Galway-based CitySwift to create 50 jobs over next two years

CitySwift, an Irish company that provides data-driven scheduling and planning technology for public transport companies, is to create 50 new jobs over the next two years.

The company is more than doubling headcount with new roles across software, data science, and sales and marketing as it relocates to bigger offices in Galway city centre. CitySwift currently employs 30 people, with 10 having joined over the past three months.

The new jobs are being created in response to demand for the start-up’s technology by companies seeking to respond effectively to the coronavirus pandemic. It also comes as co-founder Brian O’Rourke predicted that its products would soon be made available in the Republic.

CitySwift, which has to date been primarily focused on establishing partnership with public transport companies in Britain, counts National Express and the GoAhead Group as clients.

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Founded in September 2016 by Mr O'Rourke and Alan Farrelly, CitySwift has developed a technology platform that uses big data and machine learning to increase public transport network performance, service reliability and passenger satisfaction.

Safe travel app

The Galway-headquartered company recently rolled out new technology for GoAhead, one of Britain’s biggest public transport companies, that is aimed at easing commuters’ fears about travelling during the pandemic. The When2Travel tool helps passengers decide when best to travel by letting them know when buses have sufficient space on a stop-by-stop basis.

Mr O’Rourke said its platform had seen 600 per cent growth in usage during the Covid crisis from companies and passengers.

In June, CitySwift announced it had raised an additional €2 million from existing backers that include Irelandia, the investment group of the family of former Ryanair founder Tony Ryan; ex-CarTrawler chief executive Mike McGearty; and Act Venture Capital. Overall, it has raised €4 million to date.

"Britain is still our main market but there are massive opportunities opening up globally for us. We've made good progress in pilot programmes we're involved in across Europe and there are conversations happening that could see us starting up in the US shortly. We also hope to be going live with various operators in Ireland sometime in 2020, which is something we're very excited about," Mr O'Rourke said.