Zoomo started life in Australia as a side-hustle. During the early stages of the business, the founders would purchase electric bikes, modify them with delivery purposes in mind, and rent them out to gig economy workers in the food delivery sector.
In early May the micro-mobility start-up announced it had secured $12 Million, backed by top tier VC AirTree, in addition to a number of new partnerships with the likes of takeway delivery services Getir and Just Eat Takeway.
On this week’s Mobility Moments we talk to Mina Nada, Zoomo’s CEO and co-founder, about its expansion plans.
Describe Zoomo and its key benefits
Zoomo provides e-bikes to businesses and individuals to rent or buy at an affordable cost. Our mission is to supply the smartest and most reliable electric bikes on the market, at a time when policy makers are turning to micro-mobility solutions to relieve traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions.
Zoomo reduces the need to find parking and creates a door-to-door solution for all users, while helping to reduce carbon emissions. No two riders are the same, and it’s why the benefits of our e-bike platform differs depending on individual and business needs – ranging from affordability, accessibility, safety and convenience.
Consumers and gig workers benefit from our unique subscription model which lowers the barrier of price to those who are after last-mile and alternative forms of clean transport, but also enables flexibility and peace of mind through inclusive servicing.
For enterprises, not only do they also benefit from our safety features, which are at the core of everything we do, they also benefit from our all-in-one platform for acquiring, managing and servicing a fleet of delivery bikes. We are the only global e-bike provider offering businesses this unique full stack model, ultimately allowing businesses to deploy and manage large fleets of carbon-friendly e-bikes at scale, supported by features like same-day servicing and anti-theft technology.
Who is Zoomo aimed and who are your customers?
Zoomo has two main audience segments – Consumer (which is predominantly gig worker couriers) and Enterprise (which includes the food delivery, on-demand groceries and last mile parcel delivery segments).
These customers all have unique wants and needs. Gig workers want safe, affordable and efficient e-bikes so they can get on with their jobs, enterprises are looking to create greener, safer and more efficient fleets.
By continuously innovating our offering, which began with utility and safety at the core, we have built light electric vehicles that cater to all these needs.
Describe the anti-theft technology
The issue of bike theft is on the rise and as a result, has become a deterrent for people cycling. To combat bike theft, our bikes are built with integrated smart security technology, making them virtually un-stealable. Some of the key anti-theft technology features in our bikes include:
● Leading GPS technology: Our GPS tracking system allows our team to recover the bike or gives us the ability to inform the rider where the bike is. This is important, as bikes without GPS are three times more likely to get stolen than smart bikes. GPS acts as a bulletproof recovery method.
● Anti-Theft Motor Lock: If a thief tries to ride away on a Zoomo bike without unlocking it, our anti-theft motor lock kicks in. This provides a counterbalancing force equivalent to the rider’s pedaling, making it effectively impossible to ride away. The harder the thief pedals, the harder the bike is to move.
● Siren: Our bikes have alarms which sound either on demand or in response to certain triggers, again helping prevent theft
All these features are standard in the automotive world, but we are bringing them to e-bikes. In the coming months, riders will also be able to activate anti-theft alerts, remote locking and Find My e-bike integration.
What will the new funding be used for?
The funds will be used to invest in further expansion into new states across the U.S. and launch into continental European markets for the first time. They will also be used to invest in further innovation of our commercial use e-bike platform (hardware and software).
How can Zoomo help countries achieve zero emissions?
The volume of C02 emissions associated with on-demand and last-mile delivery is set to explode in the coming years, with research from the World Economic Forum suggesting that last-mile delivery growth alone will increase carbon emissions by 30% by 2030.
At Zoomo, we have an opportunity to transition millions (if not billions) of urban miles away from inefficient, pollutive, clunky vehicles to clean energy (i.e. light electric vehicles). By offering a sustainable solution upfront, we will have a massive impact on total C02 output from the rapidly growing last-mile delivery sector.
We have already had success supplying our vehicles to large fleet operators in the last mile delivery space and are seeing our fleet rapidly expand beyond 10,000 units globally.
What will urban mobility and delivery services look like by 2030?
If the stark and ubiquitous rise of delivery services and urban mobility in 2021 is any indicator, then by 2030 the offer of quick delivery and speedy couriers will be a business mandatory.
This will see an inevitable electrification of delivery fleets across business operations to accommodate these new models of business. Separately, as conversations around environmental footprint permeate, companies will increasingly set ambitious, public targets to go green and electrify their fleets as part of this commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
The delivery service landscape will change significantly, as delivery operators evolve to keep up with the pace of changing consumer demands and expectations for speedy and efficient deliveries at the click of a finger. On-demand grocery delivery (10-15 minute delivery) will emerge as the new normal for e-commerce and light electric vehicles (a variety of different types – e-bike, e-moped, e-cargo) will be the key enablers of this model.
In 2030, our roads will look dramatically different as sustainable transport quickly overtakes diesel and gas fuelled modes of transport. Our sidewalks will be wider, delivery vehicles will be fully electric, pedestrian only roads will become commonplace, more electric bikes will occupy our roads, priority roads and lanes will be designed for efficiency and traffic will become a thing of the past.
