Despite the pandemic, investors have the eyes of Chimène for micro-mobility start-ups.
Last November, Tier, which operates self-service scooters, especially in Paris, created a sensation: the German operator raised $ 250 million.
In December, the Swede VOI, which also operates this type of vehicle, raised 160 million dollars.
Read also: Electric scooter, the queen of ultramobility
This Tuesday, it is the turn of the Franco-Dutch Dott, another actor present in Paris with
free-floating
electric
scooters,
to garner funds: exactly 70 million euros provided in particular by business angels. “
We manage to raise money because as soon as we get out of confinement, the use of micro-mobility devices experiences enormous growth.
With the pandemic,
users no longer have confidence in public transport and cities are making their job easier by increasing the number of trails for bicycles or scooters
”, explains Maxim Romain, co-founder and CEO of Dott who knows in which areas he will invest. this manna.
First, the start-up which operates scooters in 18 cities in Europe (Paris, Lyon, Brussels, Milan, Cologne ...) will launch a shared electric bicycle service. This summer, it will start first with certain areas of London where it won a tender. Then she will offer them to Paris where she is currently discussing the conditions of her arrival with the town hall.
"
We would like to deploy 3000 to 5000 electric bikes in the capital
", summarizes Maxim Romain.
What to compete with Lime who took over from Uber its shared electric bike division known under the Jump brand.
Dott is convinced that he will make the difference by offering more "durable" bikes, for example machines with solid wheels.
Suddenly, after London and Paris, the brand will set out to conquer the cities where it already operates
free-floating
scooters
.
New territories
At the same time, Dott, present in five countries, will open its shared scooters service in two additional territories in the coming weeks: the United Kingdom and Spain.
“
Over the next three years, we will probably be active in sixty European cities,
” says Maxim Romain, who wants to position himself in urban areas selecting a few operators through a call for tenders as Paris has done.
The start-up also wants to extend its service to the suburbs of the cities in which it operates.
A painstaking job that will consist in convincing the municipalities or groups of municipalities on the outskirts to welcome its machines.
So many projects that should not prevent Dott from quickly reaching financial balance. “
Our objective is to be profitable this year
,” affirms Maxim Romain.
We are already making money in all the cities where we operate if we exclude headquarters and R & D costs.
”A real challenge that even Uber, the king of the VTC, has not yet managed to meet.
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