A 50-year-old mother from India, Ritu Narayan, had to sacrifice her work responsibilities to take care of her children after their bus arrived late. She felt a sense of responsibility towards her mother’s sacrifice in this situation. Her mother, who had been a teacher in India, had put her career aside to care for her children.
In 2015, Narayan made a bold decision to quit her job and establish ‘zu – Zum’, an electric school bus service supported by AI. Zum started as a self-funded Uber-like service that provided parents with dependable options. The app’s ability to pre-book rides and track their children’ compass gave parents a sense of security. Developed by working parents who said the startup was so convenient they could now pursue careers without worrying about childcare logistics, it gained a following.
The positive feedback prompted Narayan to collaborate with schools in the area. Zum’s services were not only advertised by the schools, but also a privatised school bus fleet with electric vehicles and tracking capabilities. Through this move, Zum was able to expand its customer base and challenge the existing bus services. By signing a contract with the Oakland Unified School District for five years and spending $53 million, the startup experienced soaring growth by 2020.
However, the COVID-19 outbreak brought new challenges. The significant reduction in transportation needs and school closures allowed Narayan and her team to focus on improving Zum’s product. Rather than managing daily operations, they concentrated on product development, positioning Zum to meet the evolving needs of both schools and parents.
Zum has emerged stronger than ever despite the pandemic’s brief impact. Having exceeded $1. More than 4,000 private and public schools in California, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, and Maryland are now served by the startup’s 5 billion-dollar contracts. Narayan’s transformation from a frustrated working mother to the founder of X, Inc., shows that perseverance and innovation can overcome obstacles in solving real-world problems.
