Luup, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) has raised a total of approximately 4.5 billion yen, of which approximately 3.8 billion yen through equity issuance and approximately 0.7 billion yen through debt and asset financing. The new funding brings Luup’s total capital raised to date to approximately 9.1 billion yen. Luup will use the funds raised to further expand its business by increasing the number of stations and improving its vehicles and apps, while focusing more on strengthening safety measures and raising awareness of new traffic rules in preparation for the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act on July 1, 2023.

As in the previous round, Spiral Capital is the lead investor in equity issuance, and additional investments were made by existing investors such as ANRI, SMBC Venture Capital, and Mori Trust, in addition to new investors including one of the largest pension funds in Japan, 31VENTURES, a corporate venture capital of Mitsui Fudosan, and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation. In addition, we have initiated transactions with several new financial institutions in debt and asset financing.

Investors participating in the equity issuance

Existing Investors
・ANRI
・SMBC Venture Capital
・Spiral Capital
・ZENRIN FUTURE PARTNERS
・Chiba Dojo Fund
・Mitsubishi UFJ Capital
・Mori Trust

New Investors
・31VENTURES Global Innovation Fund 2
・GMO Internet Group
・i-nest capital
・SMBC Nikko Securities
・Green Coinvest
・Chishima Real Estate
・Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation
・One other company

Comment from the Investors 

・Takashi Chiba, Partner, Spiral Capital

Following the previous round, we made an additional investment in this round as the lead investor. The reason for this is that Luup is a rare company that is truly trying to create a “social infrastructure”. It is no mean feat to build a service that can be called a transportation infrastructure, as it requires cooperation of numerous stakeholders, including users, landowners, local governments, relevant ministries, investors, and public opinion. Since the launch of the e-scooter business in April 2021, Luup, under the strong leadership of Mr. Okai and his management team, has developed stations at an overwhelming speed, promoted the creation of a safe and secure system in cooperation with relevant ministries. The products have become popular among users and are used daily, leading to the company’s dominant position in the field of micromobility. With the implementation of the revised Road Traffic Law, which is expected to further improve convenience, scheduled for July 1 of this year, we expect that the product will continue to evolve as a transportation infrastructure that enriches people’s daily lives.

・Shunsuke Nakaji, Principal, ANRI

We have had the opportunity to watch the Luup team for a long time as they have implemented what they initially envisioned year after year, and we have high expectations for their ability to continue to execute, which is why we made this additional investment.
We are honored to have had the opportunity to make additional investments in all of the rounds of funding, starting from the pre-seed discussion of the idea stage, through the first round of funding, and up to the current round.
We still have a long way to go in creating an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front,’ but I have high expectations for Luup.

・31VENTURES
Atsumi Kanaya, Executive Officer and General Manager of Venture Co-creation Department, Mitsui Fudosan / Yuki Matsuo, Director, Global Brain

We are working with Luup to provide sharing services of mobility exclusively for condominium residents, aiming not only to improve user satisfaction by making daily transportation more convenient, but also to increase the value of real estate itself. We have also invested in the company because we share the desire to not only provide a new means of transportation, but also to create a new type of urban development through micromobility.
As a partner in creating attractive cities, we will continue to support Luup in its mission to “create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front.’”

Comment from Daiki Okai, CEO of Luup

With the mission to “create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front,’” Luup provides a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility “LUUP” in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Yokohama, Utsunomiya, and Kobe. The number of stations has already exceeded 3,000 in the two years since the introduction of e-scooters, and we plan to expand our service area into multiple urban cities. Just as railroad companies once developed cities along their lines, we aim to contribute to the value of the surrounding properties by creating LUUP stations on properties far from the train station. We are very pleased that we were able to raise this capital despite the unstable market conditions, and we believe that this is a result of the recognition of LUUP’s value as a sustainable transportation infrastructure, which is necessary for the future.

After the implementation of the revised Road Traffic Law scheduled for July 1 of this year, the number of micromobility users is expected to further increase. We are currently receiving inquiries from many property owners, municipalities, and companies. To expand our business, we believe it is important to fulfill our responsibility as a leading company in the industry and work to improve safety and educate people about the correct rules.

Although there are now more than 60 members in Luup, a small number of professionals in the company cooperate with each other to develop and operate the business in each function, such as software development, hardware development, product development, local collaboration, station expansion, operation construction, and corporate development. We will continue to maintain our small number of highly skilled members and aim to be an organization that creates new transportation infrastructure in the future.

