Estonian Bolt raises $183 million in funding

Estonian private company Bolt, a transportation platform, has announced its largest round of funding worth $183 million. The investment was led by D1 Capital Partners – a global investment firm that deploys capital in both public and private markets and Darsana Capital Partners – a hedge fund manager based out of New York City.

Founded in 2013 by CEO Markus Villig, Bolt is the leading European transportation platform providing ride-hailing and scooter-sharing services. The company’s mission is to make urban travel easier, quicker, and more reliable. The company offers a vehicle for hire, bicycles, and scooters, business and food delivery services. 

This investment will help the company further enhance the safety and quality of its products and services. To date, Bolt is available in 35 countries (in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America) and in more than 150 cities. The company has 30 million customers globally and more than 1 million drivers use the Bolt platform. 

Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder, Bolt said: “Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bolt has seen immense growth in the past year. We have almost doubled our number of customers and launched our services from ride-hailing to micromobility and food delivery in 50 new cities.

Millions of customers already love Bolt for our affordable prices and fast service. In 2021, we are doubling down to be the industry leader in the safety and quality of the platform. We’re planning to launch even more innovative solutions, like driver face verification and automatic trip monitoring, using machine learning to prevent potential incidents and ensure the highest quality service for our customers.”