E-scooter startup Lime picks Singapore as Asia-Pacific HQ

Singapore

MOBILITY solutions provider Lime has picked Singapore to be its regional headquarters in the Asia-Pacific, with the central business district-located headquarters slated to open in the third quarter of this year.

With the new headquarters, Lime plans to expand local capabilities to include government relations, partnerships, brand and operations. Leadership appointments and further details on the company's Asia-Pacific expansion plans will be revealed at a later date.

The move follows the firm's plan to expand globally, after piloting its electric scooters in November 2018 with Ascendas-Singbridge group.

Since then, Lime has invested in in-house research and development for new e-scooter models which meet local safety and usage needs. It has also collaborated with various stakeholders to promote a sustainable and responsible riding culture throughout the city.

Ashwin Purushottam, Lime's general manager for Singapore, said the Republic is a strategic location for Lime due to its "strong potential for growth" and high existing adoption rate of personal mobility devices.

"The country's strengths in terms of infrastructure readiness, macroeconomic status coupled with the presence of progressive government support and regulation made this decision an easy and natural one," he added.

Anthony Fleo, Lime's regional general manager of APAC, said the development will help lay the groundwork for the firm's Asia-Pacific expansion as it is geographically well-positioned as a communications touchpoint to support and connect the firm's regional offices.

Lime operates in more than 100 cities across at least 20 countries, with over 10 million sign-ups on its app and over 34 million rides taken.