Japanese e-scooter operator Luup has on Thursday announced that it has entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with Blue Incubation, a consolidated subsidiary of Seibu Group, and conglomerate Tokyu.
Luup said in a statement that Japanese venture capital firm Blue Incubation and Tokyu have made equity investment in Luup, for the purpose of building the next-generation mobility infrastructure and promoting urban development that further enhances the value of the rail lines.
It is noted that Seibu Group and Tokyu, as leading transportation infrastructure providers in Japan, are each promoting the development of more livable communities by enhancing the convenience of rail lines and stimulating mobility.
The partnership with Luup aims to enhance the value of areas along rail lines by complementing the railway transportation infrastructure.
Under the partnership, the trio will expand the installation of LUUP stations along the Seibu rail lines and at Seibu Group facilities to further enhance convenient and flexible mobility.
They will also introduce “LUUP for Community” (a service that allows local communities, such as municipalities, companies, and organizations, to operate Luup) in areas related to the Seibu Group.
This will contribute to securing transportation options for local residents and tourists, as well as revitalizing the community.
Additionally, they will actively introduce new mobility options from Luup.
Through the collaboration between both companies, they will create convenient services in various forms and promote the development of models that enable community owners to operate attractively and sustainably.
By analyzing the transportation data of both companies, the trio will collaborate to formulate an installation strategy of LUUP stations along the Tokyu rail lines.
They will install LUUP stations at transportation hubs along the Tokyu rail lines and around Tokyu facilities, enhancing customer convenience.
By effectively utilizing the resources of both companies, they will promote mutual efficiency in operations, including operations for LUUP.
They will also enhance the value of areas along the Tokyu rail lines by multi-functionalizing LUUP stations (e.g. equipping disaster prevention functions) and promoting community development.
It is noted that Luup provides a last mile transportation infrastructure “LUUP” using electric, compact, single-passenger micromobility with the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front.’
LUUP currently operates in ten areas (Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto, Utsunomiya, Kobe, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Sendai, and Fukuoka) and has the largest number of stations in the shared cycle and e-scooter market in Japan.
In the future, the trio aim to handle a wide range of mobility services and create cities where all people can move freely.
It is also noted that Seibu Group and Luup are in the process of installing LUUP stations at Seibu Group’s affiliated properties, including the Tokyo Prince Hotel, Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho, and DaiyaGate Ikebukuro.
Tokyu and Luup have been collaborating to improve mobility convenience along the Tokyu Line since Luup participated in the Tokyu Accelerate Program (now Tokyu Alliance Platform)
and won the Futakotamagawa Prize at the TAP 2019 DemoDay through business co-creation experiment with the Tokyu Group.
LUUP stations have already been installed in more than 20 Tokyu-related facilities and are used by neighboring residents for daily transportation.
Furthermore, in October 2023, as part of the verification experiment of JTOS, consortium of Japanese railway companies for social implementation, LUUP is being introduced in
Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture with the Seibu Group and in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture with Tokyu, in an effort to improve convenience for domestic and foreign tourists.
According to the statement, Seibu Group and Tokyu, as infrastructure providers responsible for urban development, will not only continue to promote the installation of LUUP stations at related facilities.
They will also accelerate business collaboration with Luup to create a lively atmosphere not only in ‘station fronts’ but also along the entire rail lines, while taking safety and security into consideration.
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