We are looking forward to hearing from those who want to build LUUP with us, so that 50 years from now, when people look back on the past, they will say, “LUUP is what made this city what it is”.

The entire Luup team will continue to work with our full effort to realize our mission to “create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front’”, and we look forward to your continued support.

About Luup, Inc.
Luup, Inc. will create a new short-distance mobility infrastructure that makes the entire city “a station front” through the sharing service of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility. We currently provide a high-density sharing service of e-scooters and e-bikes in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Yokohama, Utsunomiya, and Kobe. We will reduce CO2 emissions by popularizing electric micromobility and introduce new electric mobility that can be ridden by the elderly, and ultimately create a sustainable society where all people can get around safely and conveniently.

• Location: AKIHABARA CENTRAL SQUARE 4F, 3-21-24 Kanda-Sakumachō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0025
• Representative: Daiki Okai
• Founded: July 2018
• URL: https://luup.sc/

Press Contact
● Luup, Inc.
Public Relations: Misato Matsumoto, Megumi Muramoto
E-mail: pr@luup.co.jp

FamilyMart Co.,Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kensuke Hosomi; hereinafter “FamilyMart”) and Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) agreed on a strategic partnership, and FamilyMart made a strategic investment in Luup. Through this partnership, the two companies will begin full-scale collaboration, including the installation of LUUP ports at FamilyMart stores and joint marketing effort.

FamilyMart operates approximately 16,600 stores nationwide (*1) and aims to be an indispensable place that goes beyond convenience while staying close to the community and connecting with each and every customer like family. Currently, FamilyMart is working to build stores that can focus on more heart-to-heart communication with customers by proactively utilizing new technologies, such as unattended payment systems, beverage refilling robots, and digital signage to provide an unprecedented store experience for customers who visit the stores.

Luup is developing “LUUP,” a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility, with the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front.’” In particular, as an e-scooter sharing service provider, Luup holds more than 90% of the domestic market share (*2). In the future, Luup aims to handle not only e-scooters and e-bikes but also a wide range of other mobilities to create a future in which all people can move freely.

FamilyMart will use this alliance as an opportunity to support Luup’s future growth so that users can use its service safely and securely. The two companies will fully cooperate in accelerating the installation of LUUP ports in FamilyMart stores, improving safety utilizing FamilyMart’s store assets, cross-selling between FamilyMart and LUUP, and other activities.

*1 As of April 2022
*2 Based on the total distance traveled under the New Business Exception System for businesses that are members of the Micromobility Promotion Council from 2021 The Third Meeting of Working Group on Vehicle Safety Measures (March 14, 2022) Summary of the E-Scooter Demonstration Experiment Results and Safety Measures
https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001469846.pdf

Major Initiatives

1. Installation of LUUP ports at FamilyMart stores
FamilyMart and Luup began working together in October 2020, and several FamilyMart stores in Tokyo have already installed LUUP ports. By expanding the number of stores with LUUP ports installed, we will contribute to improving convenience for FamilyMart store users, and also, work together to popularize the LUUP service through the expansion of the port network. In addition to the areas LUUP is currently available in; Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Yokohama, we plan to install LUUP ports at stores in regional cities as the LUUP service area expands. Both companies will also work together to improve the safety of LUUP’s services through in-store educational activities and announcements.

2. Cross-selling through collaborative marketing initiatives
We will implement joint marketing initiatives to promote the use of LUUP by FamilyMart store users and the use of FamilyMart stores by LUUP users, respectively. Specifically, the two companies will consider advertising LUUP in FamilyMart stores, including the use of digital signage, and implementing promotional initiatives for FamilyMart products to LUUP users.

3. Joint consideration of new services
We will develop new services by utilizing the customer and mobility data owned by FamilyMart and Luup respectively, as well as the store and port networks. Through these efforts, we aim to grow the business of both FamilyMart and Luup and contribute to local communities.

About FamilyMart Co.,Ltd.
Location: 3-1-21 Shibaura, Minato-ku,Tokyo 108-0023
Representative: Kensuke Hosomi
Founded: September 1st, 1981
URL: https://www.family.co.jp/

About Luup, Inc.
Location: 16F Link Square Shinjuku, 5-27-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051
Representative: Daiki Okai
Founded: July 2018
URL: https://luup.sc/

Press Contact
● Luup, Inc.
Public Relations: Misato Matsumoto, Megumi Muramoto
E-mail: pr@luup.co.jp

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates “LUUP,” a sharing service of electric micromobility including e-scooters and e-bikes, has raised a total of 1 billion yen through debt and asset financing. This is the first time in Japan (*1) that an e-scooter sharing service operator has raised funds through asset financing. This financing brings Luup’s total funding to approximately 4.6 billion yen.

