Tag: mobility

  • How to Use Google Maps to Remember Where You Parked Your Car

    How to Use Google Maps to Remember Where You Parked Your Car

    Forgetting where you parked can be frustrating, especially in large parking lots or unfamiliar areas. Google Maps includes a parking feature that lets users save their location. Once the car is parked, users can mark the spot directly inside the app for easier access later.

    How To Save Your Parking Location

    After parking, open Google Maps and tap the blue dot representing your current location. From the available options, select “Save parking”. Google Maps then places a parking marker on the map, showing where the vehicle was left and allowing users to return to the location later.

    Add Notes To Your Parking Spot

    The saved parking location can include additional information. Google Maps lets users modify the location, share it with someone else, add notes, and set a timer. These options can be useful when parking in large complexes, airports, shopping centers, or other places where remembering the exact spot is difficult.

    Find Your Car Using Google Maps

    When it is time to return to the vehicle, open Google Maps and select the saved parking marker. The app displays the saved location on the map, helping users identify where they parked. The accuracy of the location can depend on the availability and reliability of location services.

    iPhone Can Save Parking Automatically

    Google Maps also supports automatic parking detection on iPhone and iPad. After connecting the device to a vehicle using USB, Bluetooth, or CarPlay, Maps can automatically save the parking location after the connection ends. The saved parking position can remain available for up to 48 hours.

    Enable Motion-Based Parking Detection

    iPhone users can enable a setting that allows Google Maps to use motion information for parking detection. Open Google Maps, tap the profile icon, select Settings, and then Navigation. Users can enable “Let Maps use your motion to save your parking” when the option is available.

    Remove The Parking Location Later

    Once you reach your vehicle, the saved parking location can be cleared from Google Maps. Select the parking marker and choose the option to clear it. Users can also modify or share the saved location, while timers can help track parking sessions where time limits apply.

  • 10 TravelTech Startups Shaping India’s Travel Industry in 2026

    10 TravelTech Startups Shaping India’s Travel Industry in 2026

    Key Takeaways

    • India’s TravelTech ecosystem now extends far beyond traditional flight and hotel bookings.
    • AI, fintech, visas, mobility, and personalized experiences are creating new opportunities across travel.
    • Major companies such as OYO, MakeMyTrip, ixigo, Rapido, Atlys, and Scapia continue to expand their market presence.

    India’s TravelTech market now reaches far beyond flight and hotel bookings. Online travel, hotels, mobility, travel finance, visa services, travel software, and holiday experiences now form a much larger digital ecosystem. Inc42 tracks about 1,562 TravelTech startups in India, including 261 funded companies and more than USD 19.2 billion in cumulative funding. The online travel market reached about USD 23.1 billion in 2025 and could rise to USD 33.9 billion by 2030.

    The market also shows a clear shift toward specialized travel products. Large platforms focus on scale, while newer companies target visas, travel credit, group holidays, and AI-based trip planning. Here are 10 major names that stand out in the Indian TravelTech sector in 2026.

    OYO Takes Hospitality Tech Beyond Hotel Bookings

    OYO remains one of India’s largest hospitality technology companies. Its business covers hotel aggregation, franchising, hotel management, and technology services. Inc42 places OYO’s cumulative funding at about USD 3.71 billion, which puts the company among the most funded names in India’s TravelTech sector. OYO’s role now goes beyond a simple hotel reservation platform. Its technology supports hotel owners and helps OYO manage a large hospitality network across several markets.

    MakeMyTrip Builds Scale Across Travel Categories

    MakeMyTrip remains a major online travel platform with services across flights, hotels, buses, and holiday packages. Its Q1 FY27 results show USD 2.9 billion in gross bookings, a 19.9% year-over-year rise in constant currency, and 16.1% revenue growth in constant currency. Hotels and packages rose 21.3%, while bus ticketing rose 32.4%. These figures show a wider travel mix rather than a business that depends only on air tickets. Hotels, buses, and other travel services now hold a larger place within the platform.

    Rapido Pushes Mobility into the TravelTech Mix

    Rapido sits at the intersection of mobility and TravelTech. The company raised USD 240 million in 2026 at a reported USD 3 billion valuation. Inc42 places its cumulative funding at about USD 1.53 billion. The company has focused on a broad mobility network and stronger technology. Its position matters for TravelTech since transport often forms a key part of a trip, especially within cities and across short distances.

    ixigo Targets the Mass Travel Market

    ixigo covers trains, flights, buses, and hotels through one digital platform. The company reported 544 million annual active users in FY25. Its strategy also places a strong focus on artificial intelligence and digital travel decisions. The company’s large user base gives it a strong position across several parts of the Indian travel journey. Its product can serve travelers who need rail, bus, air, or hotel options from one platform.

    RateGain Powers Travel Businesses from the B2B Side

    RateGain represents a different side of TravelTech. Its software serves hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and other travel businesses through revenue management, distribution, and data solutions. RateGain reported Rs. 785.01 crore in Q1 FY27 revenue, along with Rs. 171.53 crore in operating profit and Rs. 94.91 crore in net profit. Inc42 places its cumulative funding at about USD 236.7 million. Its business shows how Indian TravelTech can serve companies rather than travelers alone.

    EaseMyTrip Expands Beyond Air Tickets

    EaseMyTrip declared gross booking revenue of Rs. 8,376 crore for FY26, and the gross booking revenue of the company amounted to Rs. 2,138 crore in Q4 FY26. Revenue from operations of the company in Q4 reached Rs. 152 crore, which increased by 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. The company has also announced a Vision 2030 plan based on areas such as AI, international travel, and non-air travel segments. To execute the plan, EaseMyTrip is looking to raise up to Rs. 500 crore.

    Atlys Digitizes the Visa Process

    Atlys focuses on one of the hardest parts of international travel: visa applications. The company raised USD 36 million in Series C funding in 2026, which took its total funding to about USD 84.25 million across five rounds. Atlys offers a clear example of how TravelTech can solve a problem before the flight or hotel booking even starts. Its model connects travel demand with visa services through a digital process.

    Scapia Connects Travel with Fintech

    Scapia combines travel with financial services through credit cards, travel bookings, rewards, and payments. In 2026, the company raised USD 63 million in a round led by General Catalyst. The deal valued Scapia at more than USD 500 million and took total funding to about USD 126 million. The company shows a clear shift toward travel products that combine booking with payment and financial benefits.

    WanderOn Focuses on Experience-Led Holidays

    WanderOn targets group trips, road trips, treks, adventure travel, and curated experiences. The company raised Rs. 54 crore in Series A funding in January 2026, with DSG Consumer Partners and Client Associates Alternate Fund among the investors. Before that round, WanderOn said it had crossed Rs. 100 crore in business. The new capital supports destination growth, adventure travel, sports travel, wellness travel, technology, and international expansion.

    30 Sundays Brings AI into Holiday Planning

    30 Sundays focuses on personalized holiday planning and combines trip discovery, planning, booking, and concierge services. The company raised Rs. 61 crore in Series A funding from Bessemer Venture Partners and existing investors in 2026. The company reported an annualized gross booking value run rate of about Rs. 200 crore. Its model points to a new type of travel platform where artificial intelligence can help turn a broad travel idea into a complete holiday plan.

    A Broader TravelTech Market Takes Shape

    These 10 companies show how wide India’s TravelTech sector has become. OYO and MakeMyTrip operate at large consumer scale, while RateGain serves travel businesses. Atlys tackles visas, Scapia connects travel with fintech, WanderOn focuses on experiences, and 30 Sundays brings AI into holiday planning. The strongest shift lies in the scope of the travel journey. A modern TravelTech company does not need to sell only a flight or hotel room. It can handle transport, finance, visas, experiences, business software, or the full holiday plan. That wider market gives Indian TravelTech a much larger field for new products and business models.

