REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has partnered with Zūm, a leader in modern student mobility, to be an official transportation provider during the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament in Los Angeles.

From June 12 – July 10, Zum will deliver shuttle service at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium for Zones 1, 2 and 3 for athletes, teams and ticket holders during eight World Cup matches, including the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) opening match. This decision reinforces Zum’s reputation as a trusted mobility provider and its growing momentum across the country.

“At Zum, we take great pride in providing safe, reliable and equitable mobility for thousands of schools nationwide,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “FIFA World Cup 2026 will give millions of fans all over the world a chance to connect and celebrate, and, through this partnership with LA Metro, we are honored to be part of it. We look forward to serving athletes and fans at this historic event in Los Angeles.”

Zum is a national leader in modern student mobility. Adopted in 17 states, serving over 4,500 schools in some of the largest districts in the country, including Los Angeles Unified, Boston Public Schools, San Francisco Unified, Omaha Public Schools, and Kansas City Public Schools. It is revolutionizing mass mobility with Zum CMX, a fully integrated system that coordinates people, vehicles and operations in real time.

In addition to student mobility, Zum’s charter services provide bus and van rentals for school trips, sports travel, vacations and other events. Zum’s state-of-the-art vehicles are fully updated with the latest technology and are priced fairly.

Benefits of Zum include highly trained drivers that meet all state and federal requirements along with the Zum CMX system that optimizes routes, reduces ride times and increases transparency and communication between families, drivers and schools.

To learn more about how Zum is leading the nation in safe and reliable student mobility, visit www.ridezum.com.

About Metro

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries nearly 1 million boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and six rail lines. The latest October 2025 customer experience survey showed that customer satisfaction has risen to 87%. Stay informed by following Metro on The Source and El Pasajero at metro.net, facebook.com/losangelesmetro, x.com/metrolosangeles, x.com/metroLAalerts and instagram.com/metrolosangeles.

About Zum

Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

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Zūm’s AI-Powered System Is Addressing Pain Points and Driving Measurable Results for School Districts Nationwide

According to new research conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, 54% of parents report their child has expressed worry or concern about using school transportation. This anxiety – caused by uncertainty, delays, and disruption in getting to and from school – doesn’t end when students arrive; it shows up in the classroom and makes learning harder. It ripples through families and school communities every single day. Based on missed school days and late bus arrivals alone, legacy systems create approximately 55 billion lost instructional minutes per year, or roughly $15 billion in wasted educational spending.

The research identifies a widespread but under-recognized problem, which Zum calls the “Transportation Anxiety Crisis.” This anxiety can show up in the classroom, making it harder for students to learn in the classroom.

Zum is transforming student mobility nationwide — and easing transportation anxiety — through its fully integrated Connected Mobility Experience (CMX) system that connects people, vehicles, and operations in real time, creating reliable, transparent and efficient transportation for families and schools.

“Before Zum, we had no real-time visibility,” says Kim Raney, Executive Director of Transportation, Procurement, & Warehouse – Business Operations for Oakland Unified School District (CA). “Parents would call asking where the bus was, and by the time we got an answer, the child was already home. Now everyone sees the same information and the anxiety just disappears.”

Addressing Transportation Anxiety

Zum CMX is a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered system that is enabling transportation operations to move from disconnection and anxiety to measurable improvements in reliability, transparency, and efficiency for students and districts nationwide.

Adopted in 17 states, Zūm CMX now provides a unified, connected system across more than 4,500 schools, enhancing the overall student experience for each stakeholder — students, parents, school, districts, drivers and operators.

Making a Difference in School Districts Coast-to-Coast

Zūm CMX is being adopted by major districts from coast-to-coast, including Omaha Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, Kansas City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified, and San Francisco Unified.

Unlike traditional systems that rely on disconnected vendors and manual processes, Zūm CMX is an AI-driven system that integrates apps and dashboards, platform capabilities, operations, people, and physical infrastructure. Zūm CMX seamlessly orchestrates routing, dispatch, workforce management, safety systems, and stakeholder communications within a single operating model to deliver delightful mobility experiences to all stakeholders.