The financing is done through sale-and-leaseback transactions (*2) of e-scooters with several financial institutions, including Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, Mitsubishi HC Capital, and others, and through receiving loans from MUFG Bank, Japan Finance Corporation, and The Shoko Chukin Bank, the latter two being Japanese government-backed financial institutions. This financing was provided for all e-scooters to be introduced by May, and discussions are underway with each financial institution to expand transactions for vehicles to be introduced in the future.

The financial institutions acknowledged Luup’s stability as a business and its contribution to decarbonization and sustainability. Luup will continue to expand its business by utilizing debt and asset finance in addition to equity finance.

Luup’s Past and Outlook for the Future

Luup provides a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility with the mission to “create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front.’” The rollout began with e-bikes in May 2020, followed by the introduction of e-scooters in April 2021 as a demonstration experiment using the “System of Special Arrangements for Corporate Field Tests” under Japan’s Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act. Luup accounts for more than 90% share of e-scooter rides under the System of Special Arrangements for Corporate Field Tests for Micromobility Promotion Council member companies (*3).

Luup has been conducting its business through a series of discussions and dialogues with local governments, relevant ministries, agencies, and town residents, including users, with safety as its top priority. As a leading operator of electric micromobility sharing service, we will continue to expand the number of vehicles, ports, and service areas and evolve the service into an infrastructure that can be used more easily by city residents. At the same time, in the future, we will offer universal mobility vehicles with three or four wheels that can be used safely by the elderly and people with disabilities, aiming for a future in which all people can travel freely in the first and last mile.

Comment from Daiki Okai, Representative of Luup

To achieve our mission “to create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front,’” we have been building our service “LUUP,” including both software and hardware products and an operating model to support them while carefully listening to the voices of the people of the city. We are very pleased that we were able to raise this scale of debt and asset financing, and we believe that this is a result of LUUP’s stability as a business and its value as a sustainable infrastructure.

Last month, a bill to amend the Road Traffic Act was submitted to the Diet, and after it is passed and enforced, the maximum speed for certain e-scooters will be 20 km/h and a driver’s license will not be required. Against the backdrop of these activities, Luup is now receiving a lot more requests from large corporations and municipalities than ever before to introduce our products.

From here, we will continue to expand our business to meet the increasing demand while improving safety. To achieve this, the cooperation of new members who will support us is indispensable. We are looking forward to hearing from those who are determined to change LUUP to realize our mission.
https://recruit.luup.sc/

The entire Luup team will continue to make every effort to realize our mission, and we appreciate your support.

*1 Surveyed by Luup
*2 In a sale-and-leaseback transaction, one party (the seller-lessee) sells an asset it owns to another party (the buyer-lessor) and simultaneously leases back all or a portion of the same asset for all, or part of, the asset’s remaining economic life.
*3 2021 The Third Meeting of Working Group on Vehicle Safety Measures (March 14, 2022) Summary of the E-Scooter Demonstration Experiment Results and Safety Measures
https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001469846.pdf

【About Luup, Inc.】
Luup, Inc. will create a new short-distance mobility infrastructure that makes the entire city “a station front” through the sharing service of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility. We currently provide a high-density sharing service of e-scooters and e-bikes in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Yokohama. We will reduce CO2 emissions by popularizing electric micromobility and introduce new electric mobility that can be ridden by the elderly and people with disabilities, and ultimately create a sustainable society where all people can get around safely and conveniently.

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051
Representative: Daiki Okai
Founded: July 2018
URL: https://luup.sc/

【Press Contact】
● Luup, Inc.
Public Relations: Misato Matsumoto, Megumi Muramoto
E-mail: pr@luup.co.jp

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) has updated the logo of its electric micromobility sharing service, LUUP. In addition, new e-scooters with improved visibility will be unveiled. To celebrate this, we will be releasing content under the title of “LUUP for your City” to provide a deeper understanding of Luup’s past efforts toward safe social implementation of e-scooters and the future that we are aiming for.

