A Scottish start-up backed by Martin Gilbert has raised £750,000 to help create the app that pays people to play games while travelling on public transport.
Skedadle plans to change the way people in Edinburgh spend their time travelling. Whether a passenger on a bus, train, tram, taxi, or in a lift-share car, the company pays travellers for every 15 minutes they spend playing games on the app.
The company has also secured advertising and special offers from established capital companies such as restaurant group Six by Nico.
Users of the app can make up to £60 per month through playing games and using special offers and coupons from Skedadle’s national and international partners to spend in restaurants, nightclubs and shops.
Its long-term plans include giving people the ability to spend money made with advertisers directly via the app.
Skedadle founder Nick Macandrew said: “I wanted to create a company that would have an impact on people’s lives, and there are few things that take up more of our time than travel.
“It’s a necessary evil, and something that is boring for a lot of people, so what we are doing is giving them the opportunity to earn real cash to spend in whatever way they want.
“We are disrupting the travel market and making travel time pay - as well as rewarding travellers, we are also encouraging people to use more sustainable forms of transport.”
Despite only just going live in the capital, Macandrew is already aiming to take the app, which is available via Google Play and Skedadle’s online channels, around the world.
He added: “There is no reason why it cannot be rolled out in cities from Edinburgh to New York - we want to go global fast, and we are certain this is something that will appeal to people who resent the amount of time they spend travelling.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for us and the tech industry in Scotland - to have some huge companies working with us is validation that we have a good product, and one we believe will help maintain Scotland’s image as a place of innovation.”
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