Improving the Lives of Students and Families – One District at a Time

Zūm CMX is benefitting students, parents, schools, drivers and operators in measurable ways:

The results in Kansas City Public Schools are stunning:

• One year after being implemented, Zūm CMX has driven an 89% increase in ridership
• Transportation-related absences went from 25% to 5.6%
• Student attendance increased by 2.5% and extracurricular competitive access by 150+%
• Graduation rate hit a decades-high of 88.6%

A Proven Approach to Student Mobility

Zūm CMX is improving access to education while helping districts save money. It is ensuring students arrive at school safely and on time so they are ready to learn — while keeping parents and schools connected at every turn.

Learn more about how Zūm CMX is delivering modern transportation solutions to thousands of schools nationwide at www.ridezum.com.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today Zūm, the leader in modern student mobility, announced the deployment of an all-electric school bus fleet to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Powered by Zum’s Connected Mobility Experience (CMX) solution, the deployment will combine electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, routing intelligence, real-time operations, and transparency for families into its single integrated transportation system. All electric buses will be supported by modern charging infrastructure with built-in bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, making this bidirectional electric school bus fleet the largest in the United States.

Zum celebrated Phase One of the electrification effort today at a groundbreaking event attended by local and state leaders, including State Senator Scott Wiener; Superintendent Maria Su; San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu; SFUSD Commissioner Gupta and SFUSD Commissioner Ray.

“Today marks a major achievement in Zum’s national electrification efforts as well as an exciting evolution of our successful partnership with San Francisco Unified School District,” said Ritu Narayan, CEO of Zum. “This state-of-the-art electric fleet, combined with Zum’s CMX technology, will improve the mobility experience for students, families, and drivers while strengthening grid reliability and resiliency for the entire community. We are building connected mobility infrastructure that benefits both schools and cities.

In August of 2026, Zum will deploy 104 electric school buses with bidirectional charging infrastructure in San Francisco. These buses will provide quiet, zero-emission transportation to students and will have the capability to return approximately 3 gigawatt-hours of clean energy to the local grid annually during peak hours, providing power to 1.2 million homes for up to 3-4 hours. Plans include adding additional electric buses to complete the 2027-2028 school year to make a total of 238 EVs with bidirectional charging in San Francisco.

This project has been made possible through the strong support of EPA Region 9, the California Energy Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and PG&E through a combination of grants and incentive programs focused on advancing clean transportation, electrification, and grid resilience infrastructure.

“This investment reflects our commitment to improving the daily experience for students and families by providing safer, quieter, cleaner, and more reliable transportation to and from school, while also advancing the district’s long-term operational and sustainability goals,” said Superintendent Dr. Maria Su. “Through the partnership between SFUSD, Zum, our Board of Education, the City of San Francisco, transportation staff, and families, we are building a transportation system designed to better serve students today and support future generations.”

“This milestone represents a historic moment for San Francisco Unified and the city’s broader sustainability goals,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “These electric school buses will deliver cleaner air and a quieter ride for students, giving them the best possible start to the school day. During peak demand hours, the buses will return energy to the local grid, improving affordability and resiliency for the city. Together, Zum and SFUSD are setting a national standard for cleaner, more sustainable transportation.”

A Five-Year Record of Modernization Through Zum CMX

SFUSD chose Zum to modernize student transportation through Zum’s Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) -a fully integrated technology and operations system that connects people, vehicles, and infrastructure in real time.

Partnering with Zum, students, families, and schools across the district have experienced:

• 98% on average on-time performance;
• 100% route coverage with zero driver shortages;
• Competitive pay, guaranteed hours, and full benefits for drivers;
• Approximately $3.5 million in annual transportation cost savings for the District, reducing the transportation budget by 10%;
• Real-time bus tracking, ETAs, and live communication through the Zum parent app, which has received more than 392,100 five-star ratings from SFUSD families.
• The Zum CMX system orchestrates the entire transportation ecosystem -from routing, dispatch, and fleet operations to driver workflows, parent communication, and energy management – creating a more reliable, transparent, and efficient experience for all stakeholders.

