Lyft

Lyft
Transportation network company
Industry Transportation networking
Founded June 2012 (2012-06)
Founders Logan Green, CEO
John Zimmer, President
Headquarters San Francisco, California, United States
Revenue US$800 million (2015)
Website www.lyft.com

Lyft is an American transportation network company based in San Francisco, CA. Launched in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer, the company's mobile-phone application facilitates peer-to-peer ridesharing by connecting passengers who need a ride with drivers who have a car.[1][2][3] Lyft now operates in over 200 U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City, and is valued at $5.5 billion.[4] As of January 2016, Lyft had raised more than $2 billion from investors General Motors ($500M), Alibaba, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue Management, Didi Kuaidi, fbFund, Floodgate, Fontinalis Group, Fortress, Founders Fund, GSV Capital, Icahn Enterprises, Janus Capital Management, K9 Ventures, Mayfield Fund, Prince Alwaleed's Kingdom Holdings Company, Rakuten, Tencent, and Third Point Ventures.[5][6][7]

History

Further information: Timeline of Lyft
A Lyft vehicle in Santa Monica, CA with the original grill-stache branding, since retired.

Establishment

Lyft was launched in the summer of 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer as a service of Zimride, a ridesharing company the two founded in 2007.[8] Zimride focused on ridesharing for longer trips, often between cities,[9] and linked drivers and passengers through the Facebook Connect application.[10] Zimride eventually became the largest rideshare program in the United States (U.S.).[11][12]

Lyft launched as an on-demand ridesharing network for shorter trips within cities. Similar to Zimride, the app connects drivers with cars to passengers that need rides. Drivers and passengers rate each other on a five-star scale after each ride,[13] and the ratings establish the reputations of both drivers and passengers within the network.[13] In order to take advantage of the Lyft system, clients must set up an account that links directly to a funding source such as a debit card or PayPal account. Once the ride is completed, funds are debited from the funding source. Lyft then retains approximately 20-25% (20% from drivers who applied before January 2016 and 25% from those who applied starting January 2016) of this total as business revenue, an amount that has been called "parasitic".[14]

Due to regulatory hurdles in New York City, the company eventually decided to significantly alter its business model to establish Lyft on the East Coast. Lyft’s launch in New York City occurred on the evening of July 25, 2014 and, in accordance with the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) and the approval of the Manhattan Supreme Court, only drivers registered with the TLC were permitted to drive Lyft-branded vehicles in New York City. Instead of Lyft's signature pink mustaches, Lyft drivers in New York City sported a smaller pink mustache on their dashboards, which eventually evolved into the "glowstache", the company’s current icon on its cars.[15][16]

Funding

In May 2013, Lyft completed a US $60 million Series C venture financing round led by Andreessen Horowitz; the other investors were Founders Fund, Mayfield Fund, K9 Ventures, and Floodgate.[9][17] In July 2013, Lyft sold Zimride to Enterprise Holdings, the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, to enable the company to focus exclusively on the growth of Lyft.[18]

In April 2014, Lyft completed a $250 million Series D financing round led by Coatue, Alibaba, and Andreessen Horowitz, bringing its total amount raised to $332.5 million.[5] A $530 million investment led by Japanese online retailer Rakuten Inc. in March 2015 and an additional $150 million led by a $100 million investment from Carl Ichan in May 2015 brought the total raised to over $1 billion and the valuation to $2.5 billion.[19][20]

On January 4, 2016, Lyft announced a partnership with U.S. automaker General Motors, which invested $500 million as part of a $1 billion fundraising effort. The partnership is designed to help both companies accelerate in the ride-sharing market, as well as the autonomous car arena.[21] In conjunction with GM's investment, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia also made an investment in Lyft which included the purchase of $148 million worth of existing stock from Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.[22]

Safety

One tenet of Lyft’s platform is establishing trust among its users.[13] All drivers undergo the following screening processes:

Although Lyft drivers are classified as independent contractors, Lyft also insures each driver with a $1 million commercial liability policy that is primary to a driver’s personal policy. Any driver averaging a low rating by users is dropped from the service.[23] Additional coverage includes:[25]

Mobile app

Riders must download the Lyft app to their iOS or Android-based phone, sign up, enter a valid phone number, and enter a valid form of payment (either a credit card, or link to a Google Wallet or PayPal account).[26] When a passenger wants a ride, he or she opens the app and requests a ride from a nearby driver. Once confirmed, the app shows the driver's name, their ratings by past passengers, and photos of the driver and their car.[27] In March 2015, Lyft announced the ability for drivers and passengers to add personal information to their profiles about their hometown, music preferences and other details to encourage drivers and passengers to connect during the ride.[28]

Lyft offers three types of rides within the app:

Regulatory opposition and momentum

Like many peer-to-peer startups, Lyft faces legal and regulatory hurdles and has been criticized by established commercial enterprises, including taxi services. In the fall of 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a cease and desist letter to Lyft (along with Uber and Sidecar) and fined each $20,000. However, in 2013 an interim agreement was reached that reversed those actions.

In June 2013, Lyft, Uber and Sidecar were served with cease and desist letters by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Despite this, all three companies continue to operate and offer their services in Los Angeles.

In September 2013, the CPUC unanimously voted to make the agreement permanent, and created a new category of service called Transportation Network Companies to cover Lyft, UberX, Summon, and Sidecar—making California the first state to recognize such services.

The Washington, D.C. City Council passed emergency legislation in September 2013 to allow ridesharing platforms like Lyft to operate.[31]

The Seattle City Council passed an ordinance in March 2014 that capped Lyft drivers on the road at any given time to 150. As that failed to function with Lyft's model, the company supported a coalition that submitted a referendum containing 36,000 signatures from residents that called for the ordinance to be appealed.[32] Following the signatures, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray worked with Lyft to reach a deal in July 2014 that legalized ridesharing in Seattle.

In the spring of 2014, Lyft hired two lobbying firms, TwinLogic Strategies and Jochum Shore & Trossevin, to address the regulatory barriers and opposition it had received since its launch.[33]

In May 2014, Lyft signed a temporary operating agreement with the city of Detroit that allows operation under a specific set of rules for two years or until new regulations are developed.[34]

In June 2014, Colorado became the first state to pass rules for TNCs through the legislative process, when S 125 was signed into law.[35]

In July 2014, the Minneapolis City Council voted almost unanimously to legalize Lyft and other Transportation Network Companies.[36]

In September 2015, Lyft announced a relocation of their customer service operations to Nashville, and mentioned that a full relocation would be possible in the future from San Francisco.[37]

In December 2015, Lyft became the first ride-hailing service allowed to pick up passengers at Los Angeles International Airport.[38]

Other cities and states such as Austin,[39] Nashville,[40] Tulsa[41] and Illinois[42] have passed laws to regulate Lyft and other TNCs.

Lyft, like other ride-sharing services, has been criticized by government officials for operating what they consider to be unlicensed taxi services. For example, upon expansion into Virginia in April 2014, the Virginia Department of Transportation levied a $9,000 civil penalty against Lyft for failure to register as a transportation broker. Virginia DoT had previously communicated with the company and informed it that it had to register in order to provide services inside the Commonwealth. In August, state officials reversed their ruling and allowed Lyft to operate in Virginia.[43]

Lyft’s distinctive pink mustache was the first branding the company used until 2015 when it switched to a smaller, glowing magenta mustache that sits on a driver's dashboard.

In 2016 Lyft offered promotions to attract public transit customers affected by transit service disruptions. During Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's SafeTrack construction Lyft offered deep discounts in the areas impacted,[44] and after Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ended late night service Lyft discounted trips during the overnight times impacted.[45]

Results

In 2014, the company said it had grown ride numbers and revenue by five times.[46]

Lyft faces competition from Uber, Via, Haxi and other car-service startups. Lyft's global alliance includes China's Didi Chuxing, India's Ola Cabs and Southeast Asia's Grab.