Background

Luup is developing a micromobility sharing service “LUUP” with the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front.’” In addition to e-bikes and e-scooters, Luup offers a comprehensive range of electric, compact, and single-seat micromobility vehicles, and is aiming for a future in which all people can move freely, including the implementation of new vehicles that can be used by the elderly in the future.

Three and a half years after its establishment, Luup has revamped its corporate and service logos and improved the visibility of its e-scooter design in order to become a more familiar presence in the city and move forward to become a next-generation infrastructure that supports daily first and last mile transportation.

The Concept of the New Logo

With LUUP, transportation becomes an easy and enjoyable experience. Free from transportation restrictions, users will be able to visit all kinds of places, and users will be able to enjoy the city like never before. The renewed logo was designed based on the concept of “expand you” based on the value that LUUP brings. Inspired by the relaxation curves used in transportation engineering, the new logo depicts a “U” with multiple curvatures to create a gentle form, expressing the physicality of people riding the LUUP and the light and free movement they can enjoy. The frame lines surrounding the logo are based on the lines of the stations where the LUUP vehicles will be placed. (Designed by kern inc.)

Update of E-Scooters

We decided to change the design because we wanted to express the value that LUUP brings not only in the logo but also in the vehicles, and deliver it to everyone in the city, and also because we thought it was necessary to improve the visibility of the e-scooters further as we aim to become a next-generation infrastructure.

The color scheme of the vehicle consists of LUUP GREEN, white, and black, the original brand colors, which are designed to blend in gently with the city as infrastructure, but also to evoke a sense of progress and luxury. In this renewal, the upper part of the aircraft is white and the lower part is LUUP GREEN, designed to impress the brand color while giving a sense of openness and freedom. To date, Luup has undergone 11 updates to improve the stability of the e-scooter and the operability of its various parts, in order to ensure safe riding. The transition to the new e-scooters will begin in Tokyo. We will consider introducing them to other areas in the future.

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Group CEO: Satoru Komiya; hereinafter “Tokio Marine”) and Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates “LUUP,” a sharing service of electric micromobility including e-scooters and e-bikes, have entered into a capital and business alliance. Tokio Marine and Luup will work together to improve the safety of e-scooters.

Background and Purpose

E-scooters are a new mobility that began to spread around globally in 2017. Since e-scooters are electric and compact, they are attracting attention for their ability to significantly reduce CO2 emissions associated with transportation compared to regular cars, and also the spread of coronavirus has accelerated their use as a means of transportation to avoid crowdedness.

Since e-scooters are a new mobility for the world, each country is searching for appropriate riding rules, and regulations are being established to suit the environment of the public roads in that country. In Japan, e-scooters fall under the category of motorized bicycles, but demonstration experiments are underway to establish rules for safer riding.

In today’s increasingly complex society, Tokio Marine Group provides insurance and highly specialized risk solutions for various risks found in society. Tokio Marine Group is developing new services by conducting various data-based experiments in the areas of smart cities and Mobility as a Service (MaaS), which have been attracting attention in recent years. 

Luup provides a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility with the mission to “create an infrastructure that makes the entire city ‘a station front.’” Luup offers not only e-bikes and e-scooters, but also electric, compact, and single-seat micromobility services, aiming for a future in which all people can move freely. Against this backdrop, Luup has launched an e-scooter sharing service in Tokyo and Osaka as a demonstration experiment. Since its launch, the service has covered a total distance of more than 300,000km, making Luup the operator with the most e-scooters traveled by any operator in Japan.

Major Initiatives

In this capital and business alliance, Tokio Marine and Luup will start collaboration to improve the safety and social acceptance of e-scooters, with the aim of creating a safe and secure micromobility usage environment.

1.Research on new services for micromobility using driving data and more
Tokio Marine and Luup will work together to study new services for micromobility. We will study services that contribute to improving the social acceptance of e-scooters and how to provide appropriate compensation, while taking into account the appropriate traffic rules considered by the Japanese government and the perspective of victim relief. In the future, we will also conduct research on new products and services utilizing the driving data.

2.Improving the safety of e-scooters
While e-scooters are easy-to-use mobility vehicles, we face violations by some of our users. . Through numerous demonstration experiments, Luup has accumulated the knowledge to provide e-scooters as a safe and secure sharing service, and now, with the participation of Tokio Marine, whose mission is to provide safety and security, we aim to further enhance safety and social acceptance. Specifically, after conducting a comprehensive risk assessment of all e-scooters, including Luup’s vehicles, we will jointly study ways to improve user communication to reduce dangerous driving on LUUP and also develop safer vehicles.

