Bungii launches on-demand hauling in Chicago; quirks of new markets steering KC startup’s agility
May 16, 2019 | Tommy Felts
Bungii is quickly seeing results in the third-largest U.S. city, as the sharing economy startup leaves its tire prints on yet another market.
“It’s early, but we are seeing very positive KPIs [key performance indicators] from the Chicago launch. It’s our fastest-growing record to date,” said Ben Jackson, co-founder of Bungii, which was founded in the Kansas City metro in 2015. “Each subsequent market is growing faster than the previous due to: 1) A better understanding and more precise customer acquisition model. and 2) Continuing progress we’re making from an operational standpoint.”
Co-founder Harrison Proffitt is on the ground in Chicago for the launch, fresh off opening the Miami market to Bungii’s platform this winter.
Click here to learn more about why Bungii was named one of Startland’s Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019.
Bungii’s elevator pitch: Bungii is an app that puts a pickup truck at your fingertips to help move, haul and deliver stuff around town. We’ve been compared to popular ride sharing app, but instead of moving people, we move people’s stuff.
Click here to download the app.
New cities expose ways to improve Bungii’s offerings to better fit individual geographic and demographic quirks, while still appealing to and serving a broad customer and driver base, Jackson said.
Kansas City boasts a high population of pickup trucks, for example, while Atlanta has some of the worst traffic nationally, he explained, also noting the experience of Washington D.C.’s high population density and urban landscape.
“Each market is different with unique challenges and intricacies,” Jackson said. “We’ve found that each must be approached with a learner’s mindset; we really need to understand what makes these markets tick and where the hot spots are.”
“I’m so proud of our team’s ability to adapt and overcome,” he continued. “We can handle anything a market throws at us.”
Such confidence is earned, in part, through Bungii’s 24-percent compound monthly growth rate in gross revenue, year to date.
“When drilling down on a single market (city) level, we’re still seeing strong, triple-digit annual growth, even from our most mature markets,” Jackson said.
Bungii expects to open operations in at least 10 new cities in 2019, Jackson told Startland previously.
“By the end of the year, we should be operating coast to coast,” he said.
Click here to learn more about Bungii’s service.

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Events Preview: Techweek highlights
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Coding & Cupcakes When: September 12 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Where: Sprint Accelerator Mothers and daughters are invited to attend sessions…
Cisco makes KC Smart City leadership change
The local man leading Cisco’s efforts with Kansas City’s Smart City project is moving on to a startup firm. Isaiah Blackburn, chief strategist for Connected and Innovative Kansas City, has departed Cisco to serve as chief strategy officer at Xaqt, a Kansas City-based data analytics firm, according to a report from the Kansas City Business Journal.…
TechAccel advances on two agriculture deals
Technology Acceleration Partners, or TechAccel, advanced two deals that significantly boost the group’s investment effort into the agriculture sector. The deals include a licensing agreement with Kansas State University for a patent on a bio-pesticide, and an equity investment in Benson Hill Biosystems. The private capital development company — founded by Michael Helmstetter and the Bicknell Family Holding Company — announced the…
Manufacturers notice growing KC inventor contest
You have 48 hours to make a product. And if you beat the competition for creativity, function and originality, you leave with $6,000. No pressure. Make48 is back in October with the group’s second inventor competition, incentivizing creativity and grit. Tom Gray, co-founder of Make48, said the group’s competition this Oct. 2 – 4 brings…