Self-driving car test

On May 5, 2016 Lyft and General Motors announced, as part of their partnership, that they planned to begin testing self-driving taxis within the next year. They were considering using a self-driving Chevrolet Bolt for this purpose.[47]

Reception

In 2013, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee proclaimed July 13 as Lyft Day.[48]

Beyond its fundraising and user adoption numbers, Lyft has received acclaim for creating a community that makes transportation a more welcoming, uplifting and fun experience. Scott Weiss of Andreessen Horowitz said the venture capital firm ultimately decided to invest in Lyft because of its strong community and transparency. He wrote in his blog, "Lyft is a real community—with both the drivers and riders being inherently social—making real friendships and saving money."[49]

Drew Olanoff of TechCrunch wrote, "You feel like you're in the car with a friend, and that's no mistake...Whether it's bringing someone a sandwich for the ride or letting them choose the music in the car, Lyft drivers have their own budding community growing."[50] Jessica Gelt wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "Lyft's marketing strategy, which is geared toward the young and technologically savvy, draws a relaxed and friendly demographic."[51]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Patrick Hoge (18 November 2013). "Lyft and Sidecar replace voluntary donations with set prices". San Francisco Business Times. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Alsever, Jennifer (3 Oct 2012). "The "mega trend" that swallowed Silicon Valley". CNN Money. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Lawler, Ryan (31 May 2013). "Lyft Hits The East Coast With A Launch In Boston, Its First Big Post-Funding Expansion City". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Lyft Raises $1 Billion, Adds GM as Investor and Partner For Driverless Cars". 4 January 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Lyft Raises $250 Million From Coatue, Alibaba, And Third Point To Expand Internationally". TechCrunch. AOL. 2 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Lawler, Ryan (11 March 2015). "Lyft Has Raised $530 Million In Series E Funding Led By Rakuten, Is Now Valued At $2.5 Billion". TechCrunch. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Lyft Raises $1 Billion, Adds GM as Investor and Partner For Driverless Cars". Fortune. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  8. ↑ Farr, Christina (23 May 2013). "Lyft team gets $60M more; now it must prove ride-sharing can go global". VentureBeat. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  9. 1 2 Green, Tomio (23 May 2013). "Lyft Raises $60 Million As Ride Sharing Competition Heats Up". Forbes. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  10. ↑ Kincaid, Jason (25 Mar 2009). "Zimride: A Carpooling Startup That Actually Makes Money". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Boyd Myers, Courtney (16 Jun 2012). "2012: The Summer of Ridesharing with Zimride, Ridejoy, Carpooling and more". The Next Web. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Lyon, Cody (3 Aug 2012). "Zimride expands its ride-share business". Upstart Business Journal. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 Gustin, Sam (23 May 2013). "Lyft-Off: Car-Sharing Start-Up Raises $60 Million Led by Andreessen Horowitz". Time Magazine. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  14. ↑ Darwin Bond-Graham. "Uber and Lyft get a lot of hype-- but ridesharing is a parasitic business model". Alternet. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  15. ↑ CHRISTINE LAGORIO-CHAFKIN (25 July 2014). "Lyft in New York City: Let's Try This One More Time". Inc. Monsueto Ventures. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  16. ↑ Associated Press (27 January 2015). "Lyft drops pink furry mustache, debuts 'glowstache'". New York Post. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Lagorio, Christine and Markowitz, Eric (23 May 2013). "Lyft's New $60M: How the Deal Went Down". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  18. ↑ Gannes, Liz (12 Jul 2013). "Lyft Sells Zimride Carpool Service to Rental-Car Giant Enterprise". All Things D. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  19. ↑ Jason Redmond (12 March 2015). "Latest Rakuten-led funding values Lyft at $2.5 billion". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-lyft-financing-idUSKBN0M80DJ20150312
