Public transport, tramway in Bordeaux -

Mickaël Bosredon / 20 Minutes

  • The Witick application was launched in May 2019 on the Bordeaux Métropole transport network.

  • Created by three Bordeaux students, it has just crossed the 200,000 user mark.

  • After raising 1.3 million euros in funds, it hopes to expand into around ten networks, and improve certain functionalities for greater fluidity.

The dematerialization of transport tickets, a health issue?

The Witick mobile application, which allows you to buy and validate a public transport ticket on your smartphone, has in any case seen an acceleration in its progression, since the release of the first confinement.

In Bordeaux, the Witick app allows you to buy tickets on your mobile phone - 20Minutes

“Our growth has especially accelerated from last September, since we are increasing by around + 15% per month, because users want less to use the vending machines, or to exchange money with the driver »Explains Romain Combe, one of the founders of this 100% Bordeaux start-up.

"Limit passenger congestion in the entrance halls of the tram or bus"

Launched in May 2019 by three students from the Bordeaux school Epitech, Witick has just passed the bar of 200,000 users on the Bordeaux Métropole transport network, TBM.

The app, available on iOS and Android, now represents between 20 and 25% of sales of occasional titles.

After raising 1.3 million euros in funds at the start of the year, the start-up should double its workforce to reach ten people by the end of the year.

Objective: to improve the product.

“We want to improve on fluidity,” continues Romain Combe, “that is to say to be able to be withdrawn and validate his transport ticket without taking the phone out of his pocket.

The advantage for the carrier is to limit passenger congestion in the entry locks of the tram or bus.

And above all we would like to be able to integrate subscriptions into our tariff offers.

"

Bluetooth technology

Present in Bordeaux thanks to a partnership with Keolis and Thalès, and on a small network of maritime shuttles to go to Île aux Moines in Brittany, Witick hopes to develop in around ten urban networks this year, such as Brive (Corrèze) , and perhaps Limoges (Haute-Vienne) where discussions are underway.

Witick is the only start-up to have industrially developed a Bluetooth payment technology, while the others work with NFC.

“The advantage of Bluetooth is that all phones are compatible, which is not necessarily the case with NFC technology,” explains Romain Combe.

On the carrier side, the interest is to know where the user gets on, but above all where he gets off, which traditional ticketing does not allow for the moment.

"This allows him to better understand the flow of travelers," explains Romain Combe, who specifies that all data is anonymized.

Witick is remunerated by receiving a commission for each payment.

The start-up achieved a turnover of 150,000 euros in 2020.

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  • Start-up

  • Technology

  • Aquitaine

  • Tram

  • Bordeaux

  • Smartphone

  • Public transport

  • Payment