London e-scooter brand raises Silicon Valley funding

Trucks VC, a US venture capital firm, has invested $1.75m in TAUR, a UK brand of electric scooters.

LONDON, Feb 1st, 2022 – London-based e-scooter brand TAUR Technologies (TAUR) has partnered with Trucks VC, a San Francisco venture capital firm specializing in the future of transportation. Trucks’ investment will be used to support TAUR’s upcoming product launch in California.

After a highly successful pre-order campaign, TAUR had planned to launch in London. However, the UK remains the only country in the G7 yet to legalize privately-owned e-scooters.

Carson Brown, TAUR’s lead designer and co-founder, commented, “Lack of proper regulation is dangerous for the UK public and frustrating for us. However, we’ve had incredible market traction in the US and we’re excited to be launching in Los Angeles.

TAUR was founded in 2019 by Brown and CEO, Richard Adey, with the insight that ownership would be the future of the e-scooter market.

“E-scooter rental was the talk of Silicon Valley back then, but investors have since recognized the opportunity for ownership,” said Brown. “When it comes to ownership versus rental, we believe that e-scooters will be similar to bicycles – and 95% of bicycles are owned. The e-scooter rentals you see zipping around might only represent the 5%.”

Trucks VC general partner, Reilly Brennan, echoed this.

“The popularity of shared micromobility has proven that light-electric vehicles are a practical solution for urban travel. Consumers have woken up to the utility of e-scooters – and there’s a growing trend of people buying their own.”

Brennan continued, saying,

“Cities around the world are trying to reduce congestion, improve air quality and make streets safer. E-scooters have huge potential to become a mainstream form of private transportation. And on that front, no one is executing like TAUR.”

TAUR believes the current ownership market is dominated by poor quality products with an after sales experience that feels more like an afterthought. In response they’ve created a portable, road-grade electric scooter which just won a GOOD DESIGN® Award.

TAUR’s safety innovations include a highly stable ‘twin ski’ ride position, tires that are 50% larger than those of typical e-scooters, and a projecting rear light that keeps the rider visible head to toe. It has a sleek, minimal aesthetic that looks great in an apartment, and can be folded artfully into a compact, upright form. With a robust frame, TAUR is built for the long term, and can be fully maintained at a local bicycle repair shop.

Overall, the brand is on a mission to make e-scooters a truly desirable form of urban transport. As Brown puts it, “People just don’t realize how much headroom there is to improve this industry.”

With production underway, shipping will commence later this year.

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Editor’s Notes

TAUR Technologies was founded in 2019 by Richard Adey and Carson Brown. From their London base, they’ve gathered a team from companies such as Tesla, McLaren and Uniwheel. The brand is on a mission to make e-scooters a truly viable form of urban transport, combining stylish, world-class products with great user experience. In January 2022, TAUR won a GOOD DESIGN® Award in the transport category.

With production underway, the brand will launch later this year based out of Los Angeles.

Key features of TAUR’s product include:

Fold-Down Foot Platforms – a highly stable ‘twin ski’ ride position.
Continental® Tires – 50% larger than most e-scooters.
Projection Lighting – rear light shines onto the rider making them fully visible.
Sleek Storage – fold and fit stylishly into your home.
Modular Design – only 5 major modules for low cost, local maintenance.

For Press & Media Enquiries: Ed Turner, [email protected]

TAUR is pronounced ‘tor’, as in ‘Taurus’.
For more information check out TAUR.com or instagram.com/ride.taur.