  20. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (15 May 2015). "Lyft Raises An Additional $150M, Including $100M From Carl Icahn". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "General Motors Invests $500 Million in Lyft, Sees A Self-Driving Future". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  22. ↑ MacMillan, Douglas; Winkler, Rolfe (11 February 2016). "Andreessen Horowitz Sells Some Lyft Shares to Prince Al-Waleed". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "We Go the Extra Mile For Safety". Lyft.com. Lyft. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "A ride whenever you need one". Lyft. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  25. ↑ "Lyft's Insurance Policy". Lyft. Lyft. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  26. ↑ Lane, Patrick (27 Oct 2012). "A Sense of Place". The Economist. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  27. ↑ "Payments and Tips". Lyft. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "Meet Lyft Profiles". Lyft. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "Make your everyday 365x easier". Lyft. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "Lyft Plus". Lyft. Lyft. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "Cheh, Evans pass legislation to protect Uber from city regulations". Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  32. ↑ "Seattle Deals A Blow To Uber And Lyft By Limiting The Number Of Ride-Sharing Drivers On The Road". TechCrunch. AOL.
  33. ↑ Christina Wilkie (16 April 2014). "Lyft Prepares To Fight Ride Share Regulation By Hiring GOP-Linked Lobbyists". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  34. ↑ "Uber and Lyft are deemed legal in Detroit but not in Ann Arbor". Detroit Free Press. 2 May 2014.
  35. ↑ "Colorado first to authorize Lyft and Uber's ridesharing services". Denver Post. 5 June 2014.
  36. ↑ "Minneapolis joins other cities regulating Lyft, UberX". Star Tribune. 18 July 2014.
  37. ↑ "Lyft to Open Customer Experience Operations in Nashville". 7 October 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  38. ↑ "Lyft beats Uber in race to offer rides from LAX". Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  39. ↑ Theis, Michael (17 October 2014). "Legalized: Uber and Lyft in Austin". Austin Business Journal. Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  40. ↑ Garrison, Joey (16 December 2014). "Uber, Lyft regulations approved in Nashville". The Tennessean. The Tennessean. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  41. ↑ Evatt, Robert (25 April 2014). "Ride sharing service and Uber rival 'Lyft' arrives in Tulsa". Tulsa World. Tulsa World. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  42. ↑ Dalike, Jim (4 December 2014). "Regulations on Uber and Lyft Get Ironed Out As Illinois Lawmakers Approve Ridesharing Bill". ChicagoInno. ChicagoInno. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  43. ↑ "Uber and Lyft win temporary state approval". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 6 August 2014.
  44. ↑ Lyft will offer steep discounts to attract commuters during Metro’s SafeTrack - The Washington Post
  45. ↑ Lyft, Uber Offer Discounts as MBTA Late Night Service Ends
  46. ↑ Nagy, Evie. "Increased Shares: Lyft's Rides and Revenue Grew Five-Fold in 2014". Fast Company (11 November 2014). Fast Company. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  47. ↑ Kia Kokalitcheva (5 May 2016). "GM and Lyft Will Test Self-Driving Taxis Within the Next Year". Fortune (magazine).
  48. ↑ J.B. Wogan (October 2013). "How Will the Sharing Economy Change the Way Cities Function?". Governing (magazine).
  49. ↑ "Lyft, A Year-Old Startup That Helps Strangers Share Car Rides, Just Raised $60 Million From Andreessen Horowitz And Others". Business Insider. 23 May 2013.
  50. ↑ "Lyft's Focus On Community And The Story Behind The Pink Mustache". TechCrunch. 17 September 2012.
  51. ↑ "The Enabler: Getting a Lyft without a cab". Los Angeles Times. 17 May 2013.
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