Smartphone-based GPS tolling, HOV verification, road user charging and dynamic road pricing without dedicated roadside hardware.
Carma Technology Corporation develops smartphone-based road pricing for GPS tolling, HOV verification, road user charging and congestion-pricing programmes. Founded in Ireland in 2007 by Sean O'Sullivan, it evolved from a ridesharing application into the GoCarma road-pricing platform. GoCarma automatically detects eligible travel using smartphone location and integrates with agency transaction systems. In Dallas-Fort Worth, about 80,000 people use it for HOV toll discounts across the 120-mile TEXpress managed-lane network. Carma has also been selected for Louisiana DOTD's 16-mile I-12 managed-lanes project and has run smartphone tolling and congestion-pricing demonstrations in Seattle and New York. The Texas Miles Matter RUC pilot enrolled more than 41,000 participants and captured over 64 million miles, making it the largest US RUC pilot reported to date. Texas A&M Transportation Institute independently evaluated the programme for statewide and multi-state planning. Carma publishes a transaction cost of less than US$0.18 for its smartphone approach; that is a vendor-reported operating metric rather than a direct forecast for New Zealand.
Hands-free smartphone application that functions as a toll tag without requiring physical hardware or roadside infrastructure. Automatically activates when entering tolled facilities, processes transactions using GPS positioning, and displays charges in real time. Available on iOS and Android. Processes over 1 million monthly transactions in Dallas-Fort Worth alone.
Smartphone-based system for automatically verifying high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) compliance on managed lanes. Uses Bluetooth and smartphone sensors to detect vehicle occupancy without manual inspection. Deployed across 120 miles of DFW TEXpress lanes, reducing HOV violation leakage rates to below 2%.
Cloud-based tolling solution that replaces traditional toll tags, gantries, and on-board units with smartphone GPS. Integrates with existing toll transaction processing systems. Proven at scale with two major toll operators in Dallas-Fort Worth. Per-transaction costs significantly lower than infrastructure-based alternatives.
Smartphone-based mileage tracking and billing platform for distance-based road user charges. Successfully demonstrated at unprecedented scale in the Texas Miles Matter pilot (41,000+ participants, 64 million+ miles). Hardware-free design allows agencies to adjust rules, corridors, and pricing structures quickly.
Location-based road pricing solution that can price any road based on real-time traffic flow, air quality, or policy objectives -- not limited to managed lanes or congestion zones. Demonstrated in New York City for Manhattan congestion pricing. Supports discounts for low-income drivers and high-occupancy vehicles.
Founded by Sean O'Sullivan as a research and development division of MapFlow, an Irish GIS company. Initially focused on real-time ridesharing technology.
Released a ridesharing app on the iPhone, matching riders to drivers in real time. One of the earliest smartphone-based mobility applications.
Incorporated in Ireland as Avego Limited (March 2009). Directors include Sean O'Sullivan, Lawrence Mulligan, Joseph Cunningham, and Alan Moore. Associated with University College Cork.
Rebranded from Avego to Carma, pivoting focus from ridesharing toward smartphone-based tolling and HOV verification technology.
Lawrence Mulligan appointed CEO after O'Sullivan relocated to the US. O'Sullivan remained on the board and continued involvement through SOSV, his venture capital firm.
Deployed GoCarma smartphone app for HOV verification on Dallas-Fort Worth TEXpress managed lanes in partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).
Selected by Louisiana DOTD to operate smartphone-based tolling on I-12 managed lanes in East Baton Rouge, the 4th most congested city in the US.
DFW operations reached milestone of processing over 1 million monthly transactions across 120-mile managed lane network, with 78,000 active commuters.
Launched GoCarma smartphone app in New York to demonstrate fairer congestion pricing. Set up in less than 30 days with MTA support, showing real-time transaction processing across Manhattan bridges and tunnels.
Completed the nation's largest Road Usage Charge pilot with Texas DOT and NCTCOG -- 41,000+ participants and 64 million+ miles captured, with independent evaluation by Texas A&M Transportation Institute. GoCarma also became available through the TIPS cooperative purchasing programme and was selected for Louisiana DOTD's 16-mile I-12 managed-lanes project in East Baton Rouge.
Chief Executive Officer
Appointed CEO in October 2014. Previously served as a director of Avego Limited (now Carma Technology). Has led the company's expansion into US tolling markets and transformation from a ridesharing app into a proven road pricing platform.
Founder & Board Member
Irish-American serial entrepreneur. Co-founded MapInfo (IPO 1997). Founder and Managing General Partner of SOSV, a venture capital firm with $1.5 billion under management. Invested $14.1 million in Carma through SOSV. Coined the term 'Cloud Computing'.
Head of Engineering
Leads Carma's engineering team across the GoCarma platform.
Chief Business Officer
Leads business development and partnerships across US and international markets.
Chief Product Officer
Oversees product strategy for GoCarma's tolling, HOV, and RUC platforms.
Carma Technology has demonstrated the most scalable smartphone-based RUC solution in the United States. The company's January 2026 Texas RUC pilot was the largest ever conducted in the US, enrolling 41,000+ participants and capturing 64 million+ miles -- exceeding the combined scale of all prior US RUC pilots. The independent evaluation by Texas A&M Transportation Institute confirmed that per-user administrative costs decline sharply at higher enrollment levels, addressing a key sustainability challenge for statewide RUC programs. Carma's hardware-free, infrastructure-free approach is particularly relevant to New Zealand's RUC modernisation, as the Ministry of Transport seeks third-party providers who can offer cost-effective RUC payment platforms for light vehicles from 2027.
