Ngokusho kwabezindaba bakwamanye amazwe i-TechCrunch, isiJapaneipulatifomu yemoto kagesi okwabelwana ngayoI-“Luup” isanda kumemezela ukuthi inyuse i-JPY 4.5 billion (cishe i-USD 30 million) emzuliswaneni wayo we-D wokuxhasa ngezimali, okuhlanganisa ukulingana kwe-JPY 3.8 billion kanye ne-JPY 700 million esikweletini.
Lo mzuliswano wokuxhaswa ngezimali ubuholwa yi-Spiral Capital, nabatshalizimali abakhona i-ANRI, i-SMBC Venture Capital ne-Mori Trust, kanye nabatshalizimali abasha i-31 Ventures, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust kanye ne-Banking Corporation, belandela. Kusukela manje, i-“Luup” inyuse isamba esingu-USD 68 million. Ngokusho kwabangaphakathi, inani lenkampani lidlule i-USD 100 million, kodwa inkampani yenqabile ukuphawula ngalokhu kulinganisa.
Eminyakeni yamuva nje, uhulumeni waseJapan ubelokhu ephumuza imithetho ngezimoto zikagesi ukuze aqhubeke nokugqugquzela ukuthuthukiswa kwemboni yezokuthutha. Kusukela ngoJulayi nonyaka ukuchitshiyelwa komthetho iRoad Traffic Act waseJapan kuzovumela abantu ukuthi basebenzise izithuthuthu zikagesi bengenazo izincwadi zokushayela noma umakalabha, inqobo nje uma beqinisekisa ukuthi ijubane alidluli kumakhilomitha angama-20 ngehora.
Isikhulu esiphezulu uDaiki Okai engxoxweni uthe inhloso elandelayo ye-“Luup” wukukhulisa isithuthuthu sikagesi kanyeibhizinisi lamabhayisikili kagesiukuya emadolobheni amakhulu nezindawo eziheha izivakashi e-Japan, ukufinyelela esikalini esiqhathaniswa nezokuhamba zomphakathi ezivamile ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nezidingo zamakhulu ezinkulungwane zabagibeli bansuku zonke. I-“Luup” ihlela nokuguqula umhlaba ongasetshenziswa kancane ube iziteshi zokupaka futhi ifake izindawo zokupaka ezindaweni ezifana nezakhiwo zamahhovisi, amafulethi nezitolo.
Amadolobha aseJapan athuthukiswa eduze kweziteshi zikaloliwe, ngakho izakhamuzi ezihlala ezindaweni ezikude nezindawo zokuhamba zinohambo olungelula neze. U-Okai wachaza ukuthi umgomo ka-“Luup” uwukwakha inethiwekhi yezokuthutha enabantu abaningi ukuze bavale igebe lezokuthutha ezakhamuzini ezihlala kude neziteshi zikaloliwe.
"Luup" yasungulwa ngo-2018 futhi yethulwaizimoto zikagesi okwabelwana ngazongo-2021. Usayizi wayo wemikhumbi manje usukhule waba yizimoto ezingaba ngu-10,000. Le nkampani ithi isicelo sayo sesidawunilode izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesigidi futhi isifake izindawo zokupaka ezingu-3,000 emadolobheni ayisithupha eJapane kulo nyaka. Inhloso yenkampani ukufaka izindawo zokupaka eziyi-10,000 ngo-2025.
Izimbangi zale nkampani zifaka phakathi iziqalo zasendaweni ze-Docomo Bike Share, Open Streets, kanye ne-US-based Bird kanye ne-South Korea's Swing. Kodwa-ke, i-“Luup” njengamanje inenani elikhulu kakhulu lezindawo zokupaka e-Tokyo, Osaka, nase-Kyoto.
U-Okai uthe njengoba kuzoqala ukusebenza ngoNtulikazi nonyaka isibalo sabantu abahamba ngezimoto zikagesi njengoba kuchitshiyelwa umthetho olawula ukuhamba kwezimoto. Ukwengeza, inethiwekhi yethrafikhi encane kakhulu ye-"Luup" izophinde inikeze umfutho wokuthunyelwa kwengqalasizinda entsha yezokuthutha njengama-drones namarobhothi okulethwa.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: May-04-2023
