Lime has begun the rollout of its new Gen4 e-scooters in Los Angeles, making L.A. one of the biggest cities in the world to have a full fleet of the new model available for citywide use.
The updated scooters come amid rising gas prices, which will likely boost ridership as the newer models hit the streets, San Francisco-based Lime said.
“We are deeply committed to and heavily invested in Los Angeles, Southern California, and the entire state, and no city in North America has a larger fleet of Lime e-scooters than L.A.,” said Karla Owunwanne, Lime’s senior director of government relations, in a statement.
“These new e-scooters will offer a smoother and more sustainable rider experience, and they’ll decrease street clutter and promote safety. They’ll also attract more residents and tourists to hop on an e-scooter and ride green as gas prices remain high. It’s a win-win for riders and the entire city together.”
The Gen4 e-scooter features a new two-sided kickstand to prevent tipping over and thus preventing clutter, Lime said. It also features swept-back handlebars for more a comfortable grip; a dual hand brake for easier slowing and stopping; lowered baseboard to optimize the center of gravity and make getting on and off easier; enhanced suspension and larger wheels for a smoother ride; and a swappable battery to reduce carbon emissions.
The Gen4 e-scooters are only available in select North American cities such as Washington D.C.; San Diego, California; Denver; and New York City.
In other L.A.-area tech news
- Newport Beach, California-based L Squared Capital Partners has acquired Globe Scientific, a provider of laboratory consumable supplies, for an undisclosed amount. The deal is L Squared’s third acquisition as part of GSI Group Holdings. Globe Scientific joins existing GSI Group brands AmScope, Euromex, Omax and Physix. Mahwah, New Jersey-based Globe Scientific was founded in 1983 and has more than 65 employees in the U.S.
- Anduril Industries, a Costa Mesa-based defense technology company, aims to raise at least $500 million in an upcoming funding round at a $7 billion pre-money valuation, according to The Information. The startup could raise up to $1 billion in the Series E round, which is being led by an existing investor, the report said. Anduril has raised $835 million to date from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, D1 Capital Partners and venture capitalist Elad Gil. Anduril raised $450 million in a Series D round last June.
- Pay2Day Solutions Inc. (Authvia) has closed a $7 million Series A financing led by Red Door Capital Partners. The El Segundo-based company said it already is using the financing to accelerate partner channels and overall sales and marketing efforts. Authvia’s patented text-to-pay service, TXT2PAY, enables businesses to request and receive payments via text and other digital messaging channels.
- Ruth Health, a telehealth platform focused on prenatal and postpartum care for women, has raised $2.4 million in a seed funding round led by Giant Ventures, with participation from Citylight VC, Cleo Capital Scout Fund, Crista Galli Ventures, Duro VC, Emmeline Ventures, Gaingels, Global Founders Capital, Pentas Ventures, SOMA Capital, Techstars, Torch Capital, YCombinator and various strategic angels. The investment brings Ruth Health’s total funding to $3.1 million.
- Cartwheel, an on-demand delivery management platform for restaurants, retailers, couriers and others, has raised $3 million in seed funding led by Moonshots Capital, with participation from Chingona Ventures and existing investors including TenOne Ten Ventures, Act One and Pitbull Capital. The company said the funds will be used to further product development, partner integrations and company expansion.
