Mobility startup Baqme has launched a crowdfunding campaign to grow its shared e-cargo bike business and expand into new cities.
Since launching in 2021, Baqme has gained more than 10,000 users, facilitated over 60,000 rides and now operates with 285 e-cargo bikes across four cities in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The bikes have two seatbelts to fit two small children, or they can be used to carry groceries, luggage or personal items.
With a variety of use cases, Baqme’s mission is to make its e-cargo bikes accessible to everyone.
“Micromobility can be a major contributor to social inclusion,” Baqme’s Founder Souren Arakelian told Zag Daily. “We believe that our e-cargo bikes have the power to tackle transport inequity and even the playing field.”
Both daily and monthly subscriptions are available to give people the freedom to choose how they want to use the bikes.
The investment will help expand Baqme’s fleet and open new service areas in the current cities in which it operates.
“We will also use this investment as a stepping stone to expand to other cities and countries in Europe,” said Arakelian.
Having launched originally in the city of Rotterdam, the company has since expanded to The Hague, Ghent and Eindhoven. The expansion into Ghent followed a recently announced innovative partnership with micromobility operator Dott to deploy e-bikes and e-cargo bikes there in a first-of-its-kind permit.
Baqme has chosen to crowdfund on British investment platform Crowdcube.
