Entertainment Idea Wins Schulich Startup Night
Your Uber ride is about to get a lot more entertaining.
Portl Media, founded by Wyatt Shaw (MBA ’15), Duncan Brown and Daniel Forte will eliminate idle time by providing media and entertainment at your fingertips. Their company places mounted screens in rideshares, so passengers can engage with sponsored content, movies and games on the go. The final result adds value for both parties as passengers have a more enjoyable experience, and drivers get additional revenue and higher ratings for their service.
“Our pilot program is getting a great response from users as well as rideshare drivers,” Shaw said. “Engagement with our devices has exceeded expectations. We’re consistently gathering feedback from the field and integrating it into the platform.”
Presenting in front of a panel of industry experts, Portl Media won the 7th annual Schulich Startup Night presented by Kinetic Café. The win comes with a fast-tracked financing review for $15,000 from Futurpreneur, a startup consulting package from KPMG and five hours of mentoring by Schulich Entrepreneur in Residence, Chris Carder.
“The win further validates that the market understands and sees value in our product,” Shaw said while adding that they have not wasted any time optimizing their prize. “The financing we received will help us grow our presence in the Toronto market, strengthening our network and bolstering our software capabilities.”
This is just the start for Portl Media. Their company goal is to continue to grow and become the standard for staying entertained and informed when you are out of your home, with their technology reaching new platforms and locations.