    FAQs

    1. What is TravelTech? TravelTech refers to technology-based products and services that support travel, including bookings, mobility, hotels, visas, payments, software, and trip planning.
    2. Which TravelTech companies are prominent in India in 2026? The article covers OYO, MakeMyTrip, Rapido, ixigo, RateGain, EaseMyTrip, Atlys, Scapia, WanderOn, and 30 Sundays.
    3. How is AI affecting India’s TravelTech sector? AI now supports areas such as personalized trip planning, travel recommendations, customer service, and travel-related decision making.
    4. Is TravelTech limited to online travel booking? No. The sector now includes hospitality, mobility, travel software, visa services, fintech, group travel, experiences, and AI-powered planning.
    5. Why is India’s TravelTech market important? Its growth reflects rising digital adoption across travel and creates opportunities for companies that solve specific problems throughout the traveler’s journey.
  • Weekly Startup Funding Roundup: AI, Legal Tech, and Mobility Attract $5.8 Billion in Fresh Capital

    Weekly Startup Funding Roundup: AI, Legal Tech, and Mobility Attract $5.8 Billion in Fresh Capital

    Startup funding remained robust this week as investors poured capital into artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and specialized technology sectors. Five companies—Positron AI, Inspiren, Motive, The Boring Company, and Harvey—collectively announced nearly $5.8 billion in fresh funding, spanning AI chips, senior care, fleet management, underground transport, and legal technology.

    Positron AI Raises $875 Million at $5 Billion Valuation

    AI chip startup Positron AI secured $875 million in a new funding round, pushing its valuation to $5 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. This marks a sharp increase from its $1.06 billion valuation earlier this year. Based in Reno, Nevada, Positron develops specialized processors for running AI models, focusing on inference. Its upcoming Asimov chip uses a memory-first architecture and can offer up to 2.3 terabytes of memory per chip. The company has already shipped around 50 Atlas servers to customers including Oracle, Jump Trading, and Parasail.

    Inspiren and Motive Bring AI into the Physical World

    Senior-living technology company Inspiren raised $70 million in Series C funding at a valuation exceeding $500 million. NewView Capital led the round, bringing Inspiren’s total funding to $225 million. The company develops technology that combines ambient awareness with resident data to help care teams identify emergencies and changes in residents’ conditions.

    Meanwhile, physical-operations platform Motive secured more than $1.3 billion in growth financing from General Catalyst’s Customer Value Fund. Motive said its annual recurring revenue has crossed $600 million, having grown 30% year over year. The company plans to use the capital to expand its AI platform, product development, and go-to-market operations.

    UAE Leads $3 Billion Round for The Boring Company

    Elon Musk’s tunneling company, The Boring Company, raised $3 billion in a Series D funding round led by the United Arab Emirates, taking the company’s valuation to $23 billion. Other participants included Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Human Capital, Vy Capital, and Valor Equity Partners. The funding will support plans to develop more than 150 kilometers of tunnels in the UAE, while also helping the company expand projects in Las Vegas, Nashville, and Dubai.

    Harvey Reaches $15.5 Billion Valuation

    Legal AI startup Harvey raised another $550 million, valuing the company at $15.5 billion. Diffusion and Lightspeed Venture Partners co-led the round, with existing investors including Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Andreessen Horowitz, and GIC also participating. According to Harvey, 80% of Am Law 100 firms now use its platform. The fresh funding will support its push to help legal and professional-services teams develop and control their own AI capabilities.

    Closing Note

    The week’s funding deals show investors continuing to back startups tackling large, specialized markets—from AI computing and senior care to fleet management, legal technology, and urban transport. With billions flowing into these companies, the focus is increasingly shifting from raising capital to turning ambitious technology into scalable businesses.

  • Top Electric Three-Wheel Scooters to Consider in 2026

    Top Electric Three-Wheel Scooters to Consider in 2026

    Electric three-wheel scooters continue to gain popularity as reliable, eco-friendly transportation for daily commuting, errands, and leisure rides. The 2026 lineup offers enhanced range, comfort, and stability, catering to a variety of needs. Below is a curated list of the best models available this year.

