Ingogo lures investors from MYOB and Google

Ingogo, a new app for taxi bookings founded by the creator of Moshtix, has assembled a group of leading private investors, including senior executives at Google and MYOB.

The investors, who have taken an undisclosed stake in the business, have backed technology that is still in its trial stages with 200 taxi drivers.

Ingogo is a web and mobile app that allows users to book a taxi on their phone or computer and then track the taxi’s whereabouts in real time. It is set to launch in NSW in early October with more than 500 taxi drivers.

First round investors include Brad Shofer, co-founder of software firm MYOB, Will Easton, director of mobile sales and operations for APAC at Google and Sydney Angels members Stuart Fox and Philip Argy.

As reported by StartupSmart in July, Ingogo was founded by serial entrepreneur Hamish Petrie.

Petrie previously created Moshtix, a ticketing website that was sold to News Digital Media in 2007.

Petrie says: “The investor team brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience needed to build and grow successful technology businesses.

“With backing from investors of this calibre, we believe Ingogo will be the leader in the digital taxi request space.”

Shofer adds: “I’m excited at the opportunity which Ingogo presents. There is little doubt that the need is there to improve the status quo in the taxi industry.”

“And the management team at Ingogo have impressed me greatly. They are about doing it right in the long-term.”

The fledgling company insists that it has taken safety seriously, pointing out that all Ingogo taxi drivers meet “strict transport legislative requirements” and are tracked by GPS.

Rival start-up GoCatch, which is broadly similar to Ingogo, was recently dragged into a controversial spat with the NSW Taxi Council over safety concerns.