Latest news with #Piston
Entrepreneur
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Entrepreneur
Piston Raises $6.1 Million to Modernize Fleet Fuel Payments and Expand Network
Currently, Piston serves over 120 fleets across 800 stations, processing more than $20 million in annualized volume and growing by 50 per cent month over month You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Piston, a startup aiming to overhaul how commercial fleets and gas stations handle fuel payments, has raised $6.1 million in seed funding led by Spark Capital, with participation from Pear VC and BOND. This round brings the total raised by the Cupertino and Lehi-based company to $7.5 million, following a $1.4 million pre-seed round through the PearX accelerator. According to a press release issued by the company, the capital will be used to scale operations and grow its network of fleet and gas station partners. Founded by former fleet operators Vikram Sekhon and Shivam Shah, Piston has developed a cardless payments platform designed to eliminate long-standing issues in the fuel ecosystem, including rampant card fraud and inflated retail pricing. Drivers make payments via a secure QR code generated by the Piston app, which ties each transaction to a specific vehicle, time, location, and fuel type. On the other end, gas stations plug directly into Piston's infrastructure, gaining access to real-time data and commercial customers without installing new hardware or relying on intermediaries. "Fuel was our second-largest expense after payroll, and the most chaotic to manage," said Vikram Sekhon, co-founder and CEO. "We tried every solution on the market when we ran our own fleets, and none of them worked. So we decided to build one ourselves from scratch without the baggage of legacy card networks." Currently, Piston serves over 120 fleets across 800 stations, processing more than $20 million in annualized volume and growing by 50 per cent month over month. For the 90 per cent of U.S. gas stations that are franchise-owned, Piston offers a direct path to commercial business. The company also has a growing presence in India. Its Kolkata office, launched in April 2023 with five people, now supports over 25 team members, including the entire engineering team. "Being from Kolkata and having lived and worked here for many years gave me the insight and conviction that we can build a world-class payments product from here," said co-founder Shivam Shah. "Piston isn't just replacing the fleet card, it's redefining the economics of commercial fuel payments," said Arpan Shah of Spark Capital. Shravan Reddy of Pear VC added, "They identified a huge problem impacting an underserved market, and we believe there is enormous opportunity." For fleet operators like Saga Kapital Group, the impact has been immediate. "We've lowered our fuel spend by double digits and cut reconciliation from two days to two clicks," said company president Ash Kapoor.
Entrepreneur
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Entrepreneur
Piston Raises USD 7.5 Million to Expand Cardless Fuel Payment Infrastructure for Fleets
The startup plans to use the funding to expand its engineering, operations, and go-to-market teams, as well as grow its network of fleet and gas station partners You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Piston, a payments platform designed for commercial fleet fuel transactions, has raised USD 7.5 million in total funding. The latest USD 6.1 million seed round was led by Spark Capital, with participation from Pear VC and BOND, following an earlier USD 1.4 million pre-seed round through the PearX accelerator. The startup, founded by former fleet operators Vikram Sekhon and Shivam Shah, operates a cardless fuel payment system that allows fleet drivers to pay at gas stations using app-generated QR codes. Each transaction is tied to specific data points such as vehicle ID, location, fuel type, and time, in an effort to improve traceability and reduce fraud. The system is aimed at replacing conventional fleet card systems, which are often criticised for high fees and limited control. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Piston also maintains a significant engineering and operations team in Kolkata, India, where the company has grown from five to over 25 employees since April 2024. The startup plans to use the funding to expand its engineering, operations, and go-to-market teams, as well as grow its network of fleet and gas station partners. According to company-provided figures, Piston is currently used by over 120 fleet operators across 800 gas stations, processing more than USD 20 million in annualised transaction volume. The company claims month-on-month volume growth of 50 per cent. Piston's model also offers independent gas stations. Many of which operate under franchise agreements, direct access to commercial fleet demand without needing to install new hardware. The platform is designed to work without integration with existing point-of-sale systems.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Spirit of Detroit jersey takes a stand against gun violence
