It’s 7pm. You’re driving home from work, tired from a long day of building #MiamiTech. The last thing you want to do is fire up your stove and cook a meal. But ordering your food from the car is a hassle – juggling multiple apps and driver un-friendly devices.
But with a new platform just launched by Miami-based MAVI, finding, ordering, paying for, and coordinating the delivery of daily staples like food directly from your car will be easier than ever. MAVI OnMyWay is an in-car shopping experience that will be available via the HARMAN Ignite Store connected vehicle platform beginning in mid-2022.
The startup, located in the Wynwood neighborhood, has just landed a $1.775 million investment from an affiliate of the Jay Schottenstein family and a group of angel investors that includes former Amazon executives and other retail leaders to bring their product to life.
OnMyWay works in any 4G-enabled vehicle that allows payments. It connects the car’s interface and data to retailers’ e-commerce stores. The platform takes into consideration a store’s inventory on top of the driver’s location, route, destination, order and payment preferences, and loyalty program memberships.
MAVI’s platform can have a positive environmental impact because it reduces the number of trips drivers need to make. It also can eliminate the added traffic congestion, packaging and fuel associated with at-home deliveries from stores that shoppers are already driving past.
“Drivers love the convenience of curbside pickup and they want to be able to shop from their cars safely and efficiently in order to make the most of each trip,” commented Cynthia Hollen, MAVI’s co-founder and CEO, [pictured below].
“MAVI gives consumers a safe and easy way to shop from the driver’s seat, whether it’s for something they need en route, like coffee, a snack or gas; something they’ll need when they arrive at their destination, like a phone charger or a parking spot; or groceries or a pizza to take home for dinner,” she continued.
“For retailers and service providers, MAVI’s in-car marketplace brings customers back to their store doors and drives new customer acquisition, sales and loyalty, ensuring they can meet their on-the-go customers’ needs for immediacy and convenience.”
Hollen has been an innovator in the retail space for upwards of two decades, having led the US expansion of unicorn eShopWorld as US President and held roles at major players including Bloomingdale’s and Zegna.
Miami has played an integral role in MAVI’s growth trajectory. Two of its five employees are based in its Wynwood headquarters. It was a top five finalist at Miami Hack Week and ended up hiring two of the hackers from their team. The startup reports that more than half of its funding comes from Miami investors.
In December 2021, Palm Beach-based international burger chain BurgerFi, announced that it will be the first restaurant to launch in-car ordering in partnership with MAVI. Drivers will be able to order food from the restaurant group, which also owns regional favorite Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, either using voice commands or the car’s interactive dashboard. MAVI will guide the user to the closest restaurant, help them order, and notify the restaurant when they arrive.
Your burger awaits.
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