It's a phenomenon that's seen wild popularity — and infamy — in some U.S. cities. Now, the electric scooter craze looks set to gain further ground in Europe.
"Beating the traffic is a big issue in cities like Madrid and a lot of trips are much more efficiently covered with an electric scooter rather than a car with a driver," Bolt co-founder and CEO Markus Villig said in a statement. It also mirrors Uber's aim to become a one-stop shop for mobility. The ride-hailing giant made its own push into the e-scooter market last year following the acquisition of bike-sharing firm, Jump.
The company hasn't disclosed how much it's looking to raise, nor who the investors will be. Bolt's last big investment — which it secured last year when it was still known as Taxify — saw it raise $175 million at a $1 billion valuation. Lime recently closed a $310 million funding deal that values the firm at $2.4 billion, while Bird last year raised $300 million at a $2 billion valuation — the latter is also reportedly in talks to raise a further $300 million.