Israeli transport planner Optibus to buy US company, open transit data center
Optibus, a maker of schedule-optimizing software for bus fleets and public transportation operators, is making its first global acquisition of an American company, marking a significant expansion in the US market for the Israeli-founded firm.
Optibus is acquiring Portland-based Trillium, a software provider that works with transit operators and transportation agencies to keep riders informed on options and changes, for an undisclosed amount. As part of the deal, Trillium will become Optibus’ Global Center for Data Excellence and operate as a subsidiary, integrating its public transportation data feeds and a team of 25 data experts into Optibus’ operations, according to the announcement.
Trillium was founded in 2007 and has worked with over 350 transit agencies and operators across the US, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Ferry, DC Streetcar, and departments of transportation in Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, and other states, to help them improve passenger experience and communication.
Founded in 2014, Optibus uses a combination of AI, advanced optimization algorithms and distributed cloud computing to perform deep analysis and number-crunching on anything that could affect public vehicle schedules: traffic, weather, drivers who call in sick, rock concerts that increase passenger loads, road closures. It also helps cut back on CO₂ emissions as buses can be planned more effectively, the Israeli firm says.
Last year, it launched its new Geospatial software suite, which aims to make transportation networks in cities more passenger-friendly by visualizing crucial geographic information while planning routes. These could be bike paths that riders may use on the way to or from public transit, or the shopping districts, schools, health clinics or job centers where passengers may want to go.
The suite can also show demographic data, highlighting how certain route changes could affect residents’ access to public transit. These capabilities can facilitate data-driven decisions that have the power to “significantly improve the accessibility, reliability and performance of networks that affect the lives of millions of passengers,” the company has said.
Optibus said the acquisition of Trillium diversifies its service offering to include the American company’s data-centric products and services, including its General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Manager, transit alerts, interactive maps, and transit websites.
“Optibus will begin to take a consultative approach to challenges that cannot be solved by software alone, but also need data aggregation and analysis,” the company said.
Amos Haggiag, CEO and co-founder of Optibus, said the acquisition is set to strengthen the company’s position in the transportation tech industry in several ways.
“Optibus is focused on operations and planning, creating optimized networks, and running them efficiently. With this acquisition, we expand our services into passenger information management systems,” he told The Times of Israel via email.
“This is significant because it makes Optibus the only comprehensive solution for mass transit operations, not only in the United States but also worldwide. It also helps our clients ensure that riders receive accurate service information that is up to date and available on Google Maps, Apple Maps, and the like. We are committing to expanding our software platform to be the most robust and comprehensive solution on the market, and will continue to pursue that vision through both internal and external business developments,” he said.
Haggiag said the purchase also gives Optibus a greater share of the market and will provide Trillium customers with access to more services.
“Equally important is that the Trillium team is made up of world-class data and public transportation professionals. They represent a major boon for us that will pay dividends in terms of innovation and will lead Optibus’ new Global Center for Data Excellence in Portland, Oregon,” he said.
Haggiag said Optibus is hoping to address the challenges US public transportation agencies and operators face with market solutions that include bringing in new technologies to the market.
“Optibus is focused on expanding globally and creating more sustainable, equitable, and efficient public transportation worldwide,” he said.
“Open data systems are what drives public transport forward,” said Aaron Antrim, founder and CEO of Trillium, in a company statement. “By joining Optibus, Trillium will integrate its data-centric offerings into an end-to-end software platform for public transportation operations, enabling us to continue offering excellent support and consultancy to transit agencies and state and federal DoT [Department of Transportation] customers in North America.”
Optibus has raised $160 million to date with investors including Verizon Ventures, Pitango, New Era Capital Partners, Dynamic Loop and Blue Red Partners.
The company’s technologies are used in over 1,000 cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington DC, London, Berlin, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kampala, Santiago, and Auckland. Its clients span large private transportation operators, public agencies, shuttle providers for universities, airports, events, and corporations.
Optibus employs about 300 employees in 16 countries.