Ringing up ‘fast rescue system’ Road Ally

A mechanic fixed James Penner’s automobile last month in Ontario, but a Manitoba-made app connected him to the service.

When Penner’s vehicle needed a jump start after work, the Brampton, Ont., resident called his insurance provider’s roadside service program. They told him it would take more than two hours for help to arrive. It was late, so while he waited, Penner went online to search for alternatives.

That’s when he found Road Ally, a roadside assistance app that connects users to nearby mechanics.

Penner downloaded the app, requested help and received a quote for the job. A mechanic called to confirm an estimated time of arrival, Penner paid for the job via the app and the mechanic arrived shortly thereafter.

Fewer than 40 minutes after downloading Road Ally, Penner was back on the road.

“It’s a handy alternative for drivers,” he said in an email. “I know the app is still pretty new, but I really hope they expand to more cities across Canada soon.”

David Alao hopes so, too.

The Winnipeg-based entrepreneur created Road Ally after experiencing car troubles of his own — including a winter night in 2022, when he got his Dodge Caravan stuck in a back lane and CAA told him it would take at least four hours for help to arrive.

“If you’ve ever been in that situation, it’s a very, very bad situation,” the 41-year-old said. “(I thought), how can we build a fast rescue system? And that was how Road Ally came about.”

Alao and his seven-person team launched the app in 2024, and released a revamped version earlier this year.

Stranded drivers experiencing a flat tire, dead battery or empty gas tank can receive help in minutes from independent neighbourhood providers. If the driver isn’t sure what the problem is before requesting service, an AI agent will help diagnose the issue.

Users can also book automotive services such as oil changes, tire swaps and battery testing in advance through the app or gift automotive services to a loved one.

Auto repair businesses can register with the app to become “allies” and connect with drivers in need. Road Ally receives a commission from each transaction.

It’s not the first entrepreneurial endeavour for Alao, who was born and raised in Nigeria.

He and his family arrived in Winnipeg in January 2021, after the federal government granted him entry through its Start-up Visa program, which targeted immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build innovative businesses in Canada that can create jobs for Canadians and compete on a global scale. (The program closed in January.)

At the time, the married father of three was the founder and senior product manager at VacantBoards, an online marketplace for outdoor advertising.

While he’s still a VacantBoards shareholder, Alao’s main focus for the last few years has been Road Ally. It’s one of 90 startups currently supported by Manitoba Innovates, the organization dedicated to strengthening the province’s innovation ecosystem.

Alao has invested a six-figure amount of his own money — “less than $200,000 so far,” he said — into building Road Ally.

It’s available through the Apple and Google app stores in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom, but for now, its ally network is concentrated in Winnipeg, Brampton and Toronto, as well as parts of Maryland and California.

More than 1,000 people have requested help through the app and around 100 providers have registered their services. While those numbers are modest, Alao points out the company garnered those users without spending a single dollar on advertising.

Road Ally is practical, community-minded and built to solve a real problem, said Paul Card, chief executive officer at Manitoba Innovates. That makes it exactly the kind of startup his organization is excited to see grow.

“By connecting drivers with verified local support, Road Ally is bringing a safer, faster and more human approach to roadside assistance, while creating new opportunities for service providers across the ecosystem,” Card said in an email.

Road Ally will start looking for investors next month. Alao and his team are part of a few upcoming programs that will help them further develop the business.

“The rest of the year is going to be very busy for us,” he said.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca