Oct. 14, 2020Marubeni Corporationmobby ride Inc.
In October 2020, Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) and mobby ride Inc. (hereinafter, “mobby ride”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter, “MOU”) to verify joint business potentials regarding advanced city development through the combination of electric power services and electric micro-mobility*1 services.
Marubeni’s Domestic Power Department ran an open innovation program – “Marubeni Accelerator 2018” in November 2018 with the aim of creating new business in the domestic power market with startup companies. Of the numerous applications received, mobby ride was one of the companies selected by Marubeni for collaboration throughout the year. Marubeni and mobby ride conducted the first unmanned operated e-scooter lending demonstration test in Japan, in Hamamatsu Flower Park (Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture) in 2019. Since then, the two companies have been working closely with multiple local governments and companies to improve the convenience of transportation and verify the economic effects of mobility business.
This MOU tethers mobby ride’s electric micro-mobility services with the electric power retail business, the renewable energy power generation business, community-based business development, and other environmental solution services that utilize Marubeni's comprehensive strengths. The two companies combined shall pursue improvement in the diversity and convenience of transportation, thereby reducing the environmental burden of transportation, revitalizing regional economies, and making people's lives richer and more convenient.
Marubeni and mobby ride will aim to develop advanced cities by providing transportation solutions and reducing the environmental burden of transportation by popularizing micro-mobility services that utilize renewable energy as their main power source.
In expanding its purview in the power business, Marubeni will explore the possibility of a new electric power service business in the mobility field.
In continuing to strive towards the optimum social implementation of electric micro-mobilities, mobby ride will also consider environmentally conscious products and services.
*1 Micro-mobility : refers to personal vehicles that can carry one or two passengers.