Populus Lands $5 Million to Deliver Digital Solutions for Cities to Manage Shared Mobility, Curbs, and Streets
Private fleet services, from shared micromobility to autonomous delivery, are continuing to expand. The Populus platform empowers cities around the world to plan and manage their mobility future.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. March 9, 2021—Populus, a smart data platform that empowers cities to manage shared mobility services, streets, and curbs, announced a new financing round of $5 million. A group of returning backers, including Precursor, Relay Ventures, Ulu Ventures, and new investors, Storm Ventures and Magna, one of the largest suppliers in the mobility space, participated in the round.
Frederik Groce, who was recently named a partner at Storm Ventures and is a founder of BLCK VC, championed the investment. “In recent years, there has been significant growth in venture-backed startups delivering software to cities, especially as transportation becomes increasingly connected and automated,” said Groce. “Populus is uniquely positioned as the market leader to support cities’ digital transformation.”
This new financing round reaffirms Populus’s market strength in the delivery of digital solutions for cities to leverage data and analytics to manage mobility services, including shared scooters, mopeds, cars, and other commercial fleet vehicles. Founded by MIT and UC Berkeley PhDs in transportation, Populus rapidly expanded as the leading platform for cities to manage shared micromobility services.
Now in 80+ cities around the world, the Populus platform is consistently selected as the system of choice by cities, including Oakland, San Diego, and Tel Aviv. Their platform works with over 25 micromobility operators around the world, delivering cities with data for more than 50 million trips thus far.
In 2020, Populus expanded its platform to help cities more quickly roll out street policies, such as “shared streets”, to prioritize bikes and pedestrians, streets for outdoor dining, and construction closures. This new investment supports Populus’s continued global expansion.
“Over the past few years, the world has continued to see rapid transformation in private fleets, from shared scooters to autonomous delivery,” said Regina Clewlow, Populus CEO and co-founder. “At Populus, we’re focused on empowering the cities we serve with data and technology to effectively manage how their streets and curbs are used. We founded Populus with the vision of providing data-driven solutions to accelerate a critical transformation—delivering safe and sustainable transportation for the future of cities.”
About Populus
Populus helps cities and private mobility providers deliver safe, efficient, and equitable streets. The Populus platform is the only comprehensive digital solution that empowers cities to manage their streets and curbs—with access to data from mobility operators such as shared bikes, scooters, and cars. Founded by transportation PhDs from MIT and UC Berkeley, the Populus team brings together industry veterans who have spent their careers delivering innovative solutions for public agencies. The Populus platform serves over 80 cities around the world on four continents as the trusted digital platform to manage the future of mobility. Learn more at populus.ai.