Students Armaan Kumar (left) and Keaton Pitcher have taken the Hawke's Bay Young Enterprise Scheme by storm with their rideshare courier concept. Photo / Connull Lang
Students Armaan Kumar (left) and Keaton Pitcher have taken the Hawke's Bay Young Enterprise Scheme by storm with their rideshare courier concept. Photo / Connull Lang
Two 17-year-old Hawke’s Bay students have impressed local Young Enterprise competition judges with their pitch for a company they think could potentially revolutionise the rideshare and courier markets.
CarGo, the brainchild of Lindisfarne College students Armaan Kumar and Keaton Pitcher, is envisioned as an integrated rideshare and appsystem offering same-day and even one-hour delivery for products from local businesses.
“Essentially, it’s Uber for goods delivery,” they say. Mitchell Hageman hears how two boys from Hawke’s Bay intend to take their vision to Silicon Valley heights.
With their yin and yang, dynamic duo skillsets, students Armaan Kumar and Keaton Pitcher are matching their tech and entrepreneurial prowess to have a crack at one of the most lucrative yet untouched markets in New Zealand.
Despite being in its infancy, their business concept, “CarGo,” blew away Hawke’s Bay Young Enterprise Scheme judges, earning them a $500 prize and a spot on about 30 businesses mailing lists.
CarGo intends to tap into high demand for short-distance local deliveries in New Zealand, utilising a ridesharing app system similar to the likes of Uber and Delivereasy.
The crowd-sourced delivery platform is designed to provide rapid, on-demand delivery services. The app will connect businesses and individuals with a network of independent drivers, offering same-day and one-hour delivery options.
“The goal is pretty much to allow businesses to provide their customers with same-day delivery because that’s something we’ve found there is huge demand for, especially overseas,” Pitcher said.
“The demand matches in New Zealand, but there is no service that really provides it, and a lot of businesses can’t invest in the overhead to provide their own same-day delivery options.”
Kumar and Pitcher said CarGo will support businesses by providing a cost-effective delivery solution while offering individuals a convenient way to receive their goods.
It would also benefit those who are unwell or physically unable to shop and those who are too busy to pick up items from town but still need them in a hurry.
“CarGo fills the gap, which means businesses can have higher output and consumers can get their products quicker and faster,” Kumar said.
“The idea is that if there is a shop 10km away, there’s no need for a courier to take 24 hours to get you that package. There are also some things that are urgent, and a courier will be able to drop them off but in a long time.”
In a similar model to Uber, drivers would be crowdsourced.
“It’s not something Uber has done in New Zealand or has done overseas to the same extent that we are looking at. It could also provide CarGo with a good exit strategy if someone like Uber or another company decides to pick it up in the long run,” Kumar said.
Pitcher primarily designed the branding and wanted to focus on simple icons and symbols, similar to many other Silicon Valley rideshare giants.
“The square represents a package, and the curve through it represents a seatbelt, and within it, you can see two arrows representing pick up and drop off.”
Complexity and potential for risk aren’t lost on the pair either. Their pitch addresses potential competition, saturation and legal complications that could arise.
“There are obviously a few things like insurance, so that’s something we would have to include in the price of delivery for that product,” Kumar said.
“There’s a lot more that gets a bit murky as well because it comes down to accountability. It’s not the easiest landscape to navigate, but we would look at introducing features such as GPS tracking and photos at the start and end of delivery to hold accountability.”
Pitcher said they had also been in touch with a lawyer.
“The other legal side has to do with driver contracts, whether they are employed by us or contractors.”
Armaan Kumar and Keaton Pitcher want to take their rideshare courier idea to Silicon Valley heights. Photo / Connull Lang
CarGo’s intention would be to launch in major cities, but Hawke’s Bay’s local advantage also gave the pair a “good testing ground.
“Major cities like Auckland and Wellington have same-day delivery from places like NZ Post, but compared to what we want to offer, they have early cut-off times like 3pm,” Pitcher said.
“A 1-hour model is the idea, straight to you and no driving around the city.”
Naturally, there will always be competition, but the pair believe their software and price options would make a bold stand in the market.
“We’ve done plenty of price comparisons,” Kumar said.
Both boys plan to attend university next year but hope to continue working on CarGo while they study.
And if things go as planned, Silicon Valley could be in their sights.
“That’s the dream.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
