Roundabout Technologies

What do they actually do

Roundabout makes software that controls existing traffic lights using video from off‑the‑shelf traffic cameras. In a live pilot in San Anselmo, CA, their system builds a live 3‑D map of vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians, updates it about 10 times per second, simulates signal options, and sends permitted timing changes to the city’s existing controller rather than replacing it company site, CBS.

Local reporting says the pilot cut average vehicle wait times by roughly 25–30%, and the town council voted to expand via a multi‑year agreement that includes a $46,000/year software license with a 5% annual increase CBS, GovTech. Today the product supports pedestrian/cyclist detection in crosswalks and “dilemma‑zone” aware timing; the system can be shut off remotely and the town has emphasized data ownership in its deployment company site, GovTech, CBS.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Small-town public works director / city manager: Needs a low‑risk, measurable fix for a complaint‑heavy intersection within a tight budget and cautious council; wants clear terms and evidence like the reported ~25–30% wait‑time cuts and the public $46k/year license example CBS, GovTech.
• City/county traffic engineer managing corridors: Wants to replace periodic manual retiming with coordinated, real‑time control that treats pedestrians and cyclists as first‑class users and reduces dilemma‑zone conflicts company site, GovTech.
• Transit operations manager / bus agency scheduler: Needs effective signal priority to keep buses on‑time without major vehicle retrofits; understands priority features may require transponders or extra integration work CBS, GovTech.
• State or county safety/capacity planner for high‑volume roads: Focuses on reducing crashes and unsafe yellow/red ‘dilemma‑zone’ events; needs control logic that can detect conflicts and adjust all‑red or timings to improve safety company site.
• Municipal procurement / IT or legal lead: Must ensure data ownership, privacy, and a remote shutoff are in place, and that the system integrates with existing controllers and procurement rules CBS, GovTech, company site.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Win hyperlocal pilots at one congested intersection in small towns/suburbs with a short, fixed‑price trial and third‑party measurement, using the San Anselmo results (~25–30% wait‑time reduction) as proof, plus a clear multi‑intersection follow‑on contract template (e.g., ~$46k/year license) CBS, GovTech.
• First 50: Scale regionally by partnering with local signal contractors and traffic‑engineering consultancies; standardize RFP language, pricing bands, controller integration kits, and privacy/data governance appendices to speed approvals company site, CBS.
• First 100: Pursue state DOT and transit corridor pilots with volume discounts and SLAs; secure channel agreements with controller OEMs and national integrators to be listed on standard vendor lists/RFPs, and publish independent safety/travel‑time studies to ease procurement company site, GovTech.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

There are 242,757 signalized intersections in the U.S., providing a practical ceiling for adaptive signal software adoption INRIX. Using the publicly reported San Anselmo license as a pricing anchor suggests a U.S. recurring‑license market on the order of low billions annually if broadly adopted GovTech.

Bottom-up calculation:

If the San Anselmo $46k/year town contract covers roughly 10–12 intersections, that implies ~$4k–$5k per intersection per year; multiplying ~$4.2k by 242,757 intersections yields roughly ~$1.0B/year in recurring software licenses (excludes install/services) INRIX, GovTech.

Assumptions:

• Treat San Anselmo’s $46k/year as a town/corridor license covering ~10–12 intersections (implied by expansion reporting).
• Assume all 242,757 U.S. signals are addressable and adopt similar software/pricing over time.
• Exclude hardware, installation, maintenance, and integration services from the recurring‑license TAM.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• NoTraffic: AI‑powered intersection control using sensors/cameras with adaptive signal timing; targets municipalities seeking automated operations.
• Rapid Flow Technologies (Surtrac): CMU‑spinoff offering the Surtrac adaptive signal control system for networked intersections and corridors.
• Miovision: Intersection hardware/software for detection, analytics, and signal operations; widely used by traffic agencies.
• Econolite: Major traffic signal controller and software vendor (e.g., EOS/Centracs) with adaptive and detection solutions used by cities.
• Iteris: Traffic detection and operations software provider (e.g., Vantage, ClearGuide/Signal Performance) supporting signal timing and analytics.