Outlook for the Future

Tokio Marine and Luup will work together to promote sustainable means of transportation between the first and last mile through the safe and secure use of these micromobility vehicles.

About Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.
– Location: 2-6-4 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
– Representative: Satoru Komiya
– Founded: April 2002
– URL: https://www.tokiomarinehd.com/

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates “LUUP,” a sharing service of “electric micromobility” including e-scooters and e-bikes, has completed raising a total of 2 billion yen.

In recognition of Luup’s ability to realize a sustainable society with low environmental impact through the implementation of electric micromobility, Luup has received investment from new investors including Mori Trust Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Miwako Date; hereinafter “Mori Trust”) and Open Network Lab ESG I Investment Limited Partnership (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; General Partner: DG Incubation, Inc.; hereinafter “Earthshot Fund”) and also additional investment from several existing investors including VCs and business companies.

Using the funds, Luup will strengthen the development of its micromobility business to create a sustainable society and will continue discussions with several potential investors for further business expansion in the future.

Background of Financing

With the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front.’” Luup provides sharing services using e-scooters and e-bikes, and in the future aims to introduce mobility that is easy and safe for the elderly and/or disabled to ride.

With this financing, Luup will further strengthen the development of its micromobility business to create a sustainable society. Luup has been driving the project in discussions with local governments and relevant ministries and agencies, with the goal of creating an infrastructure that will turn the entire city into a ‘station front.’ However, in order for new products to spread in society, we must propose and be responsible for delivering higher quality and pleasant experiences as an infrastructure than ever before. With this financing, we will establish a development structure that can make better use of the data possessed by the product and quickly test hypotheses, and promote research and development of the micromobility business that goes beyond the accelerated development of LUUP.

Details of the Financing

In recognition of the fact that the implementation of electric micromobility can realize a sustainable society with a low environmental impact, Luup has attracted new investors including Mori Trust, Earthshot Fund, ZFP No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership (Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; General Partner: Zenrin Future Partners Co., Ltd.; hereinafter “Zenrin Future Partners”), and also additional investment from several existing investors including Daito Trust Construction Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Katsuma Kobayashi; hereinafter “Daito Trust Construction”) and other VCs and business companies. Together with the 750 million yen in funding already raised in April 2021, this round brings the total funding raised to 2 billion yen.

With Mori Trust, we will work together to create a new way of urbanization and tourism using micromobility in the office areas that Mori Trust is focusing on, such as Toranomon and Akasaka in Tokyo, as well as in the resort areas that they are developing in various parts of Japan.

For Earthshot Fund, Luup is the first investment since the fund was founded. We are honored that the fund, which conducts investment activities with a focus on major social, technological, and environmental changes occurring on a global scale, has recognized our work, and we will continue to develop our business in line with the fund’s ESG initiatives.

Zenrin Co. Ltd. (Hereinafter “Zenrin”), the parent company of Zenrin Future Partners, and Luup will combine Zenrin’s granular map data on local buildings, sidewalks, and roadways with Luup’s mobility data to improve the functionality of safe and efficient services and develop new services.

Daito Trust Construction manages the largest number of residential rental buildings in Japan, and Luup will continue to strengthen the implementation of LUUP ports in properties managed by Daito Trust Construction, aiming to realize “a town or house you would want to live in if it has LUUP”.

Comment from Daiki Okai, CEO of Luup

Luup is creating a product called “LUUP,” which allows electric micromobility to be shared throughout the city, with the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front.’”

Luup has focused not only on the development of software and hardware that shape the user experience but also on activities such as rulemaking for social implementation of new mobility and alliances to expand the number of ports. As a result, we were able to install more ports than convenience stores in Shibuya, an overcrowded city with little available real estate space, and the number of app downloads and users has continued to grow rapidly since the e-scooter was launched on April 23, 2021, under special government measures.

It has been about three years since Luup was founded, and I believe that Luup has finally reached its starting point. In order to make Japanese cities, which have the most developed railroads and station areas in the world, more comfortable to live in, we will accelerate our efforts to create the world’s one and only product by considering the most appropriate form of infrastructure.

We have raised additional funds to enable all teams involved in LUUP to achieve maximum performance. The investors who participated in this round made the decision to invest and collaborate with us because they believe in a future where LUUP, which is still in its infancy at this point, will become a sustainable infrastructure that will support Japan. The entire Luup team will continue to make every effort to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front’ for the sake of all the people who live in the city and for the investors who participated in this financing.

