Urban Engines

Urban Engines was a data analytics startup based in Silicon Valley. It was acquired by Google in September 2016. It used data to give insight into cities and how people move around in them.[1] Founder and CEO Shiva Shivakumar says the company is mapping the "Internet of Moving Things," as quoted by the New York Times, which is a new way of mapping objects in motion.[2] The company's goal is to improve mobility in cities.[3]

Urban Engines
TypePrivate (acquired by Google)
IndustryData Analytics
DefunctSeptember 2016 (2016-09)
FateAcquired by Google
HeadquartersLos Altos, California, United States
Key people
Shiva Shivakumar (Co-Founder and CEO) Balaji Prabhakar (Co-Founder & Chief Scientist)
Websitewww.urbanengines.com

Urban Engines has developed a new type of database, which maps objects in motion, called a "Space/Time Engine",[2] and currently has deals with cities like, Washington D.C., São Paulo and Singapore[4] as well as delivery and logistics companies.[1]

The company also released a commuter app with "mixed-mode routing,"[5] which evaluates different modes of transportation – walking, driving, public transit, and Uber – to give users the quickest routes.[5] The app is built on Urban Engines own proprietary mapping system.[3]

History and funding

The company was founded by Shiva Shivakumar and Balaji Prabhakar. Shiva was previously VP of Engineering and a Distinguished Entrepreneur at Google (2001-2010), who helped build AdSense, Search Appliances and Cloud Apps, and Balaji is a Stanford professor and director of the Stanford Center for Societal Networks, a prominent research initiative to make societal networks smarter, more scalable and more efficient.[6]

Urban Engines has raised an undisclosed amount of money led by Google Ventures. Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel, Greylock, Samsung Ventures, early Google investor Ram Shriram and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt also participated.[4]

References
  1. "Computerworld". Computerworld. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  2. "The New York Times". 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  3. "Jacksonville Business Journal". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  4. "Recode". Vox Media. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  5. "TechCrunch". TechCrunch. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  6. "TechCrunch". TechCrunch. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
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