The rise in urban traffic is putting massive financial and logistical pressure on cities, corporations and transportation providers while also having an extremely negative effect on the environment. US drivers make an estimated 186 billion trips per year, and 33% of all vehicle trips in the US are 2 miles or less. Meanwhile, studies have shown that ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft have caused a 160% increase in urban traffic and the growth in last-mile deliveries is projected to increase congestion by 21%. As a result, cities are currently responsible for 70% of global CO2 emissions, and 1/3 of that is generated by transport.

Solution

Circuit provides tech-enabled, shared, electric mobility services specializing in pooled short distance trips (0-3 miles). Circuit is focused on making short-range, shared mobility more efficient and sustainable with their on-demand app, teams of W2 drivers, and fleets of 100% electric vehicles. Circuit solves the short distance trip problem by working with cities and private companies to build and deploy turnkey solutions for delivering shared rides that reduce the number of trips made by single occupancy vehicles, resulting in fewer GHG emissions, less air pollution, and less congestion. Circuit is able to provide all this at a cost that can be as much as 5x less than alternatives and is free or low-cost to riders.

Why We Invested

Circuit’s co-founders, Alex Esposito and James Mirras, are impressive entrepreneurs with a deep understanding of the business and the problem they’re solving for cities, transportation planners, and for their private partners. They have successfully scaled an operationally complex, logistically challenging business while being extremely capital efficient. Circuit’s last mile solution has demonstrated that it can serve as a connector to public transit systems or mass transit hubs, and has effectively addressed transit deserts in places like West Dallas. The company has strong business traction with a diverse set of customers including cities, municipal partners, private inter-city rail companies, and real estate property owners.

Circuit has delivered over 5 million rides to date, and the company is actively operating in 25+ communities across the country such as San Diego, CA, New Rochelle, NY, and Hollywood, FL. We’ve also been impressed with Circuit’s ability to address cities’ short distance transportation challenges at a significantly lower cost. For example, in Pompano Beach, FL Circuit has provided over 2,000 riders per car per month at a cost-per-rider of $2.28 whereas fixed route buses with low ridership can cost a city over $35 per rider.

Impact

We believe Circuit's tech-enabled, on-demand shared mobility microtransit services can act as a connector to address transit deserts while reducing traffic congestion, reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMTs), preventing GHG emissions, and lowering household transportation costs. In 2021 alone, Circuit served over 650,000 riders, reduced congestion by over 1,000,000 vehicle miles traveled, and prevented 535 tons of CO2 emissions (which is the equivalent of 60,224 gallons of gas).

The Shared-Use Mobility Center describes shared mobility as the systems and infrastructure that allows for the reduction of transportation costs as well as the reduction of carbon emissions by sharing rides and sharing vehicles. Studies have reported that shared mobility reduces the dependence on using private cars. By giving people more ways to get around, shared mobility can make our streets safer and connect more people to more opportunities. By reducing our need to own and drive (and park) our private cars, shared mobility can help reshape our streets, our towns, and our cities. Circuit offers a form of shared mobility called microtransit which is generally defined as pooled, on-demand transportation using electric vans and/or shuttles operating outside fixed routes. The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) states that microtransit can be an excellent way to address existing transit deserts, and names microtransit as one of the most promising ways to create more equitable access to electric mobility for low-to-moderate income (LMI) residents with the potential for significantly lower costs than other modes, which Circuit has clearly demonstrated.