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”) 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.

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”), which operates micromobility sharing service “LUUP”, has been selected to participate in the “Demonstration Project Using Michibiki,” operated by the Cabinet Office and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Services Inc. The project publicly accepted applications between April 12 and May 28, 2021 and Luup applied for an “E-Scooter Location Detection Demonstration Project”. We will start a demonstration for highly accurate detection of the vehicles, using the sub-meter level augmentation service of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System “Michibiki”.

Background of Adoption

In April 2021, Luup received approval from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for a “New Business Exception System” and has been conducting a demonstration experiment of an e-scooter sharing service. Since the launch of the service, many users have been using the service, but the GPS commonly used for e-scooter sharing services has not been able to accurately detect the precise location of the vehicles, such as the distinction between roadways and sidewalks. In order for users to use e-scooters safely and in accordance with the correct riding rules, a system that can detect precise location data is also required, and the need for validation to realize this was highly evaluated and the project was adopted as a “Demonstration Project Using Michibiki.”

Regarding Demonstration Project for Locating E-Scooters Using “Michibiki”

The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System “Michibiki” is a Japanese satellite positioning system consisting mainly of satellites in quasi-zenith orbit, and is sometimes called the “Japanese version of GPS.” Previous satellite positioning services used GPS satellites operated by the United States, but in urban and mountainous areas, the signals were sometimes blocked by buildings and trees, making it difficult to obtain stable positioning information. Therefore, Michibiki, which supplements GPS and provides highly accurate and stable satellite positioning services, began operations in November 2018. Due to its superiority, it is expected to develop a location data business that makes advanced use of geospatial information.

With the e-scooter location detection adopted by Michibiki, Luup will conduct a demonstration to realize highly accurate traveling location detection using the sub-meter level augmentation service.

Details and Schedule of the Demonstration

Details of the Demonstration
(1) Attach the QZ1 sub-meter level positioning augmentation service-compatible receiver to e-scooters to collect and periodically analyze traveling data
(2) Validate whether it is possible to detect whether a vehicle is traveling on a sidewalk or on a roadway (*1), and create guidelines for future practice

*1…Will do push walking when determining sidewalk riding. No violations will be committed in the demonstration.

Schedule
– July 2021 to November 2021: Procurement of e-scooters for demonstration purposes and modification for installation receivers (*already done)
– January 2022 to February 2022: Collect positioning data through traveling in the Tokyo area
– March 2022 and beyond: Analyze traveling data and verify the accuracy of detecting traveling locations
Luup aims to realize a society where people, vehicles, and cities can all co-exist in harmony through the development of a safe riding environment for e-scooters.

Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) will begin introducing a residents-only model of “LUUP” to newly built condominiums. The first property to be introduced will be Park Homes Hamamatsucho (sold by Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co.,Ltd.), which is scheduled to go on sale in the spring of 2022. Through this initiative, we aim to expand the range of comfortable mobility for residents and provide services that enrich their daily lives.

Background

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.’” Currently, we provide high-density sharing services of e-scooters and e-bikes in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Yokohama.

LUUP is characterized by the highest “LUUP station density” in its service area. Currently, the number of LUUP stations in the entire service has expanded to about 700, and they are used by people for daily transportation, such as commuting and shopping. With LUUP stations located throughout the city, people can move freely and flexibly regardless of the walking time from a train station. With a LUUP station, we believe that even properties far from the nearest train station will become far more accessible, hopefully leading to an increase in value.

By installing LUUP stations in newly constructed condominiums for sale, residents can enjoy more convenient daily transportation to and from work, school, and shopping.

What is “LUUP for Residential”

“LUUP for Residential” is a residents-only model of “LUUP” exclusively for designated condominium residents. Through the “LUUP” smartphone application, residents can ride e-scooters from LUUP stations located in the residents-only area at a discount, and move to any LUUP stations of their choice.

