Romanian Start-Up Tranzy Pivots From DOOH CMS To Real-Time Transport Information Platform

May 17, 2023 by Dave Haynes

Business news from Romania is not routine reading for me, but I stumbled on an interesting online piece about a software firm in that country that pivoted from offering a digital signage CMS to a full-featured, AI-driven information platform for transit systems and their users.

The startup, tranzy.ai, related its story with BR Business Review, noting how its roots were in running a DOOH network for mass transit systems in that country, and a key component was displaying timely rider information … which proved a bigger challenge than expected.

This network of screens was essentially an information system for passengers; its primary role was to inform bus passengers about their current routes and, secondarily, to display commercial content. It didn’t seem like an extreme challenge for us, as we had developed our own content software (CMS) in 2007, which could display multiple types of content from various sources, and the embedded computers on which it was installed were also equipped with GPS modules.

Therefore, the only thing left to do was to obtain the route information from the fleet management provider of the public transport operator. The attempt failed, however, because the provider had only provisioned their technical resources to provide information at a frequency of over 30 seconds, which was much too slow for the purpose, since the distance between two stations could sometimes be covered in just one minute.

So we were faced with a decision: we would have to either give up this type of content or solve the technical problem by building a small software solution that would give us the information we needed. We chose the second option, and 2020 was the year in which tranzy.ai was actually born, bringing together all the assets and expertise we had accumulated until that moment, based on the same system of values, but with a different vision and a much higher goal. Unexpectedly, the break we were forced into by the pandemic helped us bring some clarity into our vision.

Tranzy.ai is operating in several cities, and more are coming online. The start-up is raising money and has eyes on expanding beyond Romania to neighboring countries.

The company says its platform automates much of daily planning and operational activities for 1,000s of vehicles and resources involved in public transportation systems.

The platform is free to use and offers a suite of solutions that are designed for public transport activities, such as: fleet management/AVL software, a mobile app for dispatchers, route-related alert generation, the tranzy.app application that turns the digitalized processes and operations of public transport operators into benefits, and the open data portal (Public Open Data). Tranzy.ai acts as a collaborative platform in the urban mobility digitalization process, fostering an equitable environment where all stakeholders involved in building smart cities and transport development can cooperate and compete under a fair and unified set of rules. At the same time, tranzy.ai develops right-on-point mobility solutions that are ready to be purchased, like transport-related applications and functionalities, facilitating a better allocation of resources (vehicles, drivers, stations, garages, etc.) and digitalizing the activities of public transportation companies.

Some of these types of solutions have already been implemented in cities where the platform is being used. This includes a passenger information solution in bus stops (digital information panels), with a soon-to-be-launched audio accessibility feature for the visually impaired, and a live map of routes and real-time positions of vehicles.

Interesting stuff. As mentioned, I don’t see a lot of digital signage news coming out of Romania, though the one other company I know about – Airport Labs – is also focused on mass transport.

The company says its tools and services are free to use, so I am guessing – repeat, guessing – the revenue comes in services doing the scoping, integration and set-up with municipal transport systems.

The closest North American offer I can think of is Actionfigure, the new name for TransitScreen, which gathers and presents public transport data for screens aimed at commercial property owners and the commuters who work in those buildings. I’m a big believer in trying to tie a business name, when possible, to what you do, so Actionfigure is a very curious handle for a provider of transportation intelligence solutions.

Not my problem, though.