Electrification That Benefits the Entire Community

Zum’s electric fleet in San Francisco will strengthen grid resilience by enabling school bus batteries to return energy to the local grid at scale when not in use. This vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capacity transforms what has traditionally been an underutilized transportation asset into a strategic distributed energy resource — improving reliability, maximizing the value of district infrastructure, and supporting long-term sustainability goals.

Integrated through Zum’s CMX platform, the electric fleet and charging network will enable real-time intelligent orchestration of transportation operations and energy use, helping optimize fleet performance while supporting grid stability during peak demand periods.

A proven leader in electrification and V2G technology, Zum launched the nation’s first all-electric school bus fleet in 2024 in Oakland. In April, Zum announced the deployment of a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools, which will make Branford the largest fully electric school district in the Northeast with V2G capabilities.

Adopted in 17 states across more than 4,500 schools, Zum partners with major districts including Omaha Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, Kansas City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified, and Seattle Public Schools. Zum’s fully integrated Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system is designed to connect people, vehicles, and operations in real time, reducing anxiety and creating reliable, safe, and seamless transportation for families and schools.

To learn more about how Zum is leading the nation in safe, reliable, and connected student mobility, visit Zum.

About Zum

Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – The Women Presidents Organization (WPO) has named Zūm to its list of the 2026 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies, supported by J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking.

Zum ranks No. 4 on this year’s list, which highlights the impressive scale, growth, and impact of women-owned or led enterprises around the world. To be eligible, all companies must be privately held, women-owned or led, and must have reached annual revenues of at least $500,000 in each of the last five years.

“Zum is proud to be modernizing mobility systems in more than 4,500 schools nationwide through Zum CMX, a fully integrated system designed to eliminate the anxiety, uncertainty, and lack of visibility that have plagued student transportation for decades,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “We are honored to be recognized on this prestigious list of the 2026 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies, and appreciate all of our team, customers, investors and partners who support our mission.”

“The women leading the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies are not only scaling successful businesses, they are navigating change, seizing opportunity, and setting the pace within their industries,” said Camille Burns, CEO of the Women Presidents Organization. “Their collective impact reflects the growing influence of women at the highest levels of business. These companies are redefining what scalable leadership looks like today.”Companies on the 2026 list represent a wide array of industries, including travel and hospitality, digital marketing, manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, human capital solutions, information technology and more. Combined, the 2026 50 Fastest generated $8.5 billion in revenue and employed more than 23,000 people in 2025 alone.

Zum’s technology-led and data-driven approach improves transparency, communication, and efficiency while delivering a safer, more reliable experience for students and families. The company recently announced a $100 million strategic investment from TPG, bringing its total funding to $430 million and valuing Zum at $1.7 billion.

Adopted in 17 states, Zum delivers its unified system across more than 4,500 schools, including Omaha Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, Kansas City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified, and San Francisco Unified. Zum’s fully integrated Connected Mobility Experience (CMX) system connects people, vehicles, and operations in real time, reducing anxiety and creating reliable, safe and seamless transportation for families and schools.

The 2026 honorees will be formally recognized during the WPO Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum on May 7 in Hollywood, Florida. See the full list of the 2026 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies at women-presidents.com/news-events/50-fastest.

To learn more about how Zum is leading the nation in safe and reliable student mobility, visit www.ridezum.com.

About Women Presidents Organization (WPO)
The Women Presidents Organization (WPO) is a non-profit membership organization where dynamic and diverse women business leaders around the world tap into collective insight with exclusive access to entrepreneurial equals, innovative ideas, and executive education. WPO members have guided their business to generate at least $2 million USD in gross annual sales (or $1 million USD for a service-based business). Each WPO chapter serves as a professionally-facilitated peer advisory group for members where they can harness the momentum of their successes and cultivate new strategies that will take them even farther. Learn more at women-presidents.com.

