Living in Los Angeles without a car is no easy undertaking. Luckily, there are a number of startups dedicated to finding new efficiencies in the automobile market. With the annual LA Auto Show set to take over Los Angeles, here are five auto tech startups you should know.
Founded: 2012
Technology: Collision report automation platform
Bio: No one wins when a car runs into something, but as embarrassing and scary as an actual collision is, it's the aftermath that is truly scary. As LA grows as a tech town, there are certain industries that remain untouched by innovation, namely auto body shops. Estify aims to change this. Their tool helps shops estimate repairs, a normally tedious and imprecise process that leads to frustrated mechanics and customers alike.
Founded: 2012
Technology: Electric vehicle charging station management software
Bio: As more electric vehicles are developed, the demand for charging stations is rapidly increasing. LA-based EV Connect makes managing those charging stations simple. The LA-based startup boasts an industry leading cloud-based platform for the management of charging stations, allowing facilities to easily manage their charging stations on a day-to-day basis.
Founded: 2014
Technology: On-demand service
Bio: Whether you got a flat or ran out of gas, Honk offers help whenever your car won't. The subscription service allows stranded commuters to have a tow truck come out in as little as 15-20 minutes, meaning you can get back to worrying about why the car in front of you moves so slowly, and less about how a wheel can explode with such force.
Founded: 2013
Technology: Used car concierge
Bio: Buying and selling used cars is, by and large, an informal process involving cardboard signs, Craigslist and haggling. Shift Technologies has developed a marketplace where buyers and sellers can eliminate the practice of parking at the corner of a gas station in hopes of getting a few people to call about your 1991 Explorer. The concierge service takes the informality out of buying and selling used cars meaning you can focus on explaining to your significant other why you need another car. Originally founded in San Francisco, the company is focused on building out its LA presence.
Founded: 2014
Technology: On-demand car delivery
Bio: In an age where we can get almost anything delivered to us within a few short hours, owning a car seems like a pain. Originally founded as an on-demand rental car delivery service, Culver City-based Skurt has branched out, focusing on disrupting the concept of car ownership by making car rental as simple as possible. Users manage the entire process via a mobile app, and instead of borrowing your friend's pickup truck to move a couch, or your dad's convertible for a hot date, you can have a car delivered to your door for a very reasonable price.
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