Shuddle

Shuddle Inc. was a San Francisco-based transportation startup that operated an app-based car service designed to chauffeur unaccompanied minors and elderly passengers. Parents booked rides — typically 24 hours to a week in advance rather than on demand — to move children between school, after-school activities and home, and the service was also positioned for grandparents and other family members who could not drive themselves.

The company built its offering around safety and supervision rather than instant availability. Drivers passed two sets of background and reference checks plus additional training, the company carried insurance specifically tailored to carrying minors and elderly riders, and drivers could be authorized to enter schools or activity centers to sign children in and out. Parents could track rides in real time, and the company monitored drivers for route adherence, speeding and phone use. The driver base was drawn largely from teachers, nannies and mothers, and the large majority of its roughly 200 drivers were women; the company argued that daytime, known-passenger trips made driving more attractive to women than general ride-hailing.

Shuddle operated only in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it provided more than 65,000 rides and employed 32 people. It added a carpooling option in August 2015 to reduce per-ride cost. On April 14, 2016 it told customers it would cease operations the following day, having failed to secure new capital.

Founding story

Founder Nick Allen conceived the service while at Sidecar, where he observed parents in Los Angeles using the ride-sharing app to move their children around despite the platform lacking suitable insurance or product design for that use; he left Sidecar in 2013 and started Shuddle.

Business model

Consumer marketplace connecting families with screened, trained contract drivers who transported children and seniors, with the company handling driver vetting, training, insurance and ride monitoring.

A $9 monthly membership fee covering driver training and screening, plus per-ride fares; per-ride pricing was reported as roughly 15% above UberX in 2015, and the average ride price was raised to about $24 by 2016.

Traction

Came out of beta in October 2014; ride volume grew fivefold by March 2015 with about 200 drivers, and the company said it was at capacity for the service. By April 2016 it had delivered more than 65,000 Bay Area rides with 32 employees and reported growth of more than 50% over the prior six months.

Latest developments

Shuddle ceased operations on April 15, 2016 after being unable to raise new capital, with phone support ending that day and email support ending April 18, 2016; drivers were issued final payment invoices on April 18, 2016.