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) announces the launch of its e-scooter sharing app on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 5:00 pm. The e-scooter will be introduced within the app of the next-generation electric shared cycle “LUUP,” which has already been released. This will be the first e-scooter sharing service in Japan where helmets are optional under a special government measure. Since this service is also a demonstration experiment of new mobility, a safety workshop will be held at Miyashita Park (*1) during the Golden Week holidays from Thursday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 5.

(*1 If the state of emergency is declared, the decision to hold a safety workshop will be made in accordance with the policies of the facility holding the safety workshop and the parties involved. In case of cancellation, we will announce in advance via our corporate website and official Twitter account.)

Background

With the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front,’” Luup is developing a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility vehicles. Luup aims to establish first and last-mile transportation by offering not only e-bikes and e-scooters, but by providing a comprehensive offering of electric, compact, and single-passenger electric micromobility, and create a future where all people can move freely.

Luup has been offering the “LUUP” sharing app using e-bikes since May 2020. In anticipation of the introduction of e-scooters, we developed e-bikes the same size as an e-scooter, enabling the installation of ports in space-saving locations. As a result, high-density sharing has been realized, with the highest density of ports in the available area. The introduction of e-scooters in this service is expected to provide a more convenient short-distance transportation, as well as the collection of riding data that is expected to lead to the discovery of issues for the future rulemaking for e-scooters.

The e-scooter to be introduced in the “LUUP” app is one of the electric micromobility that is widely used in the world. It has the following features and is becoming popular around the world as a new means of transportation that avoids close-contact during covid pandemic.

– There is no need to straddle or pedal, so even people in skirts and suits can ride

– Users can stop immediately when they feel danger because their feet are close to the ground

– The installed IoT device allows area-specific and user-specific control for safe driving in the future

On the other hand, e-scooters are classified as “motorized bicycles” under Japan’s current law, which imposes riding conditions that make it difficult for them to become widely used, which include: wearing a helmet, having a license plate and a side-view mirror, having a driver’s license, and riding only on the road. In an effort to optimize regulations and make rules, Luup has established an industrial association called the “Micromobility Promotion Council,” which has held discussions with related ministries and agencies and conducted a series of demonstration experiments under various conditions. The demonstration experiment plan of Luup was approved on Friday, April 23, 2021 under the “New Business Exception System” under the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act, and the sharing service has now been launched.

Service Details

– Description: E-scooter and e-bike sharing app
– Available Areas: All of Shibuya, Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Setagaya, Minato and Meguro wards where LUUP is already available
– Pricing: 110 yen/first 10 minutes, 16.5 yen/minute (tax included) *Special price for the demonstration experiment
– Number of Ports: Approximately 200 of LUUP’s 300 ports in Tokyo allow users to get on and off e-scooters. The number of ports will be increased gradually.
– Number of E-Scooters: Starting with 100. The number of units will be increased gradually.
– Maximum Speed of E-Scooters: Limited to 15 km/hr
– Conditions of Use: The e-scooters must be used after (1) registering a driver’s license and (2) passing a perfect score on the test to confirm driving rules via the app. Users only using e-bikes do not need to go through these steps.
– Insurance: Property damage, bodily injury, and personal injury are covered by the insurance.
– Note: For safety reasons, we voluntarily prohibit riding on roads where there is a significant amount of vehicle traffic. Roads that are off-limits are indicated in the app, and users are urged to detour around them.

Details of the Safety Workshop to be Held at Miyashita Park

Since this service is also a demonstration experiment of new mobility, a safety workshop will be held at Miyashita Park during Golden Week from Thursday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 5.

– Content: Lecture on how to ride the e-scooter and use the LUUP app
– Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021 to Wednesday, May 5, 2021
– Time: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
– Location: Shibuya Ward Miyashita Park 1F, space next to adidas (6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
– How to Participate: Please come to the venue during the event time. No prior reservation is required.
– Participation Fee: Free
– Regarding Prevention Measures against Coronavirus Disease: Masks must be worn at all times, temperature checks and alcohol disinfection to be done at the event site

If a state of emergency is declared, the decision to hold a safety workshop will be made in accordance with the policies of the facility holding the safety workshop and the parties involved. In case of cancellation, we will announce in advance via our corporate website and official Twitter account.

