Metropolis: 2025 CNBC Disruptor 50

Founders: Alex Israel (CEO), Peter Fisher, Courtney Fukuda, Travis Kell
Release: 2017
Headquartered in: Santa Monica, California
Funding: n/a
Rating: n/a
Key technologies: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning
Industry: Fintech
Previous appearances of Discruptor 50 50 list: 0

Specializing in checkout-free payment systems, Metropolis Technologies is rapidly emerging as a key player in AI-driven urban infrastructure.

With over 4,000 locations, the company is North America’s largest parking network. According to the company, IT serves more than 50 million customers a year, adds 20,000 members daily and processes over $5 billion in payments. Using computer vision and machine learning, Metropolis is modernizing its parking infrastructure, automating vehicle recognition and payment processes, eliminating traditional barriers such as tickets and payment kiosks.

The business has grown in part rapidly through acquisitions. In May 2024, North America’s largest parking network operator, it completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of SP Plus Corporation 100 years ago. The deal involves Metropolis, which shuts down $1.8 billion in Series C funding, making it the biggest venture-backed M&A deal last year.

In January, it purchased OOSTO, previously known as Anyvision, for $125 million, which was acquired on the tech side of its business model. OOSTO specializes in facial recognition and threat detection technology that serves sectors such as retail, healthcare and gaming, an acquisition aimed at enhancing Metropolis’ AI capabilities beyond parking solutions.

“Oosto has built an unparalleled reputation by providing AI that works seamlessly in the real world,” said Alex Israel, co-founder and CEO of Metropolis, in a release. “During customer visits, we were deeply impressed by our ability to perfectly execute even in the most complex environments, whether it’s a bustling transit hub, high security venue or casino floors.”

Metropolis opened its office in Nashville in November 2024, making it a joint head quarter with Los Angeles, with the potential for growth of the local tech sector. Co-founder Travis Kell was also appointed CFO in October 2024.

Despite its success, Metropolis technology is not perfect. Veterans at San Antonio International Airport (where its flagship airport location) claim to have free parking claims that they were incorrectly charged by a ticketless payment system that uses AI to recognize license plates. According to San Antonio Express-News, the company issued a refund but faced criticism for its customer service slip-up.

The company is tackling the issues while adding new features. A feature called Passes was introduced in October 2024, giving customers unlimited drive-in, drive-out access and garage access a certain amount of time. In the future, the technology will be applicable to drive-thru, gas stations, car washes and other automotive-related services.