Roadr App Is on a Mission To Cut Roadside Assistance Response Time in Half

Decerry Donato

Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.

Roadr App Is on a Mission To Cut Roadside Assistance Response Time in Half
Courtesy of Roadr

During the summer of 2019, Otiniel Ribeiro was having car issues that left him stranded on the side of the road, often having to wait several hours for AAA to show up.

β€œThat experience left a bad taste in my mouth,” Ribeiro says.

And he isn’t alone. In the last few months, many AAA members have expressed how they also waited anywhere from an hour or more. And in some instances, roadside assistance was a no show.


All of which explains why Ribeiro teamed up with his brother Celso to create Roadr, a roadside assistance app on a mission to cut the response time for stranded drivers in half. The Ribeiro brothers launched its pilot program in Los Angeles earlier this month and they already have 3,500 downloads.

β€œRoadr is similar to other ride sharing apps that we currently have in the market,” Ribeiro tells dot.LA. β€œIt’s the Uber for roadside assistance.”

And in that way, Ribeiro guarantees that any roadside service a person selects will be coming from within a 5 or 10 mile radius, cutting down the time it takes for providers to reach the driver.

Requesting service is similar to requesting an Uber or Lyft ride. First you select the type of service, confirm your pick up location, enter your vehicle and jot down any notes you want the service provider to know. Once the request is sent, the driver is able to track when the service provider is on the move along with the ability to call or text them.

The app is free to download for iOS and android users and currently the company offers a $100 yearly subscription which includes two free services of choice and a 30% discount off of each following service. For those that don’t want to commit to a full year, Roadr also provides consumers with an option to pay a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 that includes 1 free service as well as the 30% discount.

For now, people who use the app have access to all of Roadr’s emergency services which include: towing, a tire change, refueling, unlocking your car, getting a jump for your car and Ribeiro says Roadr will soon roll out an EV charging feature.

β€œWe're trying to create a one stop shop,” Ribeiro says. β€œWe're connecting the dots between the mechanics, service providers and insurance companies.”

With Roadr, drivers can also schedule specific services in advance. For example, let’s say you’re flying in from a business trip and you park your car at the airport with a nearly empty gas tank. Roadr offers a service in which a person can request a specialist to come and fill their gas tank for them at the airport upon their return from their trip.

Ribeiro says that this scheduling feature is to ensure drivers safety because now they don’t have to worry about having to drive to a gas station not knowing if they will make it.

The other demographic Roadr is hoping to serve is the uninsured. According to a 2021 report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC), 16.6% of California drivers are uninsured, placing the state as the 10th highest uninsured rate. That of course means that those drivers don’t qualify to receive free services from AAA, Geico and AllState, even in an emergency.

Which is why all you need to use Roadr’s services is a credit card to pay for any individual request that the app offers. And since the Roadr app uses geolocation, Ribeiro touts that unlike its competitors, a driver that is stuck in the mountains with no cell reception will have no issue requesting for service through the app as long as Roadr is servicing that city.

β€œThe goal is to have (Roadr) service providers everywhere,” Ribeiro says. β€œSo we're using this pilot to not only test it out and get direct feedback from our early users to then go full force and go nationwide and ultimately deploy to international markets as well.”

LA’s Upgrade in Travel and NBA Viewing
Image Source: Los Angeles World Airports

πŸ”¦ Spotlight

Exciting developments are underway for Los Angeles as the city prepares for major upgrades in both travel and entertainment. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved an additional $400 million for the Automated People Mover (APM) at LAX, increasing its total budget to $3.34 billion. This boost ensures the elevated train’s completion by December 8, 2025, with service starting in January 2026. For Angelenos, this means a significant improvement in travel convenience. The APM will streamline connections between parking, rental car facilities, and the new Metro transit station, drastically cutting traffic congestion around the airport. Imagine a future without the dreaded 30-minute traffic delays at LAX! The APM will operate 24/7, reducing airport traffic by 42 million vehicle miles annually and carrying 30 million passengers each year, while also creating thousands of local jobs and supporting small businesses.

Meanwhile, the NBA is also making waves with its new broadcasting deals. The league has signed multi-year agreements with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video, marking a notable shift in media partnerships. ESPN will maintain its long-standing role, NBC returns as a network broadcaster after years away, and Amazon Prime Video will provide NBA games through its streaming platform. Starting with the 2025-2026 season, these deals will enhance the league's reach and revenue, aligning with the NBA's goal to expand its audience and adapt to evolving viewing habits. Whether you're catching the action on TV or streaming online, these changes promise to elevate the fan experience and bring more basketball excitement to Los Angeles.


