Skip to main content

Tier Mobility takes over Spin

German firm's latest acquisition means it rides into North America with Ford-owned group
By Adam Hill March 3, 2022 Read time: 2 mins
Tier says it is now the largest micromobility player in the world, with more than 500 cities and 300,000 vehicles (© ITS International)

European firm Tier Mobility is riding into North America for the first time by buying Spin for an undisclosed sum.

Last year, Berlin-based Tier snapped up German micromobility firm Nextbike - but buying Ford-owned Spin gives it a new foothold in more than 100 places across the US and Canada.

Tier says it is now the largest player in the global sector, active in more than 500 cities and with 300,000 vehicles.

Modernising the Spin fleet with 100% swappable batteries is "one of many upcoming projects to achieve environmental sustainability and efficiency in the North American micromobility industry", the firms said in a statement.

Lawrence Leuschner, Tier CEO and co-founder, said the acquisition and entry into North America are "huge milestones in our mission to change mobility for good". 

His counterpart at Spin, Ben Bear, said both companies "share the same foundational view of how to deliver world-class micromobility services to cities and riders".

Helping people make the switch away from car journeys by offering sustainable alternatives is a key goal, both men insisted.

Franck Louis-Victor, vice president, new businesses at Ford Motor Company spoke of the "incredible synergies"

"This new era will provide scale that’s desperately needed in the competitive micromobility sector," he added. "We are pleased to remain in the mix as a strategic investor in Tier and look forward to their continued growth.”

As well as purchasing Nextbike, Tier also bought Italian market leader Wind Mobility last year.

In October, Tier announced the first close of its $200 million Series D funding round, making a total raised of $660 million in equity and debt.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US states pledge to reduce road emissions
    January 11, 2021
    Transit investment and air quality reporting are important first steps, say campaigners
  • Investors point to bright future for micromobility
    January 23, 2020
    Some big names are looking to invest in transportation companies – and this new confidence in the future of MaaS and micromobility indicates a step change, says Ito World’s Johan Herrlin
  • Uber and Sun Mobility to accelerate e-mobility in India
    August 8, 2019
    Uber has partnered with services provider Sun Mobility to deploy three-wheeled electric autos on its platform in India. Chetan Maini, co-founder of Sun Mobility says: “Our mission is to give users a cost-effective and convenient energy infrastructure solution to accelerate the adoption of EVs (electric vehicles).’’ Sun Mobility will offer its energy infrastructure platform, which includes swappable smart batteries and quick interchange stations to select OEMs for building e-autos. Uber says thi
  • AV/ridesharing mix wins major auto investment
    May 5, 2016
    The US has a new trend in personal mobility and David Crawford takes a closer look. US automaker General Motors and ridesharer Lyft’s announcement of a strategic partnership aimed at delivering, over time, an integrated network of on-demand autonomous as well as conventional vehicles has taken the nation’s car industry from traditional manufacturing to new arenas.