About J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking
J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking is a business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $4.4 trillion and operations worldwide. Commercial Banking serves emerging startups to mid-corporate businesses as well as government entities, not-for-profit organizations, and commercial real estate investors, developers and owners. Clients are supported through every stage of growth with specialized industry expertise and tailored financial solutions including digital banking and payments solutions, credit and financing, international banking, advisory services and more. Information about J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking is available at www.jpmorganchase.com/commercial.

About Zum
Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., — Zūm, the leader in Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), today announced a $100 million investment from TPG, bringing the company’s total funding to $430 million and valuing Zum at $1.7 billion. TPG is making its investment through The Rise Funds, the multi-sector strategy of its global impact investing platform, and in connection with the investment, Steve Ellis, a Managing Partner of The Rise Funds, will join Zum’s Board of Directors.

The funding follows the introduction of the Zum CMX platform, a Connected Mobility Experience designed to address the fragmentation, delays, and lack of visibility that have long defined student mobility. New research unveiled today quantifies the impact of this antiquated system, identifying that 54% of parents report their child experiences worry or concern about school transportation—contributing to what Zum calls a nationwide “Transportation Anxiety Crisis” — and roughly $15 billion educational loss a year.

Together, these developments reflect a growing recognition that while transportation moves vehicles, mobility is about moving people, and that daily experience has remained largely unchanged for decades.

“Every day, millions of students depend on systems that were never designed to work in real time,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “Zum CMX is our answer — a system we have been building and refining across 4,500 schools that brings visibility, coordination, and reliability to daily mobility. This funding allows us to accelerate what we know works and bring it to every student in America.”

Investor Conviction in a Category-Defining Platform
“TPG invested in Zum because it’s the leading innovator in one of the largest and most underserved critical transportation markets in the country,” said TPG’s Steve Ellis. “By fundamentally redesigning how student mobility is managed in real time, Zum’s fully integrated AI powered system is delivering measurable gains in reliability, efficiency, and outcomes for students, their families, and school districts across the country.”

This is a category-defining movement. Zum is not just improving student mobility —it is fundamentally redesigning how people, vehicles, and operations are coordinated in real time.

Across the $50 billion student mobility market, the largest segment of mass mobility, millions of daily rides are still managed through fragmented systems that lack real-time coordination. Zum CMX addresses this by integrating routing, dispatch, workforce management, safety, and communication into a single, continuous operating system.

Scaling Across School Districts Nationwide
Zum currently operates across more than 4,500 schools in 17 states, serving some of the largest districts in the country, including Los Angeles Unified School District, Boston Public Schools, San Francisco Unified School District, Omaha Public Schools, and Kansas City Public Schools.

The $100 million investment will accelerate:

Expansion of Zum CMX across additional school districts nationwide.
Continued investment in AI-driven coordination and predictive operations.
Scaled infrastructure to support large-scale, real-time mobility system.

Proven Outcomes at Scale
Zum CMX is already delivering measurable results across every district it serves:

98% on-time bus arrival rate on average.
20% reduction in bus fleet size through route efficiency.
4.9 out of 5-star parent satisfaction across more than 1.7 million reviews.
Up to 10% reduction in annual transportation costs for the San Francisco Unified School District.
These outcomes demonstrate how improved transportation reliability directly impacts attendance, learning readiness, and district financial sustainability.

The Transportation Anxiety Crisis
The investment coincides with the inaugural Zum Mobility Symposium in Sunnyvale, where school district leaders, policymakers, and researchers will gather to discuss the future of student mobility. At the event, Zum will formally introduce CMX as a new category and unveil research from NORC at the University of Chicago.

The findings highlight a system that was never designed to operate in real time, in which routing, dispatch, communication, and safety have historically operated in silos, creating anxiety for families and inefficiencies for districts. Zum CMX is designed to eliminate these root causes by bringing visibility, coordination, and accountability to every ride.

