Come and Get Me

Austin's newest delivery service combines everything you love about Favor and Uber

Get Me, a brand-new app blending delivery and ride-sharing services, in Austin.

There are a plethora of delivery and ride-sharing apps available in Austin, but a new Texas-based startup offers the best of both services in one simple app.

Get Me, which launched in Austin on Thursday, is a multipurpose app that acts as a one-stop shop for a variety of offerings. A cross between Favor and Uber, Get Me not only connects you to "Go-Getters" who deliver items, but also picks you up at in-town locations.

"Rather than having all of those different apps, you have one app that's a personal concierge at the touch of a button," says Derek Dunlop, Get Me board advisor and senior product director. "We can basically do anything."

"You can do everything from one location," echoes Co-founder Jonathan Laramy.

The app is divided in two sections: "something" or "somewhere" (which also happens to be the company's slogan). "Something" can be as simple as coffee or as complicated as a grocery run. Users choose from pre-loaded stores or customize their order depending on the need. If you'd like to get "somewhere," you can specify the size of vehicle needed and a Go-Getter will pick you up.

Get Me rates reflect time of day and distance, and are outlined by zones centered around your location. The charge for a delivery or ride might be a little higher than competitors' price tags, but the company promises there are no hidden fees or surge pricing.

Get Me services are available in the greater Austin area, including the majority of Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties. The app is already operating in Dallas, where the company is based. "[In Dallas] it's about 60 percent deliveries and 40 percent rides. And it's not specifically food items," notes Laramy.

In addition to providing Austinites with much-needed services, the company also aims to promote the local economy. A Go-Getter job with Get Me is above minimum wage and boasts insurance coverage, and participating stores and restaurants are paid upon purchase.

"We want the consumer, the merchant, and the driver to have the best experience," says Laramy.

With a defined focus, Get Me is poised for major success. It's the only app of its kind operating in the United States and is rolling out to new markets in record time. In addition to Dallas and Austin, Get Me will launch in Houston this month. An introduction to Las Vegas is scheduled for November, and the company already has its eyes on the international market for next year.

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Ahead of ACL Music Fest, Get Me is hosting several hiring pop-ups for drivers at Aussie's Grill & Beach Bar. For more information on how to be a "Go-Getter," visit the company's Facebook page.

transportation apps

Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

traffic self-driving cars innovation