E-scooter sharing platform in small touristic town

E-scooter sharing platform in small touristic town

Is ATOM Mobility platform suitable for hotels and guest houses that wants to operate a small fleet of scooter or bikes as an additional service for guests? - Yes, sure.

It is even possible to get 20% of the total population in a small town to become users of the e-scooter sharing platform. That’s what the story of the GOON is about. The company operates in the small town of Zarasai, Lithuania with a population around 8 000 people and reached almost 2 000 users in the first few months.

Launch date: Spring 2020

Country: Lithuania

Fleet: Segway MAX

Web page: https://www.facebook.com/GOONZarasuose

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/goon-e-scooter-sharing/id1498086237

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=goon.app

“We got the idea for this business from the example of big cities where big companies like BOLT, CityBee, and others operate. We also took into account the lack of entertainment for the guests and residents of the small resort city of Zarasai,” says GOON’s founder Darius Kilbauskas, sharing the story of starting his own business.

Drew on Support for Startups to Begin

GOON started at the moment when its founders decided to use support from the Zarasai Startup training programme for young entrepreneurs. It is a project funded by the European Social Fund Agency and initiated by the National Institute for Social Integration. The GOON team was selected to participate in the programme in April 2019. Within a couple of months, they were joined by business consultant Ugnius Savickas, who diligently traveled to regular meetings with the project participants. This is how the business idea succeeded.

GOON scooters near the lake
GOON scooters near the lake

Just to give you an idea of how small the town is - only 8,000 people live there. GOON started to offer its services at the beginning of the 2020 season and had 1,700 users which amounts to 20% of the total population!

“Our scooter sharing fleet has only nine scooters, so the number of users is really impressive. In addition, this year was different - many chose to stay in Zarasai for the whole summer due to the pandemic or visited a neighbouring country - Latvia. And the biggest number of tourists also came from Latvia and one of its largest cities – Daugavpils which is only 25 km away. Zarasai has beautiful nature, lakes, and excellent infrastructure to offer tourists,” says Darius. In addition, he mentions that original and attention-grabbing e-scooter design, advertising, and ATOM Mobility’s modern rental platform played a significant role in creating a success story. “The app by ATOM has never let us down and has met all our expectations. We are grateful to those professionals for their quality work,” says Darius, thanking his partners.

The collaboration with ATOM Mobility started unexpectedly. Initially, the team was looking for a GPS device for IoT scooters. “We were interested in how much it would cost to build our own platform. Then we realized that this amount would be far too high for our small business. I found a Lithuanian company TELTONIKA that produces devices we were interested in. And then a representative of this company hooked us up with ATOM. This saved us a lot of money and time. ATOM helped us to launch the app in 20 days!” says Darius.

“This is proof for us that even with the super small fleet, it is possible to run successful operations. And the ATOM Mobility platform is also an affordable solution on such a small scale. It helps small businesses such as guest houses and hotels to offer e-scooters or bikes as an additional entertainment option,” comments ATOM Mobility CEO Arturs Burnins.

Aim to Entertain and Surprise

Currently, there are two people involved in the team of GOON. Darius is the supervisor of the e-scooter park and is responsible for administrative work. While his colleague Augustė is responsible for increasing the customer base and overseeing advertising and design. “We do everything ourselves,” says Darius proudly.

This is just the beginning of GOON. The company is considering expansion and not only in terms of buying additional vehicles and also working in other neighbouring cities but also in increasing diversity and choice so that it is possible to attract and surprise both tourists and locals.

If you ever visit Zarasai, don’t forget to take an e-scooter and enjoy the most beautiful route around Lake Zarasas, an 11 km circle. Darius also recommends visiting the watermill along the route in Šlininkai and enjoying a great meal there.

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Making corporate travel cool again: the story of MOBEO
Making corporate travel cool again: the story of MOBEO

In big cities, employees often want to avoid traffic and parking hassles, preferring an easier way to commute. Luckily, there are people ready to take on the challenge. Meet MOBEO – an innovative Spanish company that is not only transforming how we get around but also making corporate travel more exciting.

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In big cities, employees often want to avoid traffic and parking hassles, preferring an easier way to commute. Luckily, there are people ready to take on the challenge. Meet MOBEO – an innovative Spanish company that is not only transforming how we get around but also making corporate travel more exciting.

We caught up with Álvaro Ventura, CEO of MOBEO, to get the inside scoop on how his company is creating corporate fleets and shaking up the world of business travel with a help from Atom Mobility.

Launch date: November 2023
Country: Spain
Web page: https://mobeosharing.com
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mobeoshare/id6469049276
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobeoshare.app&hl=en_AU
Fleet: bicycles (incl. conventional, hybrid, mountain, electric bikes), pedal karts, and bicycles
for people with reduced mobility.

