Have you ridden a bike when you were a kid? I bet you did. Wasn’t that feeling was awesome? After the inception of vehicles, the use of cycles reduced drastically. Things change very fast and with technology, businesses are adopting things that their customers love. Understanding the need of the hour is very crucial for the success of the business. Once you understand the need, you know what you need to do. That is exactly what Lime scooters and bikes did from time to time. They started as Neutron Holding Inc where they do business as a bike-share company. Now they are famous with the name Lime for their fleet of e-scooters.

Here I am going to tell you everything about how this bike-share company transformed timely into an e-scooter supergiant. So, without any further ado, let’s get you started.

Lime Overview

The focus of the company was always on making an eco-friendly transportation system. Their job doesn’t just stop there, they also work on making all these e-mobility options accessible to the public with their on-demand rental services. They are a perfect example of a private company that wants to solve the problem of pollution and traffic congestion.

As I mentioned above as well, they started as a service provider of eco-friendly transportation systems with the name of Neutron Holding Inc. They were in the market for a long time but the game changed when they introduced e-scooters for rentals in 2018. The spike in their revenue and the capability of collecting funds tells the whole story of a next-level e-mobility company.

When they introduced e-scooter for rentals back in 2018, they raised a fund of $467 Million.  Yes isn’t that mind-boggling?

Now the question is how did they manage to get that much funds with this simple idea? Let’s have a look at how they function.

How Does Lime Bike Work?

Lime has a slogan that states “Your ride anytime”, but is it really that easy to execute as well? Let’s understand how their service work. Lime decided to launch an app to ease the process and execution. The Lime app is available for both Android and iOS platforms and it is super easy to use.

After you download the app, you need to create an account. The information they need is minimal. It only requires basic information like your name, phone number, city, credit card information, and email address.

Lime has a range of vehicles from which you can choose. Let’s have a look at the type of services which they offer according to the city their customer resides.

●  Lime-S Electric Scooters

With a top speed of 14.8 mph and a range of around 20 Km, Lime-S is one the most liked ride offered by Lime. If you don’t know how to ride one, the app provides in-depth instructions on how to use Lime scooters. You must be above 18 years and must have a driver’s license. You need to verify your license by scanning it in the app before you take your first ride.

●  Lime-E Electric Assist Bike

These dockless bikes do not have any throttle however, the in-built motor in the bike will give you a boost while paddling up on steep terrain. In short, don’t expect that you can ride it on a motorbike. I classified them as regular bikes which are easier on your legs.

●  LimeBike Smart Pedal Bike

LimeBike Smart Pedal Bike is the first of their offerings when Lime incept in the business of dockless bike-sharing. There are many cities where they are still offering these simple bikes to share.

Check out “How much does it cost to develop an e-scooter mobile app for your business?”

How LimeBike Earns?

LimeBike is super affordable however it is not free. They simply charge their customers every time they choose for a ride. As I already mentioned the type of rides they offer, the charges also vary with them. Have a look at their pricing structure.

• Lime-S Scooters take $1 to unlock and then $0.15 per minute ride.
• Lime-E Electric-Assist Bike takes $1 to unlock and $0.15 per minute ride.
• LimeBike Smart Pedal Bike takes $1 per half-hour ride.

You can clearly see that they are charging way too little if you compare it with other modes of transportation.

There is one program Lime is currently offering to its customers. Lime Access program targets low-income riders and offer them up to 50% of discount on Lime-S & Lime-E. Also, they are offering 95% of discount on LimeBike Smart Pedal.

So, see this is how they are contributing to a pollution-free and traffic congestion less world.

Recent Funds Collected By Lime

Confirming rumors that have been swirling for some time, on-demand electric scooter and bike startup Lime today announced that it has closed a $310 million Series D financing round led by Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Fidelity Investments, GV, and IVP.  It values the company at a whopping $2.4 billion — double the previous valuation of $1.1 billion.

Existing investors Alphabet, Coatue, Fifth Wall, GGV Capital, Singapore’s GIC, and others participated, along with several new investors including GSV Capital, FJ Labs, Bling Capital, Europe’s GR Capital, and St. Augustine Partners. CEO Toby Sun said the funding will be used to expand Lime’s service into new markets, enhance its technology, grow its team, and pilot “new opportunities.”

The infusion of fresh capital comes as Lime sees its popularity soar in the 15 countries and hundreds of cities, towns, campuses, universities, and communities where it’s available. The ten million people who’ve signed up for service have taken 34 million trips, and Lime says it’s recorded a 5.5 times increase in trips in the past seven months alone.

Lime Is Still Ahead of Their Competition

Lime’s competitors are myriad, but its chief rival might be Bird, which has raised $400 million in venture capital for its electric scooter service. But Lime certainly seems to have a knack for fundraising — in the 18 months since its founding, it’s raised $867.1 million (according to PitchBook data), and its series C in June attracted $335 million. Lime is currently operating in 100+ cities worldwide and expanding its services at a drastic rate!