School bus tracking app AppAlert raises $900 million seed funding

GURGAON: US-based AppAlert Inc. has raised $900 million in its seed round of funding, led by Narinder Singh, a US-based serial investor. The company’s Indian subsidiary, AppAlert Online Services has launched a Cloud, Mobile only, real-time school bus tracking system. This app helps parents as well as the school management knows the precise location of children when they are on the school bus.

The funding secured will be deployed to build and enhance the core application and to expand its service offerings in markets of Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia. AppAlert has kicked off trials at more than 20+ schools in NCR and Mumbai encompassing 15,000 children.

AppAlert provides real time information to school authorities and parent alike, as to the whereabouts of the school bus en-route. In the event of an accident or breakdown, help can reach the school bus with immediacy, explained AppAlert. The app alerts parents in advance when the bus arrives at the student’s stop, so that the parent/guardian doesn’t have to stand outside in the rain or sweltering heat and pollution, waiting for transportation, all the while aware of their ward’s attendance on the bus. This not only gives peace of mind to parents but also to school administrators because of the number of reduced phone calls from worried parents. For the school transport administration, the platform enables gathering information related to over-speeding, accidents/ breakdowns, unscheduled stops, harsh braking, traffic congestion and panic alarms.

“The average waiting time for parents and caregivers at bus stops today is a minimum of 17 minutes. More than half the calls school managements have to field are about buses leaving or arriving. In today’s day and age when any and all information is available on one’s fingertips, it is unfair that parents and schools struggle with gathering and dissemination of such vital information on a daily basis. At AppAlert, we are working to provide meaningful solutions to this seemingly simple, yet emotionally draining problem,” commented Ashuvinder Ahuja, Founder, AppAlert. “We are committed to further establishing and growing in the Indian market, which has huge potential,” assured Ahuja.

The AppAlert parent app is available on Android and iPhone. Parents are also allowed to designate up to 3 other individuals as custodians of the app.