China’s leading transportation company, Hellobike, reported it had 280 million registered users as of September 17, 2019. The company has successfully deployed its bikes to more than 360 cities and electric bikes to 260 cities across China.
The 3-year old company released an interesting infographic a few days ago, showing that its services were most popular in Chengdu, Tianjin and Shenyang, a list that includes both coastal and inland cities. The areas that most require bike commutes are central business districts, large residential areas, parks, and commercial areas. Most riders are likely to be men between 30 and 39 years old.
Founded in 2016 in Shanghai by Yang Lei, Hellobike started as a bike sharing service. Technology drives its operations, as data analysis and AI have helped the company achieve peak utilization of 18 rides a day and 36 times a day for campus bikes. The highly efficient distribution and repair networks are made possible thanks to the company’s technology-backed operating system.
Attracting more and more riders, Hellobike launched a few additional services to meet other commuter demands. Its electric bike sharing services are now available in 260 cities, and it also operates vehicle ride-sharing services in more than 300 cities. Hellobike’s electric bike battery swap service has now been tested in three pilot cities. The many options the company provides make it easy for commuters to pick their favorite mode of transportation.
Hellobike has raised USD 1.8 billion in total from several rounds of funding. The most recent Series G raised CNY 4 billion from Ant Financial and Primavera Capital Group. GGV, Fosun, and Chengwei Capital are the big names among its previous investors.
Two-wheeled vehicles are very popular among Chinese commuters, as 1 billion daily commutes, about ⅓ China’s total, are done on two wheelers. Hellobike currently serves 20% of the market for share bikes. Hello Brain 2.0, the company’s smart transportation OS, will help it further increase operating efficiency and improve rider experiences. Finally, Hellobike is aiming to be the leader in the transportation industry with its full roster of services.
(Top photo from Hellobike)
