Rideshares
Stream the ride and the route to your squad, from the moment you get in to the moment you are back through the door.
About 3rd-i
It started with a phone call on a late night run.
3rd-i is the app our founder wanted on those runs. Live video, audio and location going to the people he trusted, and a real Safety Agent one tap behind them.
- Founded in Miami
- Dillon Abend, Founder and CEO
- 4 patents pending
The origin
Four moments that became a company.
Dillon Abend did not set out to build software. He set out to stop improvising.
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New Jersey
The run home
Late runs after dark, so he called a friend and kept them on the line until he was back through the door. The call was the safety plan.
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The pattern
Everyone was improvising
FaceTime and phone calls had quietly become safety tools. They do not record, they carry no safety features, and calling somebody at 1am to say nothing at all feels too formal to do every night.
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Miami
Rideshares, again and again
At the University of Miami he kept witnessing incidents in rideshares, and the only answer on offer was location sharing. A location tells you where somebody is. It never tells you what is happening.
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3rd-i
Show it, do not describe it
Live video, live audio and a live route, going to the people who chose to watch, with a 3rd-i Safety Agent one tap away and 911 escalation behind them.
Dillon Abend
Founder and CEO
Built 3rd-i as a University of Miami student, and still leads product, partnerships and go to market for the company today.
Our mission
Intelligent safety tools that create confidence.
We build for the ordinary moments where something could go wrong and usually does not. The ride. The walk. The check in. The night that turns.
Check ins
A nudge on a map instead of a text somebody has to compose. Answer with a location, a stream or a status in one tap.
Documentation
Streams record automatically, with transcription and summary, so an incident leaves evidence behind and not just a memory.
High risk moments
One tap puts a 3rd-i Safety Agent on your stream and your location, and they can escalate to 911 with all of it already attached.
Partnerships
Built with the families who know what was missing.
Four foundations shared their stories and their expertise with us. Each one changed something 3rd-i shipped.
WhatsMyName Foundation
Created in memory of Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who was murdered after getting into a vehicle she believed was her Uber. The foundation educates the public on rideshare safety.
What it shaped
Rideshare safety: shared live trips, streamed rides, and trusted contacts watching while you travel.
Gabby Petito Foundation
Created after Gabby Petito was tragically murdered while traveling across the country. The foundation supports missing persons cases, domestic violence prevention, first responder training and public education.
What it shaped
Picture in Picture mode, for more discreet streaming and recording outside the app.
Make Our Schools Safe
Founded by Lori Alhadeff after her daughter Alyssa was murdered in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. The foundation advances school safety through technology, preparedness and legislation, including Alyssa’s Law.
What it shaped
School safety: emergency communication, closest entry pinning and indoor mapping so responders reach people faster.
Baylie’s Wish Foundation
Created in honor of Baylie after a preventable tragedy following a night out. The foundation educates students on the hidden dangers of college life, rideshare safety and emergency preparedness.
What it shaped
College life: faster ways to ask for help and to keep friends and family informed when something does not feel right.
Funding and recognition
Raised while he was still in class.
Dillon raised a $1,000,000 pre-seed for 3rd-i as a University of Miami student, while leading product development, partnerships and go to market.
Backed by the University of Miami
A $100,000 investment and a $10,000 grant.
Selected by USTAAR, the University of Miami startup accelerator, for a $100,000 investment and a $10,000 non-dilutive grant to build 3rd-i.
$1,000,000
Pre-seed raised while still a student
$110,000
USTAAR investment and grant
2
First place pitch competition finishes
4
Patents pending
1st place, Harvard Alumni Angels Pitch Competition
1st place, University of Miami Business Plan Competition, $15,000
USTAAR, a $100,000 investment plus a $10,000 non-dilutive grant
Rice Business Plan Competition, 1 of 42 graduate-student-led startups selected worldwide from more than 500 applicants
4 patents pending covering our connectivity, safety and emergency technologies
Get 3rd-i
The app he wanted is on the App Store.
Download 3rd-i, pick the people who watch, and go. If you are covering a campus or a workforce instead of yourself, we do that too.