A gap in the electric wheelchair market was seen by vehicle company Scootaround over 22 years ago. While vacationing in Hawaii, the founder’s family expressed their disappointment about the lack of mobility scooters for rent. This is how the big transportation solutions company Scootaround came to be. Now, scooter company Bird has seen the same opportunity, hence, partnering with the 20-year old transportation service Scootaround. 

Bird and Scootaround team up to offer on-demand electric wheelchair rental services to New York City this summer. Bird is on a mission to make vacationing, travelling, or going around NYC comfortable even for people with disabilities. 

Ban on e-scooters lifted

Electric scooters weren’t always welcomed in NYC. Before November 2020, NYC civilians posed a concern about reckless two-wheeled or four-wheeled drivers. There was a surge of electric scooters in the streets of New York, and people have stated that they’re a “nuisance.” 

This concern prompted NYC lawmakers to ban the use of electric scooters. However, during the start of the pandemic, people realized how convenient e-scooters were for essential workers. This, again, prompted lawmakers to lift the ban on using throttle-controlled e-bikes and e-scooters altogether. 

Of course, this comes with a few rules on riders. Only riders aged 16 up will be allowed to run on e-scooters and e-bikes. Moreover, riders below 18 must wear a helmet while on their electric scooters. Finally, some throttle-controlled bikes will require riders to wear helmets for safety as well. 

Gov. Cuomo had approved a tentative budget legalizing any electric mobility device, including e-bikes and e-scooters. This was a year after he had vetoed a similar legalization bill passed in 2019. Thus, a decade of back-and-forth is now coming into place as the e-bike, or e-scooter budget is now approved. 

NYC is now one of the cities that allows electric scooters, along with Atlanta, Washington, and San Francisco. 

Bird’s pilot program

NYC will now be seeing more of Bird’s electric scooters this summer. Bird has chosen the perfect trusted company for transportation services, Scootaround, for its pilot program built for sustainability. 

Bird promises a better and more convenient way of moving around NYC for people with mobility issues. Both companies are now making mobility service transportations accessible by tapping a few buttons on the Bird mobile application. 

Bird first announced Bird Zero in 2018, an electric scooter designed for ride sharing with longer battery life. Not long after, Bird created the Bird Platform to provide individual operators to use the platform for advertising their own shared, branded e-scooters. Bird reached over 10 million rides that year. 

Now that two of the most reliable scooter companies have teamed up to provide better transportation services, people with mobility issues can now select, reserve, and pay for their chosen electric scooter, including the WHILL Model C. A design with a more excellent aesthetic, reliable wheel structure, and prompt joystick feature.

How to reserve

Bird boasts a user-friendly interface to conveniently reserve and pay for an electric scooter. Riders can go to the bottom button on the Bird app. Then, select among three available vehicle types.

They would have to input the rent duration, which is from one to 14 days, and preferred pick-up and drop-off locations. 

Furthermore, riders will receive an in-person demo on using, storing, and charging the electric scooter. In addition to that, a toll-free number is also provided for any questions or concerns about the rental process or vehicle. 

With the campaign rolling out in the summer, people with mobility issues will now be more confident in roaming around NYC. No more concerns about e-scooter rentals as Bird lets everyone travel comfortably, with a minimal carbon footprint.

Coinme, a cryptocurrency startup based in Seattle, raked in $10 million worth of funding from investors. Although fluctuating, cryptocurrency is still a powerhouse this 2021. It’s no wonder why Coinme managed to raise a $10 million grant from its existing investors.

What is Coinme?

Coinme is a cryptocurrency startup founded in 2014. Since day one, the company has made it its mission to be one of the world’s trusted cryptocurrency gateway. The legacy started with the most well-known digital currency— Bitcoin. Using the most relevant digital currency back then, Coin me started a few Bitcoin ATMs. It offers an enterprise “application programming interface” or API to provide Bitcoin’s secure sale. 

Between 2017 to 2020, Coinme experienced an overwhelming 2,200% revenue growth. Due to the consumer’s demand for bitcoin and the pandemic’s uncertainty, their revenue skyrocketed. 

Fast Forward to 2021, Coinme managed to build up and grow thousands of kiosks. The company believes that cryptocurrency provides an equal opportunity for everyone. Therefore it needs to be more accessible.  

Coinme is supported by the following: 

• Pantera
• Blockchain
• Digital Currency Group
• Xpring
• Coinstar
• Hard Yaka
• Nima
• Percival Capital

How to Use Coinme

For those who are not aware of how to use Coinme, you can buy Bitcoin with four simple steps. First, you’re required to create a Coinme account. Next, you must be able to locate the nearest kiosk to your place. After that, you can insert cash into the kiosk. 

However, it would be fantastic if you kept in mind that coins are not accepted for Bitcoin transactions. Finally, you can redeem and receive your Bitcoin in an instant. Another thing you need to remember is Coinme’s daily purchase limit.

‘Crypto-enabling’ Feature

Coinme allows the buy and sell of bitcoins with cash for its customers. Currently, the startup has more than 15,000 locations through partnerships such as Coinstar and Moneygram. Coinme had its bitcoin ATM. However, it’s focusing on its cryptocurrency cash network. 

Using the digital currency cash network allows financial services such as Moneygram to be “crypto-enabled” via an enterprise API. 

Although the market is volatile, most of Coinme’s consumers are not speculating about its price. Instead, they take advantage of Coinme to acquire cryptocurrencies at store value. There are a lot of ways to take advantage of Coinme’s services. It includes using cryptocurrencies as payment for services and goods or sending it to your friends and family.

