What Via's CEO Just Told Governments About Budgets, Market Size, and AI
Via Co-Founder Daniel Ramot shared a clear message for public sector leaders: transit budgets are holding up, the market is wide open, and AI can help agencies deliver more service with fewer resources.
If you work in government-especially in transportation-here's what matters and how to act on it.
What "government technology" means at Via
Via focuses on local governments. The company provides software and services that help agencies plan, operate, and optimize public transportation-especially dynamic routing and demand-responsive models that improve coverage and efficiency.
Early on, Via ran its own shared-ride services to prove dynamic routing works. That proof unlocked the first transit customers (starting with Austin, Texas). With roughly 700 customers today, Ramot says they don't plan to return to operating consumer-facing services.
Are budgets a risk? Here's what they're seeing
Despite headlines about spending cuts, Via reports local transit budgets have generally held or increased for their category of services. When cuts do happen, Ramot says agencies often use their software to protect riders by adjusting service intelligently rather than eliminating routes outright.
The takeaway: tools that increase efficiency and coverage tend to survive budget pressure because they reduce pain for constituents.
The market is bigger than most think
Via estimates a global public transportation opportunity of over $500 billion. In North America and Western Europe alone, they peg the addressable market for their software and services at over $80 billion.
They believe there are 60,000 potential government customers. With about 700 onboard today, the runway is long.
How Via says it is using AI
Via has collected large transit datasets over years of operating and powering demand-responsive services in cities like New York and Chicago. They use that data to train AI models that propose better network designs, simulate service changes, and optimize operations.
For governments, the value is straightforward: faster planning cycles, more accurate scenarios, and service designs that match real demand patterns.
IPO proceeds: more product, more reach
Via raised roughly $490 million in an oversubscribed IPO. Ramot says the funds will go to continued product development, new solutions for agencies, and expansion to more jurisdictions.
What this means for public sector leaders
- Efficiency is policy. Tools that cut wait times, reduce empty miles, and improve equity can soften the impact of budget constraints.
- AI is practical now. Use it for network design, demand forecasting, and scenario testing-not as a buzzword, but as a planning and operations co-pilot.
- Pilots should prove outcomes. Tie procurements to measurable results: on-time performance, access within 15 minutes, cost per passenger, and coverage for priority populations.
- Data you already have is fuel. AVL/GTFS-RT, farebox, paratransit trip data, and complaints can feed useful models when privacy is handled correctly.
Procurement guidance that speeds impact
- Buy outcomes, not features. Require reporting on cost per trip, wait time, and accessibility metrics-monthly, by route/zone.
- Start small, iterate fast. Launch a zone-based on-demand pilot or off-peak redesign; expand after 90-180 days if KPIs are met.
- Protect privacy. Require clear data retention limits, anonymization, and audit rights.
- Interoperability first. Insist on GTFS/GTFS-RT, open APIs, and data export to your BI tools.
- Equity by design. Bake Title VI and ADA reporting into the contract; monitor access and wait times for priority groups.
KPIs to track from day one
- Average wait time and on-time pickups
- Cost per passenger and cost per vehicle hour
- Coverage: % of residents within a 10-15 minute ride
- Load factor and deadhead miles
- Rider satisfaction and complaint resolution time
Where to find funding and skills
Explore federal programs that can support pilots and modernization efforts. Many agencies blend formula funds with targeted grants to cover planning and early deployments.
If your team needs to build AI fluency for planning and analysis, consider structured learning paths focused on public sector use cases and data workflows.
Bottom line
Via's pitch aligns with what many agencies need now: do more for riders with the budget you have. If you can quantify outcomes and protect privacy, AI-enabled planning and dynamic operations can help you keep service where people rely on it most-and make a strong case for sustained funding.
Key facts cited
Global transit market: $500B+ | Core markets: $80B+ | Potential customers: ~60,000 | Current customers: ~700 | IPO raise: ~$490M
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