Asia-Pacific micromobility firm Beam is moving into new markets on the back of its recent US$93m funding round.
It will put the money into shared micromobility vehicles and technologies in new markets such as Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Turkey.
Beam, which already operates in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, also plans to introduce e-mopeds into its vehicle portfolio, launch a new e-scooter and enhance its safety technologies.
The company says these include "cutting-edge safety innovations that protect pedestrians, enhance councils’ control of city spaces for zoning and parking, and drive safer usage of vehicles by riders".
Beam’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Deb Gangopadhyay, says: "We’re particularly proud of the innovations we’ve created to reduce risks to pedestrians with the Beam Pedestrian Shield, an on-board AI camera that can instantly and accurately detect pedestrians to prevent collisions, and detect footpaths to automatically reduce vehicle speed or even prevent riding completely.”
The Series B funding round is led by private equity firm Affirma Capital, and includes participation from Sequoia Capital India, Hana Ventures, ICT Capital, EDBI, AC Ventures, RTP Global, and Momentum Venture Capital, among others.
