Lime plans to launch a small fleet of e-scooters in Waterloo, Ontario, in what will be the first scooter-share pilot program in Canada.
The motorcycle and scooter company without a dock has partnered with The University of Waterloo to facilitate the launch. The Lime scooters will be the first of any e-scooters owned by a new company to reach the pavement in Canada.
"In recent months, we have spent time in Waterloo to understand how our Lime-S e-scooters can help this, the progressive city achieves its smart transport goals," the vice president of development said in a statement. strategic of Lime, Andrew Savage. "We are committed to meeting the unique needs of Canadian cities and are excited to continue expanding our global footprint."
Lime did not say what other Canadian markets will be next on the list.
It would be interesting to see how scooters are received in Waterloo. According to a recent report from The Globe and Mail of Canada, Toronto transport leaders hesitate to invite new e-scooters to the city, which is not too surprising given the drama that has followed them in the past. months Toronto, still the largest city in Canada, is probably a very desirable market for the trio of e-scooter startups: Lime, Bird and Spin.
This is not Lime's first foray across borders. He launched his bicycles without a dock in Europe, specifically in Frankfurt, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland, at the end of last year and in June, the company debuted with its scooters in Paris. The San Mateo-based company is now active in 100 markets in seven countries, soon to be eight.
Lime announced last week that it had registered 11.5 million trips on motorcycles and motorcycles, just a few months after having surpassed the 6 million people mark. The company launched just over a year ago and since then has raised $ 467 million in venture capital funds with a north valuation of $ 1 billion. Lime is backed by GV, Andreessen Horowitz, IVP, Section 32, GGV Capital and more.
