🚗 Driving profits up

Brazil’s GigU launches earnings optimization app for US gig workers

Brazilian startup GigU officially launched its gig worker earnings optimization app in the United States on Wednesday, marking its first major expansion beyond its home market. The move puts the Rio de Janeiro-based company in direct dispute with rideshare platforms like Uber, with which it is already embroiled in a legal battle in Brazil.

GigU’s core product allows rideshare and delivery drivers to see an estimate of how much they will earn per kilometer (or per mile, in the US) on a given trip before accepting it. The service uses a color-coded system — green for good, yellow for acceptable, red for poor — customized to each driver's operating costs and income goals. Drivers typically have only seconds to decide whether to accept a ride, and GigU says its system helps them make better-informed decisions.

The company has raised nearly USD 5 million in seed funding, led by Redpoint Eventures with participation from Canary and Raio Capital. GigU says it is already profitable in Brazil, boasting 181,000 active users and more than 70,000 paying subscribers (at a fee of BRL 12.90, or USD 2.30) out of approximately 600,000 app downloads. 

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