About Zum
Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

About TPG
TPG is a leading global alternative asset management firm, founded in San Francisco in 1992, with $303 billion of assets under management and investment and operational teams around the world. TPG invests across a broadly diversified set of strategies, including private equity, impact, credit, real estate, and market solutions, and our unique strategy is driven by collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. Our teams combine deep product and sector experience with broad capabilities and expertise to develop differentiated insights and add value for our fund investors, portfolio companies, management teams, and communities.

About The Rise Funds
The Rise Funds are a core pillar of TPG’s global impact investing platform. Founded in 2016 by TPG in partnership with Bono and Jeff Skoll, The Rise Funds invest behind impact entrepreneurs and growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that are focused on building and scaling solutions to the world’s most complex challenges. The Rise Funds deliver capabilities and expertise across a wide variety of sectors and countries at scale, focusing on opportunities in climate and decarbonization, education, financial inclusion, healthcare, and impact technology.

TPG’s Impact Platform is the world’s largest of its kind, managing approximately $31 billion in assets across a family of funds that pursue non-concessionary returns and social and environmental impact at scale through growth equity, private equity, and infrastructure investing strategies.

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Transforming Student Transportation

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS), in Missouri, significantly improved their student experience and academic readiness by overhauling its transportation system, focusing on four crucial areas: student achievement, modern technology, driver experience, and stakeholder feedback. This transformation addressed long‑standing reliability issues and introduced technology‑driven, safety‑focused solutions that strengthened daily school operations and supported better student outcomes.

Executive Summary & Background

KCPS, which serves more than 15,000 students across a geographically diverse region and a complex service model—including neighborhood schools, magnet schools, overflow schools, and grandfathered ridership guidelines requiring cross-district travel—had faced decades-long challenges with student transportation.

The district struggled with uncovered routes, severe driver shortages, limited data visibility, rising operational costs, and growing frustration from families due to unreliable service and outdated routing systems.

Before modernization:

• The previous contractor operated an aging fleet
• Routing was performed with legacy software that required manual updates
• Communication was limited, with no mobile app for families or administrators
• Driver shortages created daily unpredictability including extremely delayed and frequently cancelled routes

By partnering with a technology-driven transportation provider and implementing a modern, data-enabled approach, KCPS achieved significant improvements in reliability, safety, and communication. Within one year, the district deployed modern technology, addressed major driver shortages, improved on-time performance, and strengthened community trust through greater transparency and consistent service.

The Challenge

KCPS’s transportation system was struggling to meet the needs of students and families. Key issues included:

• 25% driver shortages: 30 driver shortages (of 120 total drivers needed), representing a 25% driver shortage that was compounded by high driver absences.
• No reliable data tracking: No data management system to monitor on time performance.
• Limited visibility and communication: Families and schools had no real time tracking or capability to contact support or give feedback effectively.
• Instructional time lost: Transportation-related disruptions adversely impacted student time in the classroom.
• Failing audit and compliance: Consistently failed to meet state reporting requirements.
• Aging fleet: An aging fleet—prone to breakdowns and lacking air conditioning and modern technology—contributed to chronic absenteeism, family frustration, staff fatigue, and instability in district funding.

The Transformation

One year prior to a bid process, the district began collecting data and engaging all stakeholders for feedback to identify priorities and areas of concern related to transportation. Input was gathered from parents, teachers, building administrators, support staff, special education, students-in-transition, student support staff, central office administrators, bus drivers, transportation staff, athletics, community partners, and board members.

By November, the district launched a comprehensive bid process focused on solving its greatest operational gaps:

• Transitioning to a technology‑enabled fleet with GPS, safety monitoring, and real‑time data
• Implementing dynamic routing software to optimize routes and reduce ride times
• Introducing a family app for real‑time bus tracking and communication
• Deploying a continuous training and onboarding plan to drivers and monitors
• Establishing a data dashboard for district leaders to monitor performance daily
• Solving the long-standing driver shortage

The goal was simple: Identify and implement a technology-led, data-driven solution with measurable outcomes to create a safe, reliable, modern transportation system that bolsters student achievement.

