Mobility and its impact is an important topic in today’s world, and while mobility is necessary for many things, it also causes stress and pollution. In fact, the transportation sector is responsible for around 32% of Switzerland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Urban Connect offers companies a mobility platform that is 100% shared, electric and climate neutral, with the goal of helping companies reduce their emissions. But this is just the beginning: the ultimate goal is to help companies become drivers of decarbonization! Urban Connect believes that moving away from owning vehicles to accessing them, as enabled by their platforms, is a big step towards a low carbon economy. To date, Urban Connect has reached 873 fleets under their management and over 4 million kilometers traveled with Urban Connect vehicles.

What inspired the creation of Urban Connect? How did you identify the need for a new approach to corporate mobility?

We strongly believe in the shift in mobility away from ownership and towards access to mobility options. We also believe that companies can act as an “access point” for their employees. And by providing this access point to low-carbon mobility options, we believe that companies can help reduce emissions and congestion.

What is the main benefit for companies implementing the Urban Connect platform?

Companies benefit by providing their employees with a modern mobility solution that saves them money, reduces emissions and provides a great user experience for their employees to get to work.

What are the key considerations for tech entrepreneurs entering the mobility space?

The mobility space has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, including from investors. However, many companies have struggled to achieve their lofty goals. One example is the e-scooter company BIRD, which raised over USD 3 billion, went public in New York and is now being liquidated.  Such experiences have made investors more cautious, which will make it harder for entrepreneurs to raise money for innovative projects.

You have recently raised a convertible loan, completed a financing round and obtained an SRO admission – what was your experience of working with LEXR on all these issues? 

The experience with LEXR has been AMAZING – extremely professional, friendly and pragmatic, and always conducted in a transparent way that only inspires more trust. In fact, I would wish for more young companies to be able to benefit from the clear, trust-building approach with which LEXR engages with its clients. 

What are your thoughts on the future of corporate mobility and how does Urban Connect plan to adapt and evolve to address emerging trends? 

This is a really difficult question to answer. In the past, people have looked for a “silver bullet” to solve the two main challenges: emissions and congestion.   

In my view, the only thing that is clear is that the age of the internal combustion engine is over. This shift to a low-carbon (electric) mobility system will help solve the emissions challenge, but not the congestion challenge. We will probably have to invite a number of different initiatives to crack this nut.