He's dressed up as a Tiger, a Red Wing, a Piston and a Lion. But on Friday, June 6, the hulking Spirit of Detroit — the famous Marshall Fredericks bronze statue — got a new outfit to tout a different cause: putting an end to gun violence. Organizers credit Dr. Lawrence Diebel, a Detroit trauma specialist, for coming up with the idea to place an orange jersey on the Spirit of Detroit as a symbol. After years of treating gunshot victims in the city's emergency rooms, Diebel raised funds for the jersey from the public and other local physicians, fed up with the constant traumatic injuries they treat, according to a news release. 'Holding our End Gun Violence event at the foot of the Spirit of Detroit statue is a fitting location to symbolize our unity. The jersey is a symbol of what we've lost, the urgency of the moment, and a celebration of progress,' Diebel said in a written statement. "Although statistics show reductions in the number of victims of gun violence, we still have a long way to go to eradicate this epidemic." New approach to domestic violence in Warren to help victims, hold suspects accountable Hosted by the City of Detroit ERG Wellbeing Committee, the event was followed by a 'Stop the Bleed' training on how to respond to severe bleeding emergencies before first responders arrive, as well as a Community Mental Health Resource table and a Memorial Table for reflection. The annual Silence the Violence event at Church of the Messiah is set for Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. and will include a community resource fair until 2 p.m. Events happening across the state during June can be found on End Gun Violence Michigan's website at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spirit of Detroit dons new jersey calling for halt to gun violence
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Pistons Linked to Fan-Favorite Free Agent
The Detroit Pistons, around Cade Cunningham, are aiming to be a title frontrunner in a weak Eastern Conference as soon as next season. With the Cleveland Cavaliers suffering an early injury, the Boston Celtics devastated by Jayson Tatum's injury, and the New York Knicks having limited flexibility moving forward, being a frontrunner is not a crazy expectation. This summer, the Pistons will have to contend with Malik Beasley, Tim Haraway Jr., Paul Reed, Lindy Waters III, and Dennis Schroder all being free agents. Detroit will likely use its ample cap space to round out its roster, and adding a quality third-string center could be a priority. © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images While Steven Adams is far from a star, he has positively impacted every team he has played for, and can provide minutes, rebounding, and defense off the bench. Advertisement Detroit wouldn't need much out of Adams, as he'd be the third big man in the rotation behind Duren and Stewart, but Adams is still a rebounding machine and a bigger body than any current Piston," wrote The Athletic's Hunter Patterson. "He would likely be an inexpensive signing, but he'd add to the experience the veterans on Detroit's roster bring. Adams showed he still has more basketball left in him against the Warriors, so he's worth at least considering." Adams averaged 3.9 points and, impressively, 5.6 rebounds for the Houston Rockets this season. He shined in the postseason despite losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors, and the Pistons could use his veteran presence in a young frontcourt. Adams would slot into the depth chart behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, and based on his track record, would happily accept a lesser role in the name of team success. Check out the All Pistons homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: NBA Mock Trade Adds Star Scorer Next to Cade Cunningham on Detroit Pistons Related: Bill Simmons Suggests Detroit Pistons Trade for NBA Champion
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
NBA can't let its own rules turn a smart play into a cautionary tale
DETROIT — The game was already just under 11 hours long, or so it seemed. The Knicks were up a point. There were 0.5 seconds left. Jalen Brunson was fouled. As he approached the free-throw line, he looked at the Knicks' bench for guidance, but a player with the instincts of Brunson knows the right play here without being told: 1. Make the first shot. 2. Miss the second on purpose. It's especially the right play because the Pistons were out of timeouts at the end of Game 2, so once a Piston rebounded the ball, there would be a half-second for that player to grab it, twist in midair and in the same motion heave a discus toss toward the other end. There isn't a human alive who could pull that off. It's why it's smart and savvy to miss.
