Uber's partnership with HopSkipDrive is expanding to Denver. HopSkipDrive is a Los-Angeles venture started by three mothers that sought out a rideshare solution with babysitting services for their kids and came up with the HopSkipDrive rideshare idea that Uber decide to integrate into their services too.
HopSkipDrive has been active since 2014, so they have racked up some quality experience and perfected their service. The main difference between HopSkipDrive and Uber driver requirements are that HopSkipDrive demands drivers have at least 5 years of child-care experience as well as passing a 15-point background check, the applicants must also agree to a fingerprinting procedure.
Another major difference between standard rideshare driving and HopSkipDrive is that HopSkipDrive monitors their drivers constantly during a ride. This goes beyond GPS location and includes constant messaging to see that everything is all right with the kids and the driver. There is also a HopSkipDrive Pool version that costs $6 per family, while the standard ride fee is $15.
Joanna McFarland, CEO and one of the three founding partners states that "We do far more than most families do to vet a nanny or a babysitter. We really set ourselves apart with our dedication to safety."
So far this company has raised $21.5 million from private investors in 3 rounds, the first was in 2015 where they managed to raise $3.9 million from 6 investors, the second round was in 2016, where they managed to raise a further $10.2 million form, 6 investors, and the last round was in 2017 where they managed to raise a further $7.4 million from 4 investors. The leading investors are Upfront Investors, Pritzker Group investors, Firstmark, and Student Transportation Inc. (STI)
STI distributes 1.25 million children to and from school every day for education systems including the Los Angeles Unified School District. The group chairman Denis J. Gallagher sits on HopSkipDrive's board of directors.