Implementation Approach

By March, the district had identified a transportation partner and co-created an implementation strategy with clear timelines and key milestones. This was organized in three phases:

Phase 1: Planning & Data Audit

• Fully assess staffing levels and fleet needs
• Assess facilities & renovations
• Conduct a full route analysis
• Identify inefficiencies and equity gaps
• Engage families, drivers, and school leaders

Phase 2: Technology Rollout

• Prioritize partnership launch & hiring initiatives
• Integrate technology with SIS system
• Establish cadence of communication with key metrics
• Introduce tech‑enabled buses
• rain staff on new tracking apps & reporting
• Launch the family communication app

Phase 3: Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Weekly performance reviews with transportation partner
• Weekly staff training on bus app tracking and reporting
• Fully engage leadership team on weekly feedback
• 30-day stakeholder feedback on implementation/progress
• Align district practices to transportation guidelines

Results & Impact: Quantitative Outcomes

 

Stakeholders Feedback

• 97% of stakeholders rated overall service as reliable
• 96% of stakeholders rated overall OTP as consistent
• 91% of stakeholders rated modern technology as positive

Student-Centered Outcomes

The modernization directly improved student experience:

• Transportation absences decreased by 86% (from 2024-2025) driven by modern, reliable transportation
• The graduation rate reached a decade high of 88.6%
• Student attendance increased by 2.5% district-wide
• Student extracurricular competitive access increased 150+%

Transportation became a lever for access, strengthening students’ ability to fully participate in all program activities and significantly improving the overall student experience while meeting and/or exceeding district goals.

Stakeholder Perspectives: Superintendent

“Zum’s proven track record, along with its enhanced communication and equity-focused decision making, has greatly benefited our students, families, and drivers. In Kansas City, we appreciate their commitment to safety, efficiency, transparency, and student-centered, technology-led, and data-driven approach. It has been a game-changer for KCPS and our community.”

Dr. Jennifer Collier
Superintendent
Kansas City Public Schools

Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., -Zūm, a leader in student mobility, today announced unaudited 2025 financial highlights, reflecting sustained growth at scale as the company expands in the $50 billion student mobility market, the largest segment of the mass mobility industry, and one of the last segments still underserved by AI and cloud technology. While the industry has historically been defined by fragmented, analog transportation services, Zum is pioneering a mobility experience that is replacing traditional approaches to operating yellow buses with a modern, fully integrated mass mobility ecosystem.

2025 Financial Highlights:

Revenue of $333 million, up 35% year-over-year.
Four-year revenue CAGR of greater than 40%.
Over $2 billion in Total Contract Value (TCV).
Adjusted EBITDA1 breakeven and steadily improving contribution margin.

“Every weekday, 26 million American students ride the school bus — three times more passengers than U.S. airlines carry — making it the largest mass transportation system in the country and one of the last to undergo technological transformation,” said Ritu Narayan, Zum Founder and CEO. “For too long, families have faced morning anxiety, wondering if the bus will arrive, if it is safe, and when their kids will get home. We are redefining mobility by moving far beyond legacy models to create a connected, intelligent system for the communities we serve. In student transportation, that means replacing legacy infrastructure with a dynamic, technology-enabled platform — transforming what was once a standalone service into a responsive ecosystem that anticipates and adapts to the needs of districts and families.”

Durable Business Model Driving Scalable Growth
Across the United States, forward-thinking school districts have moved away from the status quo and adopted Zum as their transportation provider. In these districts, Zum has transformed their transportation systems into state-of-the-art operations characterized by enhanced visibility, improved safety standards, real-time data that provides full transparency, and measurable performance outcomes.

