Tech for Good: what is it about?

The ending “-Tech” is often used in the world of startups, to define activities that bring digital innovations to their sector. We are talking about FoodTech to bring together all the new meal delivery platforms (Foodora, Deliveroo, Nestor, BimbimGo, etc.), about FinTech for new payment or financing solutions (Lydia, Mangopay, Leetchi, Pumpkin …), about Sportech for sports training apps and QuantifiedSelf (Running Heroes, Fizzup, Seven, Strava, Runtastic, runkeeper, …) from CarTech for new driver assistance services, car-sharing or car-pooling (Citygo, BlaBlaCar, Zenpark, Uber, Kapten, Getaround …) and there are still many others (Healthtech, Cleantech, AgriTech, etc …).

What is TechForGood?

A new classification has emerged that highlights the purpose of the apps for citizens and not the “business” activity that they represent: it is “Tech For….” . And the TechForGood category is the one we hear the most about. Rather than a termination, the term “Tech” is positioned as a beginning (a preposition for purists) with a clear designation of what this “tech” brings to the people who benefit from it. Understood that “Tech” stands for : “Technology”. TechForGood brings together innovations that seek to solve a problem, a shortage, while preserving the planet’s resources and improving the daily lives of users.

TechForGood is concerned with the societal impact of innovation and its ability to serve humans and the planet. Here are the 10 criteria that let you know if the service or innovation you are using is properly labeled “TechForGood”:

1. Accessible for the greatest number.
2. Created to solve a problem or fill a gap
3. Imagined and designed responsibly
4. Who gives people power and allows them to act without waiting
5. Ambitious and daring, breaks the codes, moves the lines
6. It is not about being new at all costs. A mature technology can become TechForGood by addressing new users or in another context.
7. Resource transparency: who makes the product? Where ?
8. Accessible to people in need of digital assistance. Ease of use.
9. Integrity and sincerity of the founders and the team, origin and transparency of funding.
10. Awareness by the founding team of the consequences (beneficial or harmful) of the use of technology.

And today you find new products or services that fall into this category. Food (Yuka, ToGoodToGo), cosmetics (Respire, Umai), sharing (Geev), and transport with the best known: BlaBlaCar.

What about eiver : TechForGood or not TechForGood ?

But can we say that eiver belongs to this category?

If you already know us and are driving with us, you have already understood that some criteria were met. No debate for criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, you see it and tell us every day. Indeed we seek to provide a technical solution that benefits all drivers and not only a part of them, which responds to the problems of car budget, accident risk and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions greenhouse (GHG).

Criterion 6 evokes the fact that one does not have to be new to a technology to be TechForGood. So there is no need to fulfill criterion 6 since eiver effectively brings one more innovation: the reward of responsible driving.

For Criterion 7, this is an opportunity to talk about it. All our developers are located in France. Our cloud services are also hosted in France, by our partner IBM. We favor local employment and it is part of our identity. this allows us to have the support of institutions and banks. The French Public Bank for Investment (BPI) has been our partner since the very beginning, and we have obtained the label of Young Innovative Company, benefiting from the Research Tax Credit.

Criterion 8 is interesting: Designing a service that is easy to access and accessible to everyone is a founding principle at eiver. However, you must have a smartphone. But using the app is very easy. No whole pages of settings, but quick registration and a big central button to start recording journeys.

For criteria 9 and 10, we make you a combo: we have the conviction that it is only through the behavior of citizens that we will be able to fight against global warming and in particular in the use of transport. We know that many of our fellow citizens have no choice but to use their cars every day. they don’t always have the means to change it to more economical and less polluting vehicles, but we’re providing a solution. And that’s why we get up every morning.

We are not a subsidiary of a large automobile group and do not have financing from a major in the energy or transport sectors. We are independent. Our funding comes from the founders and business angels who invested during our founding phase and from customers who buy our content marketing programs from the Challenges and Rewards area.

As for the possible perverse effects, yes we are also aware of it. The major risk is to encourage users to drive more and therefore to pollute and consume more. And that’s why we set conditions for participation in challenges that do not encourage you to ride more than you should. In addition, all journeys of less than 5 km are not taken into account in the scores and the classifications.

Driving responsibly saves money. The driving is smoother, reducing the risk of road accidents and consuming less fuel, resulting in lower CO2 emissions.

So download eiver and kill four birds with one stone! Savings, great deals and discounts, fewer accidents and a preserved planet.