Moovit navigates into wearables with apps for Apple Watch and Android Wear
The Moovit app, already available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, aims to give users real-time journey directions for subways, buses and trams by combining live public data with information submitted by its "hyper-engaged" community.
The Israeli startup, which raised £33 million ($50 million) last month to help it expand into the UK, said it has built apps for Android Wear and Apple Watch, adding that it wants transport to be "at the forefront of the wearable revolution."
Moovit
Moovit said its wearables app is designed for miniature displays so that travellers only see the most important and actionable information on their journeys, including service alerts, schedules, and stops for nearby lines.
"Moovit for Apple Watch will be released in conjunction with the device's own launch date, a shroud that Apple is expected to unveil in Cupertino on March 9, 2015," the company said. An Android Wear version of the app will be launched in the second quarter of this year, it added.
Apple did not respond to Techworld's request for comment but a Moovit spokeswoman said the company had been permitted to share the news.
Only a handful of other companies have been able to announce that they will have an app available on the Apple Watch when it is launched. The majority of those were announced when Apple CEO Tim Cook first revealed the product last year, including Moovit rival Citymapper.
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai also announced this week that it will have an app available on Apple Watch at launch.
Nir Erez, CEO of Moovit, said: "Our determination to be a reality for this [wearable] market will cater to the existing 15 million users, 500 cities, and 50 countries where our community lives. We're already working with mobile carriers and manufacturers to help build and expand this ecosystem."
Companies that have invested in Moovit's technology include: Nokia Growth Partners, BMW i Ventures, Keolis, Sequoia Capital, Bernard Arnault Group, Vaizra Investments, BRM Group, & Gemini Ventures.
Sales projections for wearables are expected to surpass $6 billion (£3.9 billion) within the next three years.