🏎 Aston Martin of Scooters
Plus, more highlights from Micromobility Europe.
That’s a wrap for Micromobility Europe - thank you to everyone who came and made this show our largest yet! The Amsterdam summit reunited micromobility’s top innovators for two energizing days of presentations, product launches, award shows, test rides, networking events, and more. (Did we mention that DJ Dom Whiting took over the streets with a drum’n’bass-infused Rave Ride on Friday afternoon?) Revisit your favorite moments from the show—and find your headshots from our photo booth—here 📸
And don’t miss our brand-new Highlight Reel, above. Video playbacks of the entire conference (including 50+ launch presentations and talks by 200+ speakers) will be available on our YouTube page soon.
Next stop? Micromobility America is coming to the SF Bay Area on Oct. 19-20 for an even larger gathering of small EV insiders and enthusiasts. And right now, you can score Early Bird tickets for 75% less than the General Admission price…
What You Need to Know Today
Over on The Micromobility Podcast, Oliver talks to Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of Cake Motorcycles from Sweden, about the history of the brand, its design DNA, getting funding, and the recent deals with major distributors in both China and Mexico.
Kidical mass? Bike buses, or group rides for shuttling children safely to and from school on two wheels, are taking hold in the U.S., from Montclair, NJ to Portland, OR.
Andy Palmer, the former COO of Nissan and CEO of Aston Martin, revealed his newest project, the Hilo One electric scooter, at Micromobility Europe last week. The model includes AI-powered vehicle recognition to prevent collisions, helmet connectivity, an impressive folding design, and a handful of other features that purport to make it the “world’s most intelligent scooter.”
Also, Cowboy announced at Micromobility Europe that their integrated app will now feature navigation from Google Maps - an important step in streamlining their user experience. According to CEO Tanguy Goretti, this was just the beginning of Cowboy’s collaboration with Google, and more Maps-fueled projects are to come.
That’s not all - MaaS provider Yup revealed their universal charging station, the Dixie, in Amsterdam as part of the Startup Awards. The system utilizes AI to efficiently charge a range of small electric vehicles, and it sources data on parking usage and carbon footprint in the process.
Similarly, Segway announced their partnership with Drover AI and Luna Systems to bring advanced rider assistance systems (ARAS) to their scooters. Although Segway introduced their own ARAS system in their S90L model last year, this partnership is intended to “lighten the load” in terms of data collection and software development for Segway. Segway scooters will now have the option for included ARAS capabilities, kind of like an “app store for our scooters,” said VP of Business Development Tony Ho.
Also new from Segway, a partnership with Metro Mobility will offer charging and docking stations for shared operators that use Segway hardware. The deal will allow shared providers to order charging stations to their operating locations, which could significantly minimize operating costs associated with vehicle collection and charging.
To scale or not to scale - the “Path to Profitability” operator roundtable at Micromobility Europe yielded some noteworthy takes on the future of the industry. Featuring CEO representation from Tembici, Swing, Fenix, and Dott, the discussion included a handful of globally diverse perspectives, all crafted by unique regulatory and consumer environments.
Indian scooter startup River recently completed a $15M funding round supported by Dubai conglomerate Al-Futtaim. Co-founded by a former Honda designer, the two-year-old venture looks to distinguish itself among competitors such as Ola Electric through “standout design and innovative technology.” Earlier this year, River launched their Indie scooter, which they anticipate will push the company to nearly 3,000 sales by the end of 2023.
A startling study from Australia found that drivers perceive cyclists wearing helmets as “less than fully human.” The study raises interesting questions about the efficacy of bike helmets, suggesting that motorists are more likely to drive recklessly around cyclists who wear them.
VC fund EFO Ventures recently made a $2.5M investment into Today Mobility, a new hardware and MaaS provider in Europe and North America. Today is the product of a six-part merger between mobility companies Frog, Leap, Ottr, Element, MIXTE, and White Fox. The company will begin operation with a fleet of 8,000 commercial vehicles for shared operators, companies, and universities, as well as 1,500 vehicles dedicated to MaaS.
Washington D.C.’s Capital BikeShare hit a record 428,000 rides this past month. The milestone marks a point of recovery from the pandemic, and can also be attributed to improved bike lane infrastructure around the nation’s capitol.
French e-bike designer Neomouv recently acquired Unibike, a Portuguese assembly company. The €2.7M acquisition will help Neomouv vertically integrate to achieve their production goals, as they are now in possession of a facility capable of producing 250,000 units per year.
Romania-based eMobility Rentals offers a unique approach to MaaS, with a wide range of micromobility solutions all powered by a universal swappable battery, and over one hundred solar-powered swap-and-charge stations. The service, which has become popular among delivery providers, retailers, and hospitals in the Bucharest area, offers a selection of seven different vehicles which can all be managed by users through an application.
Tiny car makers Microlino, City Transformer, and Circle Mobility have joined together to create an alliance of tiny car manufacturers known as the “Microcars Coalition.” The collective, which seeks to attract more manufacturers, is working to bring attention to the power of the microcar and encouraging micro-car friendly legislation.
Barcelona-based motorcycle retailer Mundimoto just wrapped up a €10M funding round, which will finance the company’s expansion into Italy, and eventually the rest of Europe. In addition to increasing sales outside of Spain, Mundimoto also plans to expand their subscription service and exceed the €60M in revenue they collected in 2022.
A study conducted by CoMoUK on cycling habits among bikeshare users showed that 66% of bike share users began cycling more after using the service.
Last week, a wealthy man in Finland was hit with a whopping €121,000 ($129,544) speeding ticket for traveling 20 mph over the speed limit. Due to Finalnd’s “Day-Fine” system, the fine was calculated based on the driver’s income, which resulted in the hefty ticket.
Startup Awards Results…
Bravo to the winners of the European Startup Awards! After two days of fierce competition and more than 60 pitches, our expert judges, including founders, influencers, and investors, selected winners in nine industry-specific categories (see below). But there can be only one overall victor and this year’s champion is… CLIP - A Brooklyn-based startup that makes a portable propulsion device designed to transform any bike into an ebike instantly without tools. Congrats CLIP!
Scooters & Boards: Taito (Belgium)
Bikes: CLIP (US)
Data & Mapping: Cogo (Denmark)
Rider Accessories: Tannus (UK/US)
Sharing Platforms & Subscriptions: Papaya (UK)
Parking & Charging: Swobbee (Germany)
Mopeds, Motorbikes, NEVS: Wings EV (India)
R&D and Services: Fettle (UK)
Risk Management & Safety: Drover (US)
This fall, the Startup Awards are coming to Micromobility America in the SF Bay Area on Oct 19-20. Any company that has raised less than $20M in total funding will be eligible to pitch in their respective category. Each company that is selected will have 5 minutes to pitch onstage.
If you would like to enter, please fill out this form.