Nashville-based mobility incentive app Hytch Rewards has launched Shelter in Place, a new feature for its mobile app. Designed to encourage behavior that will limit the spread of COVID-19, Shelter in Place pays daily cash rewards to sponsored U.S. residents who self-quarantine at home. The cash rewards delivered through the app, which tracks a user's location, are being funded by employers, brands and governments/municipalities to incentivize social distancing.

"What America needs right now is to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infection," said Mark A. Cleveland, co-founder and CEO of Hytch Rewards. "National smartphone data tells us some regions are doing better than others at social distancing, and we at Hytch believe rewards can be a highly effective tool for influencing human behavior. Our partners decide what those cash rewards will be, and even if they're minimal, they still have a positive impact."

Among the first employers to partner on the Shelter in Place initiative is the office of U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper, from Hytch Rewards' home state of Tennessee. "We're offering a small daily reward via the Hytch app to thank my staff for working hard for my constituents, from home" said Cooper. "These are challenging times for public policy, and there's great potential value in technology that enables communities to monitor and reward sheltering in place, for as long as policy demands."