From two wheels to many

With 12 years of experience in the tourism industry, the MOBEO team identified an opportunity to expand their business by leveraging resources from their existing projects. This vision led to the creation of MOBEOsharing.com, a platform designed to meet the growing demand for employee transportation services. Their ambitious goal? To become the leading provider of shared private fleets for European businesses within five years.

MOBEO’s journey began with a self-funded investment of 70,000 euros, which laid a strong foundation for their operations. However, the team quickly recognized that additional capital would be essential for rapid expansion. They are now actively seeking investments to accelerate their entry into the European market and to help achieve their bold vision.

What makes MOBEO special

MOBEO’s mission goes beyond simply providing vehicles; they aim to transform how companies approach transportation. MOBEO works closely with clients to run campaigns that encourage employees to adopt greener travel options instead of relying on cars. Their comprehensive services include digital awareness campaigns, personalized commuting routes, and team-building events focused on sustainable transportation.

As Ventura, a key figure in MOBEO, explains, “Some clients go all-in with our full package, while others might just want us to handle the wheels. It’s like a buffet—take what you need!”. This flexibility allows MOBEO to cater to companies of all sizes and budgets, making them a preferred choice for businesses looking to modernize their transportation strategies.

On the software side, MOBEO relies on ATOM Mobility's digital rental solution, which provides MOBEO users (employees of companies that MOBEO partners with) the opportunity to create an account in the MOBEO app, upload their employee ID card (allowing the MOBEO team to verify that the individual is indeed employed by the specific company), and, once verified, gain access and pre-book vehicles for upcoming rides. The MOBEO app also features a calendar function, enabling users to schedule future bookings as needed. At the end of the month, MOBEO bills partners based on the usage of vehicles by their employees. All vehicle monitoring, unlocking, and locking are automatically managed by the ATOM Mobility platform. It’s that simple.

Targeting clients

MOBEO is strategically expanding its presence by focusing on large companies with offices in major Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Seville. These cities are particularly well-suited for introducing shared mobility solutions due to their large employee bases and the strong demand for sustainable transport options. On average, an employee takes a vehicle for 1-2 days and rides 10-40 km per booking.

Partnering with ATOM Mobility

In 2019, MOBEO began with a small software provider that met their initial needs but lacked the capacity for growth. Recognizing the need for a more robust solution, MOBEO partnered with ATOM Mobility—a decision that proved pivotal for scaling their operations.

ATOM Mobility, a leader in shared mobility software solutions, is known for its comprehensive platform and exceptional customer service. Their software empowers businesses like MOBEO to manage fleets efficiently, offer seamless user experiences, and scale operations smoothly. MOBEO frequently encountered positive feedback about ATOM Mobility during hardware discussions, prompting them to explore and eventually adopt ATOM Mobility's services.

This partnership has been instrumental in MOBEO’s success, providing them with the tools and support necessary to expand and innovate in the competitive European market.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: Be ready!

For those looking to enter the shared mobility sector, Ventura offers sage advice: “This industry is going places, but it’s not a walk in the park. Good financial planning is key because regulatory changes are like a rollercoaster ride—you’ve got to hang on and adapt quickly.”

The future of success

MOBEO is setting new standards for corporate mobility, thanks to their innovative approach and strategic partnership with ATOM Mobility. Together, they are on track to revolutionize how businesses manage transportation in Spain.

As MOBEO continues to pioneer advancements in corporate mobility, their collaboration with ATOM Mobility remains a cornerstone of their success. With shared values and a commitment to innovation, MOBEO and ATOM Mobility are poised to lead the transformation of business transportation across Europe.

Case study
GreenGo chooses ATOM Mobility to power its electric car-sharing business
GreenGo chooses ATOM Mobility to power its electric car-sharing business

Electric car-sharing operator from Slovenia. Operates in 4 cities.

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“We spent two years developing a car-sharing app in-house. And even after all our efforts it still wasn't half as good as ATOM Mobility's platform.” – Peter Mraz, GreenGo's Manager, shares how he found the perfect partner in ATOM Mobility. 

Launch date: May 2021
Country: Slovenia, operates in 4 cities
Web page: https://greengo.city
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/greengo-by-t2/id1618782932
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=greengo.app 

GreenGo is a green vehicle-sharing company based in Slovenia that currently focuses on electric cars. 