🀝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Pearl, a startup that makes AI-powered software that assists dentists in identifying cavities, gum disease, and other dental conditions, raised a $58M Series B funding led by Left Lane Capital with Smash Capital, and others also participating. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

  • Fulcrum Venture Group participated in a prior $3.5M Pre-Seed Round for Code Metal, a developer tools startup. - learn more
  • B Capital co-led a $12.5M Seed Round for Star Catcher, a startup that aims to develop a space-based grid that captures solar energy in space and distributes it to satellites and other space assets. - learn more
  • Mantis VC and Amplify participated in a $140M Series C for Chainguard, an open source security startup. - learn more
  • Prominent LA venture capitalist, Carter Reum and wife, Paris Hilton, participated in a $14M Seed/Series A for W, the men’s personal care brand from Jake Paul. - learn more

LA Exits


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🀫 The Secret to Staying Fit at Your Desk: 6 Essential Under-Desk Exercise Machines

Health experts are sounding the alarm: our sedentary jobs are slowly killing us, yet we can't abandon our desks if we want to keep the lights on. It feels like we're caught between a rock and a hard place. Enter under-desk exercise machines – the overlooked heroes (albeit kind of goofy looking) of the modern workspace. These devices let tech professionals stay active, enhance their health, and increase their productivity, all without stepping away from their screens. Here are 6 fantastic options that will enhance the way you work and workout simultaneously.

DeskCycle Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser

This bike has nearly ten thousand five-star reviews on amazon. It works with nearly any desk/chair setup. It is quiet, sturdy and allows up to 40 pounds of resistance. If you are looking for an under-desk bike this is a fantastic option.

Type: Under-Desk Bike

Price: $180 - $200


Sunny Health & Fitness Dual Function Under Desk Pedal Exerciser

This under-desk bike is extremely quiet due to the magnetic resistance making it an ideal option if you work in a shared space. It doesn’t slip, has eight levels of resistance, and the option to work legs and arms. It’s about half the price of the DeskCycle bike making it a solid mid-range option for those looking to increase their daily activity.

Type: Under-Desk Bike

Price: $100 - $110


Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical

This under-desk elliptical comes in multiple colors if you really want to underscore that you are a quirky individual, in case an under-desk elliptical isn’t enough. This model is a bit heavy (very sturdy), has eight different resistance levels, and has more than nine thousand 5-star reviews.

Type: Under-Desk Elliptical

Price: $120 - $230


DeskCycle Ellipse Leg Exerciser

This under-desk elliptical is another great option. It is a bit pricey but it’s quiet, well-made and has eight resistance levels. It also syncs with your apple watch or fitbit which is a very large perk for those office-wide β€œstep” challenges. Get ready to win.

Type: Under-Desk Elliptical

Price: $220 - $230


Daeyegim Quiet LED Remote Treadmill

If you have a standing desk and are looking to walk and work this is a fantastic option. This walking-only treadmill allows you to walk between 0.5 to 5 mph (or jog unless you have the stride length of an NBA forward). It is very quiet, which is perfect if you want to use it near others or during a meeting. You can’t change the incline or fold it in half but it is great for simply getting in some extra steps during the work day.

Type: Under-Desk Treadmill

Price: $220 - $230


Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable Manual Treadmill

This under-desk treadmill isn’t the most premium model but it is affordable and has an impressive array of features. It is a manual treadmill meaning it doesn’t need to be plugged in; it is foldable and offers an incline up to 13%. I personally can’t imagine working and walking up a 13% incline but if that sounds like your cup of tea, then I truly respect the hustle.

Type: Under-Desk Treadmill

Price: $150 - $200




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🀠Musk Picks Texas and πŸ”₯Tinder AI Picks Your Profile Pictures

πŸ”¦ Spotlight

Tinder is altering dating profile creation with its new AI-powered Photo Selector feature, designed to help users choose their most appealing dating profile pictures. This innovative tool employs facial recognition technology to curate a set of up to 10 photos from the user's device, streamlining the often time-consuming process of profile setup. To use the feature, users simply take a selfie within the Tinder app and grant access to their camera roll. The AI then analyzes the photos based on factors like lighting and composition, drawing from Tinder's research on what makes an effective profile picture.

The selection process occurs entirely on the user's device, ensuring privacy and data security. Tinder doesn't collect or store any biometric data or photos beyond those chosen for the profile, and the facial recognition data is deleted once the user exits the feature. This new tool addresses a common pain point for users, as Tinder's research shows that young singles typically spend about 25 to 33 minutes selecting a profile picture. By automating this process, Tinder aims to reduce profile creation time and allow users to focus more on making meaningful connections.

In wholly unrelated news, Elon Musk has announced plans to relocate the headquarters of X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX from California to Texas. SpaceX will move from Hawthorne to Starbase, while X will shift from San Francisco to Austin. Musk cited concerns about aggressive drug users near X's current headquarters and a new California law regarding gender identity notification in schools as reasons for the move. This decision follows Musk's previous relocation of Tesla's headquarters to Texas in 2021.

🀝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

LA Venture Funds

LA Exits

  • Penguin Random House agreed to acquire comic book publisher Boom! Studios from backers like Walt Disney Co. - learn more

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