How to Use

1. Download “LUUP” and register as a member. App download link: https://luup.onelink.me/Myjb/cfcdb04a
2. Register your driver’s license and take the test to confirm driving rules from the Account Settings screen. It is recommended that you complete the test in advance as it may take some time for approval.
3. Locate the port where you would like to start your ride from the map screen. From the Port Details screen, you can confirm if the port has an e-scooter.
4. Press the “Unlock” button to activate the camera and scan the QR code.
5. Select the destination port and reserve a place to return the e-scooter. The destination port can be changed later.
6. Once the smart lock is unlocked, the e-scooter will emit a sound and the speed display LCD will turn on. Enjoy your ride safely.
7. Upon arrival at the destination port, please return the e-scooter within the frame line.
8. When you send the photo of your return, your payment is completed and your ride is over. *While riding the e-scooter, you can pause the ride, but cannot make an emergency stop outside of the port.

Others – User Guide for E-Scooters　https://luup.zendesk.com/hc/ja/sections/1500001008561

[How to ride the e-scooters]
1. Kick the ground for initial speed and place both feet on the e-scooter.
2. Press the throttle slowly to accelerate electrically.
3. Make a gentle turn while kicking the ground with your feet.
4. Under the new special measures, a person pushing a motorized scooter is considered a pedestrian. When making a right turn on a busy road, it is recommended to get off from the e-scooter at the intersection and push the e-scooter across the pedestrian crossing.
5. There is a brake similar in shape to that of a bicycle at hand. When stopping, brake slowly. You can also stop with your feet.

Notes

Please make sure you have proper knowledge of traffic laws and regulations before riding an e-scooter. In particular, please note the following:
– Riding on sidewalks is prohibited.
– If there is a bicycle lane on the road, please ride in the lane.
– On roads with vehicle traffic zones, you must ride in the first vehicle traffic zone counting from the left edge of the road.
– A hook turn is prohibited for LUUP’s e-scooters.

Future Plans

We will be gradually increasing the number of ports and the number of e-scooters available. We also plan to introduce e-scooters to Osaka by the summer. Through this service, we will continue to consider rulemaking for the safe and convenient social implementation of e-scooters and collect data for this purpose.

About Luup, Inc.
Luup, Inc. will create a new short-distance mobility infrastructure that makes the entire city “a station front” through the sharing business of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility. 2 ongoing projects include: “demonstration of a new vehicle” to safely and conveniently use new mobility such as e-scooters in Japan, and “demonstration of a new sharing service” to validate the shared mobility experience.
– Location: 16F Link Square Shinjuku, 5-27-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051
– Financial Institutions: Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank
– Representative: Daiki Okai
– Founded: July 2018
– Service URL: https://luup.sc/

● President and CEO of Luup, Inc.　Daiki Okai　Profile
After graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Agriculture, Daiki worked at a strategy consulting firm, mainly in charge of PMI for listed companies and business DD for PE funds. After that, he founded Luup, Inc. In May 2019, he established the Micromobility Promotion Council, which aims to promote the social implementation of new micromobility technologies, with major e-scooter operators in Japan, and became its chairman. He was selected for “Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia” in April 2021.

Press Contact
● Luup, Inc.
Public Relations: Misato Matsumoto
E-mail: pr@luup.co.jp

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates “LUUP,” a sharing service of “electric micromobility,” has completed raising funding from Daito Trust Construction Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Katsuma Kobayashi; hereinafter “Daito Trust Construction”).

Luup is creating a new short-distance mobility infrastructure in Japan through the sharing of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility.

Luup aims to establish first and last-mile transportation by offering not only e-bikes and e-scooters, but by providing a comprehensive offering of electric, compact, and single-passenger electric micromobility, and create a future where all people can move freely.

Background of Financing

Daito Trust Construction manages 1,130,218 residential rental buildings throughout Japan (as of March 31, 2020). The company was ranked No. 1 in the “Ranking of 1,083 Companies by Number of Units Managed in 2020” published in the Weekly Zenkoku Chintai Jutaku Shimbun (July 27, 2020 issue). This year marks the 24th consecutive year that the company has been ranked No. 1 in the same ranking.

By introducing LUUP to properties managed by Daito Trust Construction, we aim to realize “a town or house you would want to live in because it has LUUP.”

