European electric bike sharing service Zoov is raising €6 million (US$6.8M), led by daphni, C4 Ventures and Road Ventures. BNP Paribas Développement and the Banque des Territoires have also contributed to this 100% European funding round, which will help finance the roll-out of the service in the Saclay region, the launch in several French conurbations, the pursuit of product developments, and the goal of doubling the size of its workforce in France.

Founded in France in 2017 by Eric Carreel, Arnaud Le Rodallec and Amira Haberah, Zoov lets people book an electric bike at any time of day and use GPS to be directed to their destination. The service guarantees a respectful approach to sharing public roads thanks to light, ultra-compact stations in the densest areas, requiring neither public investment nor civil engineering.

The company’s approach to shared mobility is based on full control of its service, from design through to operation.

We really believe that to offer a sustainable quality service, we need to be able to enhance it by making use of data. And to gather reliable data in real time about the status of the bikes and the environment in which they are evolving, it is vital that we are fully in control of our product.

—Eric Carreel, co-founder and Chairman of Zoov

Following on from a 5-month trial in the Saclay region, where 200 shared electric bikes were made available to residents, workers and students in the area, Zoov’s ambition is to establish itself in a number of French conurbations in 2019.

In particular, the company plans to offer companies a turnkey solution so that they can offer their employees an active means of transport, by installing stations outside their premises.