NEW YORK -- Cargo, an in-car commerce platform that puts a miniature vending machine in ride-hailing vehicles, has made its working relationship with ride-share service Uber official.
With this partnership, working Uber drivers with a rating of 4.7/5 or above in San Francisco and Los Angeles—two markets where Cargo recently brought its service—have the option to register with Cargo and grab a Cargo box at local Uber driver support locations. Cargo is still working with other ride-share companies, but Uber drivers can also have Cargo boxes shipped to them directly. Other ride-share drivers will have to pick them up at a delivery hub.
Launched in June 2017, 7,000 drivers have already distributed more than a million products to passengers in New York, Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth.
“Because of companies like Uber, people spend more passenger time in cars than ever before,” said Jeff Cripe, founder and CEO of Cargo. “This opened the door for Cargo to create an unparalleled level of convenience for a generation of people on the move, and our partnership with Uber will play an important role in making that vision reality.”
“It’s always a pleasant surprise when you’re in an Uber and the driver offers you a bottle of water or a piece of gum, but up to this point these perks have usually been on the driver’s dime,” said Keith Hensley, business development lead of San Francisco-based Uber. “Cargo took note of this and created an innovative model that aims to bring new value to riders and drivers. We’re looking forward to working with Cargo to develop and scale in a way that makes the most sense for our customers.”
New York-based Cargo’s platform enables passengers in ride-share vehicles to instantly order snacks, gum, premium electronics, cosmetics and personal care items on their smartphone while in transit. The company has raised $7.3 million in venture funding to expand globally from the 25 million U.S. passengers it will reach in 2018.
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