Biko: New app lets cyclists in Colombia make money

Global Business

New app lets cyclists in Colombia make money2

Today, cycling can make money for the tech sector. But a new Colombian app is giving riders themselves the chance to turn a profit simply from pedaling.

CCTV America’s Michelle Begue explains.

What if it paid to ride a bike? That is the premise behind a Colombian app called Biko.

By downloading the app and registering through their mobile device, bikers can keep tabs on every kilometer they ride.

In exchange, they get a digital coin called a Biko that can be used with any of the 80 companies that have signed on as partners.

Fast food chains, beauty salons, clothing stores, movie theaters are all among the businesses offering discounts for Biko users.

Since launching last spring, Biko claims its 70,000 users have biked more than seven million kilometers (434,9598 miles)- the equivalent of 180 trips around the world.

Bogota, though, has a vast pool of potential users – city officials estimate half a million people bike their streets on any given day.

Today the app is also available in Medellin and Mexico City. And Biko has its sights even further north. It’s expected to will launch the app in Vancouver, Canada, this September.