47. SKOOT

Company: SKOOT

Founder(s): Greg Gormley and Mark Stringer

Website: https://www.skootride.com

Business: A carbon negative liftsharing app that connects friends who drive with friends that need lifts (and keeps it legal) with payment all in app.

 

FinTech-Skoot-logo

 

About SKOOT

 

SKOOT was formed when founder Greg Gormley’s 17 year old daughter didn’t come home one night! It turned out she’d been giving lifts to mates until 5am, “but at least I earnt £65” – was her reasoning.

Cars can be expensive to run – mates need to pay their way, but it becomes difficult agreeing on: how much? can’t find you? where you going? and above all paying for lifts – is it legal?

This is why SKOOT was created, only connecting friends together if they have each other’s mobile number in their phones.

 

SKOOT DRIVE

 

The MVP was created in October 2019, which kicked off a £1.6M fundraiser enabling the build of the SKOOT team. By March 2020 the company were ready to launch, about to GoLive when lockdown happened.

Innovate UK launched a competition of “How can your business pivot and help during and post Covid-19”. SKOOT decided to go for the competition, and add a feature called Errands that allows friends to help each other.

With this new feature, those having to self-isolate can send an Errand up to 10 friends with details of what needs to be picked up and from where. You can even tip your friend £5 for the help. When a friend accepts they are navigated to where they pick up from, and whether it is click and collect shopping or medication. SKOOT won the competition, and £75K from Innovate UK.

Plans for SKOOT’s the future are many, with sports and events being huge for the company. SKOOT can help fans get to venues and share journeys, which we know reduces congestion and traffic, but above all the more journeys on the SKOOT platform the better it is for the planet, as they plant a tree for every 3 journeys – making the company carbon negative.

So far, users and usage has been great, enabling the company to close another funding round bringing total funding to date £3.1M.