London-based micromobility eBike startup HumanForest raises £12m Series A funding to accelerate growth

London-based micromobility eBike startup HumanForest raises £12m Series A funding to accelerate growth

Published: 23-11-2023 09:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau | hits: 2449 | Tags:

HumanForest, London’s most affordable and environmentally responsible eBike company, has raised £12 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total funds raised to £17 million. The Series A includes a £5m project finance facility from sustainable finance specialist Triodos Bank UK and £7 million equity investment from global family offices, Cabify executives, the founder of TheVentureCity and existing investors.

The Triodos Bank-backed funding will enable HumanForest to double the size of its London fleet to meet growing demand for its services. The company has quickly grown market share in London since its launch 18 months ago, growing on average 50% MoM, reaching 300,000 users, completing 2m trips and winning licences in nine London Boroughs. HumanForest will launch in Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Merton and Southwark shortly and renewed its licence to operate in the City of London last month. 

Agustin Guilisasti, CEO and Founder, HumanForest: ''Sustainable micro-mobility is a force for good in cities but to bring meaningful change it must be affordable and accessible. This funding round has accelerated our expansion, bringing affordable and sustainable mobility to even more Londoners, whilst enhancing our capital efficient approach to growth. Deeply aligned with our commitment to a more sustainable future, Triodos Bank is a natural partner for us and an important part of our expansion into Europe.” 

The new equity will be invested in technology, further developing the company’s advertising technology platform and new User App. The operator’s unique ad tech platform allows companies to advertise with purpose by providing HumanForest users with 10 minutes free cycling per day, driving the modal shift needed to decarbonise transport. HumanForest is the only micro-mobility operator in London that has zero emission operations and is an accredited B-Corp. 

Amandine Tetot, Head of Project Finance, Triodos Bank UK: ''As a bank that is looking to finance systemic transformation, we have clear ambitions to expand our portfolio into pioneering projects and financing structures to support decarbonisation solutions. HumanForest is a fantastic example of a company that is innovating shared modes of transport to tackle urban pollution while increasing access to affordable transport – thereby contributing to more liveable cities. It’s exciting to be able to support HumanForest to reach more people across London and beyond.''

Laura González-Estéfani, Founder, TheVentureCity: ''When I met the Founders of HumanForest, Cabify Alumni, I thought - Wow Chilean talent for the world! I have seen the founding team building the company in the past year with austerity, resilience and fully focused on data, never focused on the crazy context. No challenge is big enough for this team - they are building something very very special; they truly are trailblazers in this space.''

HumanForest was advised by SDG INVESTMENTS GmbH, who arranged and placed the asset based transaction. SDG INVESTMENTS is a digital matching platform for sustainable financing aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with extensive experience in financing micro-mobility operators.

www.humanforest.co.uk