Service Overview
E-scooter sharing service

Available LUUP Stations
Exclusive LUUP stations for property residents & general LUUP stations

Service Fees
Plans to offer a resident-only plan that is less expensive than LUUP’s regular rates (details to be determined)

Terms of Use
– Must be a resident of the property
– To use the e-scooters, users must (1) register their driver’s license and (2) pass the driving rules confirmation test with a perfect score from the LUUP smartphone application

Insurance
Covers property damage, bodily injury, and your own injuries.

Notes
– Non-resident users are not allowed to get in or out at LUUP stations located in the condominium.
– For safety reasons, we voluntarily designate roads with significant vehicle traffic as no-go zones for riding e-scooters. Prohibited roads are indicated on the map on the app as “hand-pushing zones” and users are urged to go around them.

Overview of “Park Homes Hamamatsucho”

– Property name: Park Homes Hamamatsucho
– Location: 1-20-6 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
– Access: 8-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station on the Yamanote Line, Keihin Tohoku Line, and Tokyo Monorail; 7-minute walk from Daimon Station on the Toei Oedo Line and Asakusa Line; 2-minute walk from Takeshiba Station on the Yurikamome Line
– Units: 102
– Structure and scale: Reinforced Concrete / 18 stories above ground
– Floor plan: 1K~2LDK
– Original developer: Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co.,Ltd.
– Property management company: Mitsui Fudosan Residential Service Co., Ltd.
– Scheduled completion date: Late August 2023
– Scheduled move-in date: Late November 2023
– Website: https://www.31sumai.com/mfr/X1914/

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”), which operates a sharing service “LUUP” that handles “electric micromobility” such as e-scooters and e-bikes, raised 750 million yen through a third-party allotment of new shares from Spiral Capital Japan Fund Ⅱ Investment Limited Partnership (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Tomokazu Okuno; hereinafter “Spiral Capital”) as lead investor, and Anri Investment Fund Limited Partnership No.3 (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Anri Samata; hereinafter “ANRI”), ENEOS Innovation Partners LLC. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Yasunori Yazaki; hereinafter “ENEOS Innovation Partners”), Adastria Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Chairman of The Board: Michio Fukuda; hereinafter “Adastria”), and several undisclosed investors.

We will continue discussions with several potential investors toward the final closing around the summer of 2021. At the same time, we will begin accepting applications from companies throughout Japan that wish to install LUUP.

List of investors in this investment round

– Spiral Capital
– ANRI
– ENEOS Innovation Partners
– Adastria
– Multiple investors (undisclosed)

Background of this investment round

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.’” Since April 23, 2021, we are operating an e-scooter sharing service under a special government measure, the first in Japan to make the wearing of helmets optional. In the future, we aim to introduce a universal mobility that can also be ridden easily and safely by the elderly and/or people with disabilities.

Currently, the company is experiencing a rapid increase in demand since the launch of the e-scooter sharing service. With this investment round, we will strengthen our organizational structure for further area expansion and functional enhancement, as well as develop safer and more convenient vehicles.

Furthermore, ENEOS Innovation Partners and Adastria are each looking to collaborate in the future. With ENEOS, we will build an energy supply system for electric micromobility, aiming to realize a society where everyone can move freely. With Adastria, we will start collaboration to provide a new means of transportation at stores.

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

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”), and Hasegawa Kogyo Co. (Head office: Osaka-shi, Osaka; President: Yasumasa Hasegawa; hereinafter “Hasegawa Kogyo”), all of which are members of the Micromobility Promotion Council (a voluntary association, Chairman: Daiki Okai of Luup, Inc.) that consists mainly of domestic e-scooter operators, have received approval for their plan to conduct a demonstration experiment of e-scooters on public roads under the “New Business Exception System” based on the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act. For this demonstration experiment, the vehicle will be treated as a “small-sized special motor vehicle” under the Road Traffic Act, and several changes in driving conditions will be applied, including the optional wearing of helmets and a maximum speed limit of 15 km/h.

