Korean e-mobility startup Swing has entered Japan by launching its electric scooter sharing service. This is the first time a Korean personal mobility service company has started operations abroad.
Swing has been preparing to start Japan operations since last year when it established a subsidiary. The e-mobility company will launch its dockless e-scooter sharing service in Tokyo.
Swing aims to distribute up to 1,500 e-scooters this month and increase the number to 6,000. The company plans to expand its service scope to three cities in Japan by the end of 2022. It could also add rental services for electric bicycles and electric motorcycles.
Swing expects demand for its last-mile mobility service to grow in Japan following the country’s recent removal of a clause in the law banning unlicensed drivers from using e-scooters.
Swing operates around 70,000 e-scooters in South Korea. As of July this year, the company had secured 1.6 million members and boasted 560,000 monthly active users on its e-scooter sharing service app.
The firm was recently designated as a “preliminary unicorn startup” by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups; a title given to startups with a market value between 100 billion won ($75.5 million) to 1 trillion won.
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