and local governments trying to solve congestion and traffic issues. They have an open data exchange with each other.

Market Reach

• Hytch primarily operates in the greater Nashville, TN area. They have recently expanded to Seattle and Portland, and are actively talking to Denver, Austin, and Houston, amongst others.
• Specifically, they have partnerships with the TN Dept of Transportation, City of Brentwood, TN, City of Franklin, TN, WeGo Public Transit in Madison, TN, The Transportation Management Coalition in San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon's EcoChallenge.

Mi Rewards active cities & neighborhoods

• Currently active and under contract with the city of Perth, Scotland in 66 different local establishments
• Currently active and in partnership with Gloucester, UK covering 14 local establishments.

Mi Rewards contract details & management

• Within the city of Perth, Scotland the rewards program is managed by the Perth & Kinross Council's Perth City Centre Team in partnership with Miconex. Through review of Miconex's website, social media site, along with the city's website, social media sites, and review of their legislative minutes records, no further details of the contract(s) were found.
• In Gloucester, UK the rewards program is managed in cooperation between Miconex & the Gloucester BID (Business Improvement District). Through review of Miconex's website, social media site, along with the city's website, social media sites, and the BID website, no further details about the contract(s) were found.

Partnerships (technology/infrastructure/transportation)

• Miconex has partnered exclusively with Stampfeet as the provider for the infrastructure of their Mi Rewards program.
• Within the cities of Gloucester & Perth, Miconex has partnered with Stagecoach, a local bus and transportation provider.
• Miconex and the Mi Rewards program has partnered with over 60 restaurants, hotels, and local businesses in Perth & over 14 establishments within Gloucester.

Target market

• Miconex & its Mi Rewards program actively targets large UK & European cities to establish a program that benefits local establishments, the consumer, and the city itself.
• Another target of theirs is local businesses within the cities that they have partnered with. They require these partnerships in order to maintain the reward perks for consumers.
• Mi Rewards, through the use of social media posts, and local giveaways, seem to target young adults and students within larger UK & European cities.