Lime’s e-scooters are going to Canada

Lime plans to release a small fleet of e-scooters in Waterloo, Ontario, in what will be the startup’s first scooter-share pilot program in Canada.

The dockless bike and scooter company has paired up with the University of Waterloo to facilitate the launch. Lime’s scooters will be the first of any startup-owned e-scooters to hit the pavement in Canada.

“Over the past several months, we have spent time in Waterloo to understand how our Lime-S e-scooters can help this progressive city reach its smart transportation goals,” Lime’s vice president of strategic development Andrew Savage said in a statement. “We are committed to meeting the unique needs of cities across Canada and are excited to continue expanding our global footprint.”

Lime didn’t say which other Canadian markets are next on the list.

It will be interesting to see how the scooters are received in Waterloo. According to a recent report from Canada’s The Globe and Mail, Toronto transportation leaders are hesitant to invite e-scooter startups to the city, which isn’t too surprising considering the drama that’s followed them in recent months. Toronto, still, as the largest city in Canada, is likely a very desirable market for the e-scooter startup trio: Lime, Bird and Spin.

This isn’t Lime’s first foray across borders. It launched its dockless bikes in Europe, specifically Frankfurt, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland, late last year and in June, the company debuted its scooters in Paris. The San Mateo-based company is now active in 100 markets across seven, soon-to-be-eight, countries.

Lime announced last week that it had recorded 11.5 million scooter and bike rides, just a few months after it surpassed the 6 million-ride mark. The company launched just over a year ago and has since raised $467 million in venture capital funding at a valuation north of $1 billion. Lime is backed by GV, Andreessen Horowitz, IVP, Section 32, GGV Capital and more.