$10 Million Worth Funding

As the largest licensed cash network for cryptocurrencies in the US, Coinme raised $10 million for strategic funding. The funds were raised by Coinme’s existing investors, including Digital Currency Group, a capital market company.  

Coinme Expansion

The startup plans to expand internationally in the upcoming months. Currently, the company has 58 people in total and managed $30 million to date. Neil Berquist, Coinme’s CEO and co-founder shared expansion plans later this year. He announced that the company would dive into various markets, starting with Latin American.  

El Salvador recently became the first country to adopt bitcoin as a legal tender formally. Yes, that means history was marked during cryptocurrencies’ most crucial time. Meanwhile, politicians of Latin American countries share support for bitcoin’s adoption as legal tender. The politician’s active support drives a more favorable opinion of locals. 

Specifically, politicians from various nations such as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, and Panama have expressed their interest and support for cryptocurrency. 

Other than penetrating the international markets, Coinme plans to add multi-coin support to its system. It means we get more digital currency offering aside from Bitcoin. It also plans to add a type of payment to buy and sell digital currencies on Coinme’s products. 

According to Bergquist, people want different types of payment. Consumers want to buy using their bank account. He especially pointed out how consumers expressed their demands to access different cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Well, now, all your demands are being fulfilled by Coinme, one step at a time.  

Final Thoughts

According to PR News Wire, by 2023, the blockchain market, as expected, will rise to $23.3 billion. With the continued growth, investors are sure to spread investment to promising cryptocurrency startups. Since 2017, cryptocurrency startups like Coinme have raised funding. Overall, startups reached a whopping number of $20 billion to date.

Videon raised a whopping $7.3 million for “Series A funding” led by Voyager Capital. So what’s in it for us? This power move is expected to accelerate the growth and further innovate the live streaming industry. Whether directly or indirectly, this funding might affect us somehow. 

What’s Videon?

Videon has a long history of innovation when it comes to tech-related to video technologies. It’s a company in partnership with major players in the industry such as Intel, Samsung, and Qualcomm. From DVD to inflight entertainment, Videon is on a mission to further innovate live streaming. 

Company Expansion

After raising the fund with the help of Voyager Capital, a venture capital, we can expect Videon’s overwhelming growth. The $7.3 million funding will make it possible for Videon to expand its team in:

• Senior Lead
• Engineering
• Marketing
• Sales

Aside from the overall expansion, a Seattle-based CEO is newly appointed as Videon plans to move a part of its operation from State College. As Videon pushed through with company expansion, this power move will make the platform more accessible. That’s excellent news for potential customers worldwide. 

Meet the New Videon CEO

Rob Green holds seven and a half years’ worth of experience in the Digital Media Division of Microsoft. However, his long list of remarkable experiences does not end there. As the newly appointed CEO of Videon, Rob commended the company for its numerous breakthroughs in video innovation. 

He further explained that Videon’s power move to innovate live streaming further has the perfect timing. Nowadays, live streaming is king when it comes to entertainment. The industry is expected to reach around $70 billion this 2021. It’s an inevitable feat as millions of people around the world enjoy watching live streams. 

According to Green, the company will leverage its “unrivaled expertise, vision, and know-how.” By utilizing all of Videon’s strengths, Green believes that Videon can enable more consumers to take full advantage of live streaming’s endless potential. 

At the moment, Green and other Videon executives are based in Seattle. Meanwhile, the founders and its engineering team will remain in Pennsylvania. Overall, the company has a total of 44 employees. 

The Future of Live streaming

Videon helps resolve complex issues that consumers can experience during a video live. The company will help solve the complexities whenever you’re trying to broadcast from source to audience. You don’t need to have expensive broadcast equipment or other costly services involving third parties.  

All you need is technology that will help process the video at the source. It’s a technology that combines built-in functions from a local video computer platform and additional features from the cloud. 

Videon, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, will bring optimum broadcast quality to customers. Its “ultra-low latency live video solution” is used in news, sports, and emergency services. This type of video solution is used across more than 19 countries. 

Videon and its Competition

Voyager Capital’s Managing Director Eric Benson commented that Vision Tech and Journey are similar to other startups founded by Voyager. Make.TV had a similar situation where it relocated from its Cologne, Germany base to Seattle back in 2014. Eventually, it’s acquired by LTN Global for $50 million. On another note, Elemental, a Portland-based video processing startup, was acquired for $350 million by Amazon Web Services last 2015.

Benson further commented that the Series A round for both Elemental and Make.TV was at the same scale as Videon’s. Tricia Iboshi, Make.TV’s former chief operating officer has taken the same role at Videon starting April. Iboshi was also a co-founder of RocketVox, a video application service provider later acquired by thePlatform, then Comcast. 

Additionally, Benson pointed out that Videon has a huge potential when it comes to near-term growth. At its current price point, everyone can stream a high-quality yet low-latency live video. If you add its possibility of taking full advantage of edge compute capabilities, it equals a perfect breakout opportunity. 

On another note, Arnold Venture Group also participated in Videon’s funding and Bruze Chizen, Adobe Systems’ former CEO.

Conclusion

Green’s statement about Videon’s timing is agreeable. It’s the perfect time to take advantage of live streaming’s thriving industry. With Videon’s expansion and the opening of co-HQ in Seattle, we can expect more innovations to land our way. Let’s see what Videon has in store for us. 
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