Putting spark in to start-ups

The reason is that that cities like Sao Paolo have long attracted hordes of highly qualified people, many of whom looked to start
their own enterprises rather than take regular jobs. This spirit is apparent in the automotive ecosphere as well. Companies like
TruckPad, launched an app of the same name that connects freelance truckers to truckloads.

It is the first Brazilian technology start-up related to road freight transport. Launched in 2013 by Carlos Mira, the app was
designed to create solutions for truck drivers’ daily routine, both providing information regarding their work (checking routes, travel costs, news from the segment, getting exclusive sales and more) and assisting these professionals – who spend a long time on the road – with trivial tasks, such as checking bank accounts.

Drivers sign up and provide their basic data, characteristics of their trucks, courses they have taken, etc. At the other end, companies that require cargo transportation also have their needs listed in the digital environment. The system connects the service demands with available drivers.

Behind all this, the algorithms analyze the truckers’ profiles and history to recommend load offers, monitor location, and even check the possibility of communication with the freelancer during transit.

In five years, TruckPad has grown significantly. It is now an established company with 600,000 downloads, meaning that 500,000 freelance truckers in Brazil (half the total) have already downloaded the app, and 50,000 are active users.

Carlos Alberto Mira, the founder and CEO of TruckPad, was earlier a partner and CEO of Grupo MIRA (Mira Transportes and TARGET Logistics), leading companies in road freight transport and logistics in the CentralWest region of the country.

Then there is Electric Dreams – a private technology company in the electric mobility business, aiming to develop innovative
products and solutions that help establish Brazil as a front-runner in the EV market worldwide. With a team formed by engineers
with past experience in the aerospace industry, the company develops systems for electric vehicles of all kinds as well as their own integration.

Fábio Guillaumon is CEO/CTO of Electric Dreams and CEO/CTO of EDG, a start-up aiming to revolutionize urban mobility with unique electric bikes. Previously he worked for almost a decade in the development of new products as a lead in execute, commercial and military aviation areas of EMBRAER.

Guillaumon graduated in civil engineering from the Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, with a master’s degree in aerospace
engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico da Aeronáutica – ITA.

OnBoard Mobility is a payment platform for public transport that integrates different cards into a mobile app, transforming a
mobile phone into an integrated payment tool that substitutes smart cards. The company was founded by Luiz Renato who earlier worked in the banking sector and as financial manager of an NGO until he founded and became CEO of OnBoard.
Another company, Scipopulis produces data analysis and develops mobility systems that allow for the monitoring of a city´s
traffic and transit. Scipopulis offers citizens and governments historical and real-time information that impact on urban mobility.
It was started by Roberto Speicys who is a data scientist with a PhD in computer science (Sorbonne Paris VI) and a researcher at University of São Paulo. He specialized in smart cities and security systems.

Another company that provides a platform for urban logistics is Logbee which focuses on last-mile delivery in the São Paulo
region. It works with independent drivers, and recently the platform has jumped from ten deliveries per day to over a thousand a day.

They count in their client list some of Brazil’s biggest retailers.

The company was founded by Luciano Telesca Mota who studied computer science and business at NYC and Stanford. At the age
of 18 founded his first company, shortly after which he founded an NGO that is operative across 15 countries.