Today Zum serves more than 4,000 schools across 15 states, including major districts such as Branford (CT), Kansas City (MO), Los Angeles (CA), Oakland (CA), Omaha (NE), Roanoke City (VA), San Francisco (CA), and Seattle (WA). Zum’s business model is built on structural advantages to drive predictable, profitable growth:

Long-term contracted revenue: 5-10 year agreements with school districts, delivering predictable cash flow, with an established track record of improving profitability.

Exceptional retention: Strong customer loyalty, with growing revenue as existing customers expand their utilization of Zum services.

“Our strong unit economics and long-term contracted revenue demonstrate the scalability of our platform,” said Daniel Berenbaum, Zum’s Chief Financial Officer. “We achieved Adjusted EBITDA breakeven while growing revenue 35% year-over-year, validating our disciplined approach to expansion. Student mobility is one of the last major undigitized sectors, representing a $50 billion segment of the mass mobility industry. While legacy competitors manage physical assets, Zum is deploying a modern, scalable system driven by technology, operational excellence, and safety – using real-time data to connect people, vehicles, and the energy grid, delivering better outcomes for all.”

AI-Powered Technology Driving Reliability and Safety
Zum uses AI and advanced technologies to ensure drivers take the most efficient, logical routes, a significant departure from traditional routing methods that have been used for decades. The system is designed specifically for the unique requirements of student mobility, from complex routing algorithms that account for tiered bell schedules and custom needs, to safety protocols that meet and exceed both bus company and ride-share standards. Zum’s platform also includes mobile apps and web dashboards for students, parents, drivers, dispatchers, and school administrators, enabling enhanced visibility, greater trust, streamlined communication, and incident-tracking capabilities, all powered by real-time data in a single integrated platform.

Modernizing Infrastructure and Powering the Grid
Zum’s electrification strategy represents yet another step in modernization, turning an underutilized asset into an energy resource to power the grid. Zum’s groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology transforms school bus parking yards into virtual power plants, storing and distributing energy to support grid resilience. Zum made history in the 2024–25 school year by deploying the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet in the Oakland Unified School District in California, and recently announced plans to launch a fully electric fleet with V2G capabilities for Branford Public Schools in Connecticut beginning in the 2026–27 school year.

Delivering Measurable Impact at Scale
Zum’s impact is measurable and significant:

Reliability: On average, 98% on-time performance.

Cost Savings: San Francisco Unified has cut annual transportation costs by up to 10% using Zum’s technology-driven platform to optimize routes, fleet utilization, and daily operations. That budget flexibility can enable districts to reinvest directly in classroom priorities such as instructional resources, staffing, and student support, strengthening both academic outcomes and long-term sustainability.

Transformational Customer Impact: With Zum, school districts use up to 25% fewer assets by utilizing a multi-size vehicle fleet, spend up to 20% less time through optimized routes, and report 30% higher asset utilization throughout each day.

Efficiency: Through intelligent routing, Oakland Unified has cut one‑hour or longer commutes from 70% to under 10%, and San Francisco Unified has reduced average bus stop time from 3 minutes to just 8 seconds.

Student Experience: Parents have rated Zum with a 4.9 out of 5-star rating in student experience across 1.5 million reviews.

Attendance: After partnering with Zum, Kansas City Public Schools saw an 89% increase in ridership driven by improved reliability and reduced transportation-related absences in secondary schools from 25% to 5.6% during the 2024–25 school year.

Growth: Safely completed 68.5 million student rides in 2025, up 120% over 2024.

About Zum:
Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with a fully integrated platform that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum is designed to deliver a predictable, safe, and seamless experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,000 schools across 15 states rely on Zum’s advanced platform, with customers now deploying its groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology to modernize vehicles and strengthen grid resilience. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, and SoftBank. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

The post Zum Achieves Record Revenue in 2025, Scaling Rapidly in the Largest Mass Mobility Market appeared first on School Transportation News.

At thousands of schools across the country, Zum’s integrated technology system is transforming the daily student transportation experience through: Real-time bus tracking and proactive notifications that […]

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today, Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, announced that it will deploy a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools beginning in the 2026–27 school year, making Branford the largest fully electric school district with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in the Northeast. All electric buses will be supported by modern charging infrastructure, with built-in bidirectional V2G capabilities.