The company's story is unique in that it's a project that spun out from its parent company T-2, d.o.o., a local telecom provider with over 400 employees. T-2's owner was enthusiastic about green mobility and set out to bring his vision to life – and succeeded. Today, you can find GreenGo's Renault Zoes and Twingos, Cupra Borns, and VW ID.3s in four cities – Ljubljana, Kranj, Trzin, and Logatec. 

However, the man who's running the show is Peter Mraz, GreenGo's Manager. While he does enjoy access to the parent company's resources, Peter is single-handedly overseeing the entire project and responsible for its success. 

“I do have backup from designers, legal, accounting and so on. And there are maybe 3-4 people who help manage the cars and maintenance. Everything else – it's on me. Thanks to ATOM Mobility, I have been able to manage everything from project start to launch pretty much on my own,” says Peter.

GreenGo's early challenges

Orginally, the idea was to develop the GreenGo car-sharing app in-house – a decision Peter grew to regret.

“It took us two years to develop the app. Even then, it did the job, but it wasn't perfect and it didn't quite go the way we wanted it to. And even after all our efforts it still wasn't half as good as ATOM Mobility's platform,” he shares. 

Indeed, this ongoing struggle pushed GreenGo to explore alternative options on the market and, after some market research, they landed on ATOM Mobility. ATOM Mobility ticked their two most important checkboxes – it offered the core functionalities they required and offered fast time-to-market. 

Originally“Once we made the switch, we launched in 3 months, though we did already have the cars at the ready, which certainly helped,” Peter continues. 

Admittedly, ATOM Mobility didn't immediately fulfil all their needs. 

“We had a very specific vision and requirements. ATOM Mobility was great, but didn't have everything we wanted when we started out. But the platform is evolving quickly. Their team develops something new every 2-3 months and it's very good for us. Since they develop for other companies, too, we also benefit from the updates. Now, ATOM Mobility has everything we need and more,” Peter says.

Still, early on, GreenGo were facing an uphill battle with fierce competition. Slovenia already had one high-profile electric car-sharing company that had established itself in the market, had more experience, and was well-respected among its customers and the general public. 

What was GreenGo's strategy for finding a foothold in the ecosystem? 

A brilliant idea for entering a busy market 

GreenGo carved out its market share by leveraging a strategic partnership with Slovenian Railways. 

“You see, a lot of tourists arrive in Ljubljana and other cities by train. Either internationally or from the airport. So we started off by placing our vehicles in railway stations, allowing us to be the easy choice top of mind for anyone arriving in the city,” Peter explains.  

To further improve convenience for potential customers, GreenGo integrated ATOM Mobility with a local MaaS platform. This allowed people to purchase credits for GreenGo's car-sharing app through the city's own mobility solution. 

Not only did this solidify GreenGo as the most accessible solution for any tourist who used the city's app to buy a train ticket, it also connected it to all the local residents that use the city's mobility app in their day-to-day. 

Now, you'll find GreenGo in four cities and their customers love them, as suggested by the high app ratings and continuous positive feedback. 

In most of the cities, they're using a station based model – where the cars need to be picked up and returned at certain points. However, in the capital they're currently running a hybrid model featuring both free-floating and station-based vehicle sharing. 

GreenGo expects to have to switch to a fully station-based model in Ljubljana, too, as the city is pulling the brakes on free-floating vehicle sharing. But they're not too fussed, as this model is easier to manage and can be a better choice for a still-up-and-coming company. 

Looking to the future – more vehicle types and a focus on B2B

As any company, GreenGo is eyeing growth and expansion. 

“Our vision is to become a leading force in the sharing economy,” Peter highlights.

Expanding their fleet with different types of vehicles, specifically – electric micromobility solutions – is one of the avenues GreenGo is exploring. 

In terms of business development, GreenGo has an interesting strategy for the upcoming year, namely, focusing on expanding into the business-to-business (B2B) segment with corporate sharing schemes. 

“With B2C, you need a lot of cars, a lot of investment. Electric vehicles are very capital intensive, which poses challenges for a growing company. B2B offers the opportunity to make the maximum from your existing fleet, which will allow B2C expansion later on. Plus, we already have a sort of successful B2B pilot project under our belts,” says Peter, referring to a corporate sharing scheme they launched with their very own parent company. 

They made four cars available to T-2 employees, which they can take out under certain conditions and packages for a few hours, a day, or a weekend. This sharing scheme proved to be very popular among employees, and Peter is certain other large companies will also be keen to test out this modern benefit for their workers. 

With some ups and downs, GreenGo is steadily carving out its spot in the market. 

What would Peter do differently if he had to do it all over again? 

“Choose ATOM Mobility from day 1 and save everyone a lot of headaches and resources,” he laughs. “But, seriously, the time-to-market is so fast, I think you could launch a mobility company from zero in one month.”

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