EXx Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yamato Aoki; hereinafter “EXx”), mobby ride Inc. (Head office: Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka; CEO: Ryo Hyuga; hereinafter “mobby ride”), and Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) announced that on Friday October 16, 2020, their plan to conduct a demonstration experiment of e-scooters on public roads (roadways and bicycle lanes in specific areas only) using the “New Business Exception System” under the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act was approved. 

Background

In the midst of an super-aging society with a very low birthrate, and with the increase in the number of so-called shopping refugees and automobile accidents involving the elderly due to inadequate one-mile transportation, efforts to connect this one-mile distance are essential, and the social implementation of this micromobility is the key to maintaining and developing the vitality of the city.

Furthermore, in response to the recent spread of the new coronavirus, countries have been developing lanes dedicated to micromobility, and micromobility is attracting attention as a means of avoiding the “Three Cs (crowded places, close-contact settings, and closed spaces).” Also in Japan, there is a need for new transportation that can complement public transportation, and we believe that its social implementation is an urgent task.

Among the micromobility technologies, e-scooters are the only electric, small, single-seat mobility vehicles currently in widespread use around the world. The Micromobility Promotion Council was established in May 2019, led by micromobility sharing providers, to promote efforts for social implementation of new micromobility technologies. The demonstration has been approved as a result of overlapping dialogue with community development officials and regulatory agencies. With this approval, we would like to proceed with this demonstration as a step toward the widespread adoption of not only e-scooters but also electric micromobility in general.

Details of Special Measures

E-scooters are classified as motorized bicycles under the law, but in this demonstration experiment, they will be able to ride in a regular bicycle lane in a specific area (a general “bicycle lane”). However, the demonstration experiment will allow the use of ordinary bicycle lanes in specific areas.

Overview of the Demonstration Experiment

Implementation period
– Start: Mid-October 2020 or later
– End: End of March, 2021

Areas of implementation
– EXx: All areas of Setagaya-ku and Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa; and some areas of Kashiwa-shi, Chiba
– mobby ride: Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka; Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima; Imabari-shi, Ehime; Kobe-shi, Hyogo (all in some areas)
– Luup: All areas of Chiyoda-ku, Shinjuku-ku, Setagaya-ku, and Shibuya-ku in Tokyo

Future Outlook

In July 2020, the following statement on e-scooters was mentioned in the “Growth Strategy Follow-up” approved by the Cabinet:
“A new project will be conducted to verify riding locations and vehicle safety standards. In addition, based on the results of the new project, the state of traffic rules, including requirements for drivers, safety assurance measures, and vehicle classifications, will be examined, including whether or not a system review is necessary. In particular, a conclusion will be reached by the first half of 2021 on special measures for driver requirements, etc., based on the National Strategic Special Zones Law (partial excerpt).”

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates “LUUP,” a sharing service of “electric micromobility,” has announced that it has conducted a third-party allotment of new shares in July 2020 with ANRI (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Anri Samata) as the lead investor, ENEOS Innovation Partners Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yasunori Yazaki; hereinafter “ENEOS Innovation Partners”), the CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) of the ENEOS Group, and Obayashi Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kenji Hasuwa; hereinafter “Obayash”), raising 450 million yen in capital.

Together with the previous third-party allotment of new shares to several venture capital firms, several individual investors, and a business corporation, this round brings the total funding raised to 855 million yen.

Background of Financing

Luup is aiming to create a new short-distance mobility infrastructure in Japan through the sharing business of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility. As the first step, we have been operating the “LUUP” e-bike sharing service, which allows users to ride e-bikes from anywhere throughout the city and return them to their favorite places, since May 25, 2020 in six central wards of Tokyo: Shibuya, Meguro, Minato, Setagaya, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku. The second step that awaits is e-scooter sharing, followed by plans to introduce new electric micromobility that can solve the individual mobility issues for all.

The ENEOS Group and the Obayashi Corporation both have a long history of providing infrastructure in specific areas of Japanese society. The ENEOS Group is building an energy supply environment for society and aims to establish an optimal energy supply system for Luup’s mobility. Obayashi Corporation is engaged in construction, civil engineering, and development aiming to provide people with a better quality of life by offering construction services that are adapted to regional characteristics.

To achieve creating a short-distance mobility infrastructure, it is vital to build an energy supply system for our vehicles, and to provide the type and number of vehicles that meet the needs of the people, all in a format suited to the city. Based on this funding, we will work toward the development of new electric micromobility and future collaboration with the ENEOS Group and Obayashi Corporation.