Curb Arrives to Deliver Mobile Innovation to Taxis and More

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Arriving today on mobile phones everywhere, Curb delivers mobile innovation and a whole new ride experience to consumers, drivers and forward-looking ground transportation companies. Curb connects riders to a nationwide network of over 35,000 taxis and 6,500 for-hire vehicles across 60 cities, and is adding more drivers and travel providers daily. Formerly known as Taxi Magic, Curb builds upon its pioneering history in the mobile transportation space to provide convenient booking, reliable service, seamless payment and an enjoyable experience for riders and drivers alike.

Curb riders control all aspects of their taxi, livery or black car ride – including pick-up time, type of car, method of payment and the route the driver takes. In recent months, the Curb team delivered an improved taxi service in Los Angeles, marked by faster pickup times, automatic "touchless" payment, intensive driver training and significantly improved rider ratings. Curb is launching this new level of service across Chicago and Dallas area taxis immediately, with the rest of the growing network to follow over upcoming months.To ensure market-leading levels of safety and quality, Curb only works with licensed, regulated and commercially-insured drivers and providers in good standing with local regulatory authorities. The Curb mobile app is available for free download at http://gocurb.com/app. Existing iOS and Android users should update their Taxi Magic app to activate the new Curb experience.

Curb also announced the hiring of new CEO Patrick Lashinsky. Under Mr. Lashinsky, Curb is poised to enter several new markets, improve product offerings, expand vehicle offerings in key cities and significantly grow its employee base. Mr. Lashinsky brings years of executive experience leading technology, product development, marketing and sales organizations, including his tenure as CEO of Ziprealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR). See full bio on Mr. Lashinsky below.

"We are excited to enter the Curb era and bring much-needed 'constructive innovation' to taxi and other forms of ground transportation. Curb will redefine how consumers experience reliable, safe rides from professional drivers spanning taxis and sedans," said Mr. Lashinsky. "We place game-changing software directly in your pocket that seamlessly guides the curb-to-curb experience of a ride - while providing drivers and providers with the tools to innovate, improve and flourish."

While riders benefit from advanced technology and a seamless, hassle-free experience, Curb powers forward-looking taxi companies intent on improving service to better compete in the evolving ground transportation market. Curb works closely with its partners to help drivers embrace technology, improve customer service and pick up more rides, increasing driver income while decreasing downtime.

"Partnering with Curb better positions us to compete with ridesharing services and innovate as the industry changes," said William J. Rouse, General Manager, Yellow Cab of Los Angeles. "The gloves are off and we will continue to invest in providing the safest and best service to the people of Los Angeles. Curb helps us win this battle."

Curb has raised $35 million in financing and estimates significant continued growth. For more information, please visit http://gocurb.com.

About Curb

Curb (previously Taxi Magic) is technology startup focused on improving how people get around their cities. Curb puts consumers in touch with nearby taxi and for-hire drivers for better, faster and more efficient rides featuring real-time map tracking and seamless mobile payment. As Taxi Magic, the company was the first company to provide ride booking and payment services through a mobile app. The Curb team is comprised of energetic, talented individuals who are building technology to connect people to safe, reliable rides and modernize the ground transportation industry. The Curb app is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Visit gocurb.com for more information. The Curb network operates in over 60 cities around the United States.

About Patrick Lashinsky, Curb CEO

As the CEO of Curb, Patrick Lashinsky leads a talented, growing team in the mission of delivering technology and innovation to taxi and sedan rides to better serve riders, drivers and providers. Mr. Lashinsky joined Curb in 2014 after a period consulting on innovation in a number of industries and companies.

Prior to his consulting work, Mr. Lashinsky served as the CEO of ZipRealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR), where he helped lead the company from start-up to one of the fastest growing and most technically advanced real estate organizations in the United States. During his time at ZipRealty, in addition to being the President and Chief Executive Officer, he also held senior executive roles in Technology, Sales and Marketing. In 2008 the real estate journal Inman News named Mr. Lashinsky as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate People." And in 2010 SmartMoney.com named him as one of its Power 30. While at Zip, he was a frequently tapped by major media outlets to share his expertise and knowledge of the national housing market, with appearances on "Good Morning America", "NBC's "Nightly News", "Nightline", CNN's "Open House", Fox Business Network's "America's Nightly Scoreboard", and was a regular commentator in the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and USA Today.

Mr. Lashinsky has over 10 years of marketing experience working with such household names as General Mills and Del Monte. While at General Mills, he was responsible for the creation and development of Go-Gurt Yogurt in addition to managing brands such as Pop Secret and Chex Mix. Prior to joining ZipRealty, Mr. Lashinsky was the lead for new product development at Del Monte.

Mr. Lashinsky earned his M.B.A from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.

SOURCE Curb