Miles Announces Momentum for Its Universal Rewards Platform Including New Reward Partners and Investment by JetBlue Ventures, Porsche Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Miles, the world's first universal miles earnings program, announced a series of momentum updates today including new product enhancements, rewards partners spanning major brands, cities and transportation providers, and strategic investments by JetBlue Technology Ventures, Porsche Ventures, and Sony Innovation Fund.

Available now on Android and iOS, the Miles platform allows anyone with a smartphone to earn miles for all of their travel, regardless of their mode of transportation. Whether by car (as a driver, passenger or rideshare), plane, train, subway, bus, boat, bicycle, or on foot, Miles effortlessly awards your commute – with alternative or more sustainable modes of transportation rewarded even further.

Since its initial launch last July, Miles has quickly built momentum as the first universal rewards platform for all forms of travel – with rapid adoption on iOS as well as a strong partner ecosystem of more than 110 exclusive rewards from brands across categories now available. In total so far, Miles users have earned more than 270 million miles, redeeming approximately 40,000 rewards, with an average value of $20 per reward.

"Our vision is to deliver value for every mile traveled, across every mode of transportation, anywhere in the world" said Miles CEO and co-founder Jigar Shah. "Since our launch, we have executed tirelessly on our vision, and the value of Miles continues to grow for our tens of thousands of users as well as partners. Regardless of how or where you travel, every mile counts on our platform."

Miles also continues to bolster its advisory board and strategic investors with more than $5.75M in capital now raised. JetBlue Technology Ventures is leading the latest $2.25M funding round being announced today, with other investors including Porsche Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund and SAIC, China's leading automotive manufacturer. Other notable investors in Miles include Panasonic, Urban Us (VC); Scrum Ventures (VC) and Gabe Klein (Co-founder CityFi).

Designed to work seamlessly in the background, the Miles app automatically logs each trip from point A to B and the mode of transportation, while keeping data completely private. Users can easily view their miles earned per trip and receive personalized rewards with leading brands across categories – redeemable either online or at a nearby store.

"With Miles, no matter how you travel – by foot, bike, car, plane, or boat – you can earn rewards in a simple and unobtrusive way," said Bonny Simi, President of JetBlue Technology Ventures. "The wide variety of rewards available through the Miles app, coupled with the novel approach to earning them, puts Miles' program in a position to revamp customer loyalty."

"Sony Innovation Fund has been looking to broaden its mobility-related portfolio and our investment in Miles is a great way to do that," said Toshimoto Mitomo, Senior Investment Executive, Sony Innovation Fund. "Miles has gathered substantial traction since its initial launch and we look forward to working closely with the company as it further builds up its technology and broadens its reach."

"At Porsche, we want to accompany our customers throughout their daily lives, including all forms of their individual end-to-end mobility," said Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT. "With our follow-on investment in Miles, we further strengthen our partnership with a strong and experienced team. Our goal is not only to offer tailored digital products and services, but also to incentivize and reward more sustainable driving."

Delivering Value for More Than 75 Brands and Their Customers
New reward partners Miles is announcing today include Amazon Audible, Ray-Ban, Getaroom, Getaround, Harry's, Home Chef, illy, Oakley, Postmates, Saucy, Shipt, Rhone, Rockport, TOMS, Thrive Market, Vudu, among others. Miles also continues to expand its partnerships with transportation providers including Getaround, Silvercar, TravelCar and Zipcar.

In total, Miles now has more than 75 rewards partners, offering more than 120 exclusive rewards to users. Other major brands offering rewards though Miles include Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Cole Haan, and many more.

"In today's on-demand economy, local retailers, brands and transportation providers need to find new points of connection with customers while mobile," shares Paresh Jain, co-founder of Miles. "With Miles, mobility is rewarded as a universal behavior. In essence, we've created a new currency and marketplace where brands compete to present users with relevant, local rewards in the moment."

By leveraging the Miles' predictive AI platform, businesses and brands can deliver value to customers by offering to meet their Near Future needs as they travel, such as when someone needs a meal, a ride, or is likely to go shopping or purchase entertainment. This not only leads to increased customer loyalty and repeat visits, but also increased sales.

Delivering More Value to Commuters and Cities
Miles is also teaming with several cities and transportation authorities to promote greener travel. This week, Miles announced a partnership with the City of Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Transit, and Sacramento State to offer bonus miles and rewards to local commuters when they choose alternate or more sustainable forms of transportation (walk, bike, carpool or transit). Sacramento residents will also be eligible to complete special challenges to earn additional rewards though the app.

"Miles is an innovative program to incentivize low carbon travel options and helps the City meet its ambitious climate and mobility goals," said Hector Barron, Director, Public Works, City of Sacramento.

Contra Costa Transportation Authority also offers rewards through Miles platform to nudge users to choose public transit or stay off of highways during commute time. The city of Aspen also recently completed a pilot with Miles.

Across the board, Miles rewards all of its users who choose alternate forms of transportation. If a user carpools or takes a rideshare service (i.e. Lyft or Uber), they earn 2x miles. Users who ride the train or public transit receive 3x the miles. Ride a bike and receive 5x miles or choose to walk or run and earn 10x miles.

In the short months following its launch, the Miles platform has already made a positive impact – with 80% of Miles users opting for green travel such as carpooling, public transit, riding their bikes or walking on their daily commute.

Miles is available to download for free on iOS and Android devices. To learn more about Miles, visit http://www.getmiles.com.

SOURCE Miles