In yesterday’s Tech in Asia Conference, seven up-and-coming startups battled in the Startup Arena for the chance to be hailed as the hottest startup to watch in the entire Asian region. These included YesBoss, A Better Florist, U-Hop, KoreaBuys, LunchClick, Q&Me, and Spacemarket.
U-Hop (not to be confused with iHop)
It’s like Uber, except instead of cars it offers shuttle buses for regular commuters in the Philippines. Unlike Grabtaxi and Uber which are only adding to the “worst traffic on earth”, U-Hop takes less space because its mini buses can accommodate more passengers at one time. In fact, according to Teddy Himler, the startup company acquired 550,000 passengers within just four months.
Commuters can pay in advance for scheduled trips, with a daily round trip costing roughly around US$2.50. This is quite a steal for a guaranteed seat in an air-conditioned shuttle bus compared to using a cab or Uber. U-Hop also offers a metered (on-demand) option like Uber.
After winning Startup Arena, U-Hop founder Marvin Dela Cruz took home US$10,000 and the Tech in Asia Arena Champion trophy engraved with his startup’s name. For those aiming for a spot of startup glory at next year’s tech conference, Asia in Tech will be heading to Singapore on April 12-13, 2016.
