Bolt, de Estonian mobility technology company, don announce say dem raise over $1.5 billion from investors for de past 10 years to expand their e-hailing services globally. De Chief Executive Officer and founder, Markus Villig, disclose dis information on Wednesday during a fireside chat at de GITEX Global event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Villig, who be one of Europe’s youngest billionaires according to Forbes, share how Bolt, which begin operations in 2013 as Taxify, don grow to become one of de world’s largest mobility platforms. Today, Bolt operate in over 50 countries, serving more than 200 million customers worldwide.
Some of Bolt’s key investors include Fidelity Investments, Sequoia Capital, and Whale Rock Capital Management. Villig say, “We’ve raised over $1.5bn from some of de world’s leading investors. We operate in more than 50 countries, with more than 200 million customers using de network, making Bolt one of de largest digital businesses globally.”
Bolt also announce say dem de enter de UAE market in partnership with Fly Taxi, de largest fleet operator in de Middle East, which has over 6,000 cars. Villig state, “So, we’re starting in partnership with them, and I think together, by combining our technology and our extensive reach with their local expertise, we believe that over de next couple of years, we’ll be able to maintain a leading e-hailing solution in de market.”
Since its founding, Bolt has expanded its services to include ride-hailing, shared cars, scooters, and food delivery. De company first launch its African operations in South Africa in 2016 and has since expanded to several countries across de continent, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.
In 2023, de e-hailing firm reveal say Nigerians and others living within Nigeria have taken over 250 million rides with Bolt since de firm begin operations. Bolt and Uber, another e-hailing giant, are de two leading companies competing for market share in Nigeria, alongside newer entrants like inDrive.