This announcement represents a significant moment for Branford and the evolution of student transportation nationwide. As the largest school district in the Northeast to fully electrify its school bus fleet, Branford is demonstrating that clean, reliable electric student transportation is not a future ambition, but a current possibility for school districts across the country.

The electric fleet is designed with the future capability to strengthen grid resilience by enabling school bus batteries to return energy to the local grid at scale when not in use. This vehicle-to-grid capacity transforms what has traditionally been an underutilized asset into a strategic energy resource — improving reliability, maximizing the value of district infrastructure, and supporting long-term sustainability.

Zum also provides the students and parents of Branford Public Schools with enhanced safety and reliability, reflected in a 98% on-time arrival rate to school. Through its parent app, families can see exactly where their children are during every ride to and from school — creating peace of mind for families each day.

Zum and Branford Public Schools announced the initiative today at Zum’s Branford student transportation yard during an event attended by local and state leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz.

Photo caption: Left to right: Sarah Skinner, Zum; Liz Sanchez, Zum; Chairman Peter Berdon;
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Superintendent Tranberg, Branford Public Schools;
Blaize Levitan, COO, Branford Public Schools; Jim Finch, Town of Branford; and
Charlotte Charbono, Zum.

“This marks a major milestone in Zum’s continued national electrification expansion and an exciting moment for student transportation,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “As we expand our electrification efforts to the East Coast and launch our first fully electric school bus fleet in the region, Branford is helping set a new national standard. With Zum’s technology platform and this state-of-the-art EV fleet, we are reimagining what’s possible — building a modern transportation system rooted in operational excellence and a relentless focus on safety that improves the experience for students, families, and drivers, sets kids up for success in the classroom, strengthens grid reliability and resiliency, and delivers lasting benefits to the entire community.”

“Branford Public Schools, in partnership with Zum, is committed to delivering a first-class transportation system that prioritizes students and families while setting a new standard for safety, reliability, and sustainability,” said Superintendent Christopher Tranberg. “Electric school buses with bidirectional charging capabilities create cleaner transportation today and have the potential to support grid resilience by returning energy from bus batteries back to the grid in the future.”

“Branford is proving that clean, reliable student transportation is possible today,” said Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “By deploying the largest fully electric school bus fleet in the Northeast, we are delivering cleaner air for kids, smarter infrastructure for communities, and a model for the nation.”

Photo caption: Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz delivers remarks at Zum’s Branford school bus yard.

In 2024, Branford Public Schools awarded Zum a 10-year student transportation contract with the goal of transitioning the district to a 100% electric school bus fleet within five years. Through its partnership with Zum, Branford Public Schools is now on track to achieve this transition within the first two years of the contract—three years ahead of schedule.

This achievement builds on Zum’s growing national momentum. Today, Zum partners with school districts across 15 states, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Omaha, Boston and Kansas City, delivering a fully integrated, transparent, and reliable transportation platform at scale. In the 2024–25 school year, Zum made history by deploying the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet in Oakland Unified School District in California.

To learn more about how Zum is working with thousands of schools to deliver safe, reliable and modern student transportation, please visit Zum’s website.

About Zūm

Zum is a technology-led, data-driven transportation company transforming student transportation—the largest mass transit system in the United States. Today, Zum provides turnkey, modern transportation solutions to more than 4,000 schools across 15 states and is expanding rapidly nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has raised over $350 million from leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, and SoftBank. Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times Fastest Growing Companies. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

About Branford Public Schools

Located in Branford, Connecticut, Branford Public Schools provides a high-quality, inclusive public education for students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The district is committed to academic excellence, student well-being, and equitable learning opportunities that prepare students to think critically, contribute to their communities, and navigate a changing world.

The post Zum Launches Its First Fully Electric School Bus Yard on East Coast appeared first on School Transportation News.