Verizon’s latest push in connected cars will include more than just Wifi.
“The connected vehicle ecosystem is so much more than that,” Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Connect, told Cheddar. “What we do is essentially help customers to optimize their connection to their vehicles and their mobile resources more generally.”
The telecom giant invested $5 billion to launch “Verizon Connect” for consumers and companies on Tuesday. It’s a merger of three fleet management and mobile software brands, Telematics, Fleetmatics, and Telogis, which together will provide logistics and data analytics.
Irlando said the technology has already helped clients boost safety and productivity. He pointed to one customer in particular, online grocer FreshDirect.
“To improve driver behavior, they’re able to track speeding, harsh braking, harsh turns, seatbelt usage,” he said. “We provide solutions that are focused on safety and security, so think about solutions like automatic crash notifications.”
Umbilical cord blood banking platform Anja Health raised $4.5 million dollars in a seed round led by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Anja Health offers a personalized, doctor-backed cord blood bank, which lets new parents freeze stem cells from their child's umbilical cord so they can be used to treat diseases in the future. It's a process Anja has called 'Hollywood's best-kept secret,' as celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Serena Williams, and more have all banked their umbilical cord blood. Kathryn Cross, the founder of Anja Health, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Catching you up on what you missed in today's news. Elon Musk has increased his commitment to purchase Twitter to $33.5 billion, Apple is raising its hourly wages for retail stores to compete for talent, and Roblox has announced that it will be partnering with the medically prescribed video game ‘Endeavor’ to help treat patients with ADHD.
Actor Jimmy O. Yang is partnering with Chinese food chain Panda Express for his YouTube series "Jimmy's Kitchen." The comedian joined Cheddar News to talk about the partnership as well as upcoming ventures. "Panda Express could not be more perfect like even before this deal, I was just wearing a Panda Express hat for fun when I go outside," he said.
