Startups
SoftBank invests in parking startup ParkJockey pushing valuation to $1 billion
SoftBank continues to invest in the future of transportation — this time in ParkJockey, a startup that has built a technology platform aimed at monetizing parking lots. And ParkJockey, which was founded in 2013, is already using that capital to scale up.
Along with the SoftBank investment news, ParkJockey also announced that it was acquiring two of the largest parking operators in North America. The startup, with help from Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Capital and debt financing from Owl Rock, said it had reached an agreement to acquire Imperial Parking Corporation, a North American-based parking management company often referred to as Impark. The agreement follows ParkJockey’s acquisition of parking management operator Citizens Parking Inc.
The investment puts the ParkJockey valuation to more than $1 billion, reported Miami Herald.
Miami-based ParkJockey developed a parking management platform that helps commercial property owners better monetize parking lots as well as handle operations at large venues and stadiums. The company’s platform offers features like automatic license plate recognition and pay-by-app, among others. The company’s app also can be used by drivers to find parking spaces more efficiently.
Financial terms of the SoftBank investment or the acquisitions weren’t disclosed. The announcement follows an Axios article last week that reported SoftBank was backing the startup.
The Impark transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2019, ParkJockey said.
SoftBank’s investment in parking might seem rather, well, pedestrian. It’s actually a bet on an automated future from present-day parking management issues like electric vehicle charging, designated areas for ride-hailing and automatic pay, as well as a day when vehicles are fully autonomous.
-
Entertainment6 days ago
What’s on the far side of the moon? Not darkness.
-
Business7 days ago
How Rubrik’s IPO paid off big for Greylock VC Asheem Chandna
-
Business6 days ago
TikTok faces a ban in the US, Tesla profits drop and healthcare data leaks
-
Business5 days ago
London’s first defense tech hackathon brings Ukraine war closer to the city’s startups
-
Business7 days ago
Photo-sharing community EyeEm will license users’ photos to train AI if they don’t delete them
-
Entertainment6 days ago
How to watch ‘The Idea of You’: Release date, streaming deals
-
Entertainment5 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg has found a new sense of style. Why?
-
Business5 days ago
Humanoid robots are learning to fall well