Micromobility operator HumanForest has launched a new shared e-bike scheme in London, offering riders 10 minutes of free usage per day.
After that initial period it will charge 15p per minute, with the company partly-funded by advertisers including Nutmeg, Bloomberg and Oddbox.
Up to 800 e-bikes are set to be available across the capital from Tuesday.
HumanForest operated a fleet of around 150 e-bikes in Islington between June and September 2020 before taking a hiatus to improve its hardware, and are now launching with a new e-bike.
The OKAI EB100 operates on zero greenhouse gas emissions with long range swappable batteries and initiatives to improve battery life and reduce waste, while they are also equipped with phone holders and wireless charging capability.
The platform is headed up by former Cabify chief Agustin Guilisasti, who was present at the launch on Tuesday along with Dr Alex George, the prime minister’s mental health ambassador, and Destiny Boka Bates, co-founder of air pollution campaign Choked Up.
The company raised £2.3 million in its pre-series A funding round, bringing its valuation to £32 million up from £10.2 million at the seed stage.
“At HumanForest, we are committed to help remove CO2 from the environment with our truly sustainable fleet of e-bikes,” Guilisasti said.
“We are building a sustainable travel movement and are ensuring that everyone can join us. Every single person gets 10 minutes free riding, every day – providing Londoners with a means to create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city for all.”