    • EWheels EW-36: Offers a long driving range, comfortable seating, smooth handling, and excellent stability, making it ideal for daily commuting and leisure rides.
    • Pride Victory 10 3-Wheel: Features premium ride comfort, a tight turning radius, dependable battery performance, and easy controls for everyday use.
    • Afikim Afiscooter C3: Combines luxury seating, powerful performance, advanced suspension, and extended range for riders seeking maximum comfort.
    • Drive Medical ZooMe 3: Designed with a lightweight frame, simple disassembly, reliable battery life, and compact dimensions for easy transport.
    • EV Rider VitaXpress: Delivers sporty styling, higher top speed, advanced suspension, and dependable performance for urban and suburban travel.
    • Golden Technologies Buzzaround LX: Provides excellent maneuverability, plush seating, long battery range, and intuitive controls for comfortable daily rides.
    • Green Transporter EV3 Three-Wheel Electric Mobility Scooter: Features robust construction, comfortable ergonomics, reliable electric power, and stable three-wheel handling for personal transportation.
    • Merits Pioneer 3: Offers durable engineering, spacious seating, dependable performance, and a comfortable ride suitable for extended outdoor use.
    • Shoprider Enduro XL3: Delivers strong motor performance, enhanced stability, comfortable suspension, and impressive range for regular commuting.

    Whether you value range, comfort, or portability, the 2026 market has an electric three-wheel scooter to match your lifestyle. Stay tuned for more updates as technology continues to evolve.

  • Jinhua Zhao Appointed Lead of MIT’s Urban Studies and Planning Department

    Jinhua Zhao Appointed Lead of MIT’s Urban Studies and Planning Department

    Jinhua Zhao MCP ’04, SM ’04, PhD ’09, a renowned transportation planner and educator, has been appointed head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at MIT, effective July 1. Zhao, the Class of 1941 Professor of Cities and Transportation, brings deep expertise in behavioral science and transportation, combined with artificial intelligence and public policy, to tackle urban challenges.

    MIT School of Architecture and Planning Dean Hashim Sarkis praised Zhao as a rare scholar who moves fluidly between cutting-edge research and real-world policy. ‘His work with governments and transportation agencies around the world is a model for what MIT’s impact can look like beyond our campus,’ Sarkis said. Zhao succeeds Professor Christopher Zegras, who served as department head since 2020.

    Zhao earned all three of his advanced degrees at MIT before joining the faculty. He noted that the Institute’s unconventional culture and interdisciplinary connectivity were key attractions. ‘We have fewer boundaries than other universities — intellectually and physically. Our infinite corridor literally connects us to so many disciplines,’ he said.

    Globally, Zhao has shaped mobility systems through collaborations with Transport for London, Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway, Japan Railways, and U.S. agencies like the MBTA, Chicago Transit Authority, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He has also guided autonomous vehicle deployment strategy in Singapore and the Middle East. ‘Every city I’ve worked with faces the same tension: The technology is moving faster than the institutions designed to govern it,’ Zhao explained. ‘My work has been about closing that gap.’

    At MIT, Zhao founded the MIT Mobility Initiative and hosts the weekly MIT Mobility Forum, which has grown from a small internal list to a global platform drawing over 200 practitioners, policymakers, and researchers weekly. He also directs the JTL Urban Mobility Lab, which unites behavioral science and transportation technology, and is a lead principal investigator with the Mens, Manus, and Machina initiative exploring AI, work, and learning.

    As department head, Zhao aims to accelerate the transfer of DUSP research to city leaders, planners, and engineers who make decisions on issues like aging infrastructure, AI integration, and congestion. ‘We know a great deal about how cities grow, how people move, and how that will change. The question is whether the people responsible for making these changes can access what we know, when they need it,’ he said.

    Zhao’s appointment underscores MIT’s commitment to addressing urgent urban challenges through interdisciplinary research and practice.