Lime and Uber Extend Partnership for Shared Mobility Solutions

Lime, the shared scooter and bike company, is preparing for another busy summer by strengthening its collaboration with one of its major supporters, Uber. The two companies have recently signed a new multiyear agreement that allows Uber to continue featuring Lime’s shared bikes and scooters on its ride-hailing app.

Under this new deal, Lime’s rented bikes and scooters will remain visible in Uber’s app across overlapping markets, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. This agreement comes as the previous contract was set to expire later this year.

“We’re pleased to extend this fruitful relationship into the future so riders can discover and quickly book Lime on the Uber platform,” said Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime, in a statement. “Working with Uber has allowed us to reach even more people and provide more riders with shared, affordable, emissions-free transportation through one of the largest transportation platforms in the world. This deal further solidifies Lime as the go-to option for two-wheeled travel in cities.”

In addition to the partnership, Uber has announced that Lime will be included as part of its Uber One subscription service, offering members a 10 percent cash back on all Lime rides.

As part of the deal, Lime’s rented bikes and scooters will continue to appear in Uber’s app.

Uber and Lime first came together during the height of the scooter boom in 2018, with the ride-hailing giant joining a $335 million round of financing led by Alphabet’s venture arm, GV. This marked the first time Lime’s bikes and scooters became available for rent on Uber’s app. During the covid pandemic, Uber provided a crucial lifeline to Lime, investing $170 million in the company in exchange for Lime acquiring Uber’s Jump bike and scooter business. Currently, Uber holds a 29 percent stake in Lime.

As the pandemic progressed, this partnership positioned Lime to pull ahead of many of its struggling rivals. While other companies struggled, Lime navigated through challenges and bankruptcies, establishing itself as the leading shared micromobility company globally. Earlier this year, the company published its 2024 financial results, highlighting a fourth consecutive year of over 30 percent growth, a second consecutive year of positive free cash flow, and $810 million in gross bookings.

With the summer busy season approaching, Lime is setting its sights on new markets. The company recently launched its services in Barcelona and plans to expand into Mexico later this year. Additionally, Lime is scaling its latest vehicles, the LimeBike and pedal-less LimeGlider, with launches in nearly a dozen cities over the past two months. The company aims to deploy a fleet of more than 15,000 vehicles globally by 2025. Notably, the Glider model is currently available only in North America, as the EU classifies throttle-only e-bikes as mopeds.

Lime’s optimism about its business is underscored by a recent record for daily ridership, surpassing 1 million rides in a single day on May 31st and again on June 1st. The company reports that riders have exceeded 10 billion minutes of usage on the platform, with over 800 million individual trips since Lime’s service began in 2017.

The decision to continue partnering with Uber comes as Uber’s main rival, Lyft, hikes the prices of its primary bikeshare service, Citi Bike, in New York. Lyft had been exploring a possible sale of Citi Bike, but Lyft now plans to expanding the service in the outer boroughs later this year.

Uber states that its deal with Lime helps it move closer to its goal of a zero-emission platform by 2040. “Lime has been an impactful partner in our efforts to make transportation easier, more affordable, and more sustainable,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in a statement. With widespread global use through Uber in over 200 cities, this next chapter focuses on scaling up together and providing riders with more options to reach their destinations without the need for car ownership.