Details of Special Measures

Special measures below will be applied to businesses that have applied for and received approval:

– Classification under the Road Traffic Act: Small-sized special motorized vehicles (*Under the Road Transport Vehicle Act, it is treated as “e-bikes” as in the current law)
– Speed limit: limited to a maximum of 15 km/h
– Riding areas: In addition to the roadway, bicycle lanes will be available as in the previous version. In addition, “bicycle roadways” and “roadways that are one-way but allow bicycles to pass in both directions” will also be available.
– Rules for riding: The wearing of helmets became optional (wearing helmets is recommended for safety reasons). Carrying a driver’s license when riding and the purchase of liability insurance will remain mandatory.
– Vehicle requirements: The vehicle must continue to meet the security standards required for mopeds, such as the installation of license plates and mirrors.

These special measures apply only to demonstration experiments conducted under an approved new business activity plan. The above special measures do not apply to the e-scooters owned by non-certified businesses or individuals.

Overview of the Demonstration Experiment

Implementation period
– Start: After April 23rd, 2021 (the exact date depends on operators)
– End: Scheduled for October 2021

Areas of implementation
– EXx: All areas of Setagaya-ku and Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Kashiwa-shi, Chiba; Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa; and Toyooka-shi, Hyogo
– mobby ride: Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka; Kobe-shi, Hyogo (TBD)
– Luup: Shibuya-ku, Shinjuku-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Setagaya-ku, Minato-ku, and Meguro-ku in Tokyo; Osaka-shi, Osaka
– Hasegawa Kogyo: Part of Chiba-shi, Chiba; Osaka-shi, Osaka

The Micromobility Promotion Council, consisting mainly of domestic e-scooter operators, presented an interim report on the demonstration experiment of e-scooters on public roads using the “New Business Exception System” based on the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act and requests for the creation of appropriate rules for e-scooters in the future, in the presence of relevant ministries and agencies, at the “Micromobility PT of the MaaS Parliamentary Group” held on Friday, December 4, 2020.

Details of the Presentation by the Micromobility Promotion Council

We would like to continue our dialogue with the stakeholders and launch a follow-up to this demonstration experiment as soon as possible in order to accelerate the development of a safe and secure environment for the use of e-scooters in Japan, which are rapidly gaining popularity overseas and are also effective in avoiding the density during COVID-19 pandemic and reducing environmental burdens.

In addition, there has been a recent increase in the number of illegal e-scooters being driven on roadways and sidewalks that do not meet the safety measures required by law. Insufficient understanding of the laws and regulations is unlikely to reduce inappropriate riding. The Micromobility Promotion Council aims to realize appropriate regulations based on a series of dialogues with regulatory authorities and urban development officials. 

Outline of the demonstration experiment of the e-scooter on public roads using the “New Business Exception System”
– Deregulation items approved this time
(1) Riding in bicycle lanes
(2) Revision of safety standards (position of front lights, number lights)
– Entities: EXx Inc., mobby ride Inc., and Luup, Inc.
– Areas: Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku, Shinjuku-ku, Shibuya-ku, and Setagaya-ku), Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa; Kashiwa-shi, Chiba; Kobe-shi, Hyogo; Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima; Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
Implementation period: October 2020 to March 2021

The demonstration experiment complies with the safety standards for e-bikes and the rules of the Road Traffic Act, excluding the deregulation items listed above. Moped license holders, wearing helmets and using vehicles controlled at a maximum speed of less than 20 km/h, will ride in the bicycle lane and on the roadway in the exception area to promote verification of appropriate riding conditions for e-scooters.

Progress report on the above demonstration experiment
Based on the feedback from the participants of the demonstration experiment, the following issues were presented under the current driving conditions:
– Existence of parked vehicles on the roadway
– Speed difference with other vehicles
– Existence of illegal e-scooters
– Excessive security standards (constant front lighting, rear-view mirrors, alarms, braking devices, etc.)
– License plates that extend beyond the width of the vehicle