The Micromobility Podcast

Micromobility Industries

Welcome to Micromobility, a podcast exploring the disruption that comes from new lightweight utility vehicles. Using the history of computing as a framework, we unpack what business models and impacts we’re likely to see in transport in cities.

  1. Talking Tier, SPIN and Mobility with Philip Reinckens, ex-CEO of SPIN

    6D AGO

    Talking Tier, SPIN and Mobility with Philip Reinckens, ex-CEO of SPIN

    What did the micromobility “gold rush” actually feel like from the inside—and what lessons still matter in 2026? In this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, host Prabin Joel Jones sits down with Philip Reinckens (ex-CEO of SPIN, early employee at TIER, involved in the Nextbike and SPIN deals, and part of the SPIN → Bird acquisition). Philip shares a candid, operator’s view of what went right, what went wrong, and what the industry still misunderstands. We unpack:- The early days of TIER and the 2019 expansion playbook (including launching multiple German cities on day one)- Why micromobility scaled so fast—and how much of it was execution vs hardware luck- COVID, in-house ops, and how operational decisions changed the trajectory- The “charging network” thesis (why it didn’t take off then, and why it might return now)- Why many investors cooled on the sector: hardware, ops intensity, vandalism, and city complexity- Europe vs the US: pricing vs utilization, seasonality, and the “joyrider” dynamic- The SPIN turnaround: cutting burn, upgrading fleets, and shifting culture to operations- The logic behind the Nextbike acquisition—and why integrations are harder than they look- Philip’s 2026 take: micromobility is an operations game, and “the right vehicle in the right place at the right time” beats everything else- What he’d do differently today with AI-lean org design 🎟️ Micromobility Europe is coming to Berlin — 2–3 June. Early bird tickets are on sale now at micromobility.io.

    52 min
  2. How Cities Can Make Shared Mobility Affordable with Erdem Ovacik

    FEB 9

    How Cities Can Make Shared Mobility Affordable with Erdem Ovacik

    In this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, Prabin Joel Jones (CEO, Micromobility Industries) sits down with Erdem Ovacik, Co-founder of Donkey Republic (the iconic orange bikes across Copenhagen, Antwerp, and beyond) and now Co-founder of Impact Market / MIMA (Mobility Impact Market). Erdem’s thesis is simple and radical: cities already subsidize public transport heavily, but new mobility is expected to survive on user fees alone. The result is predictable - services become expensive, availability suffers, and mode shift stalls. Impact Market proposes a new model: impact procurement that pays operators per high-value trip, essentially a reverse congestion charge where the public rewards the trips it wants more of. We go deep on how this works in practice: where budgets can come from (transport, infrastructure avoidance, preventive health, climate funds), how “open house” contracting differs from traditional tenders, how to measure social ROI fast, and how to prevent fraud or price-gouging. We also explore autonomous vehicles, why Europe is cautious, and how smart incentives can push AVs toward pooling and first/last mile public transit integration rather than adding “empty miles” and more congestion. What you’ll learn Why many city mobility tenders are failingHow trip incentives can unlock affordability + availabilityHow to measure mode shift and social ROI in a pilotHow to prevent abuse (competition + price conditions + audits)Why Paris is a leading example (bike lanes, leasing, carpool incentives)How AVs could help public transit (or create mayhem) depending on incentives

    46 min
  3. Microcars and New Urban Form Factors with Horace Dediu

    JAN 26

    Microcars and New Urban Form Factors with Horace Dediu

    Click here to watch a video of this episode. In this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, Horace Dediu, Co-Founder of Micromobility Industries joins Prabin Joel Jones to explore the rise of new urban vehicle form factors and why microcars may be the next major shift in city mobility. The conversation starts with a simple question: why did cars never evolve into a true urban form factor the way trains did with trams and metros, or aviation did with short haul and long haul aircraft? Horace argues the modern car is an accident of history, shaped by rural origins, highway assumptions, and regulations that have reinforced size and weight over decades. From there, the episode dives into what is changing now. Microcars like the Citroen Ami, Microlino, and other light quadricycle style vehicles are gaining traction in European cities, helped by urban constraints, new parking models, and the economics of shorter trips. The discussion also covers how autonomy could accelerate smaller vehicles, why taxi fleets tend to push toward fit for purpose designs, and what Apple’s real ambition in autonomy may have been: owning the in-vehicle human machine interface. Finally, the episode zooms out to policy. Microcars often sit inside legacy categories that were never designed for electric, connected, software-defined vehicles. If cities and regulators want smaller vehicles to scale, infrastructure and classification need to evolve with them. Topics covered: Why the car is not an urban vehicle, and how history shaped today’s form factorMicrocars in Europe and the rise of quadricyclesWhy regulation and safety requirements pushed cars to growAutonomy, fleet economics, and why robotaxis may drive smaller vehiclesApple’s potential role in autonomous microcars and the in-vehicle interfaceWhy the phone may remain the dominant in-vehicle screenParking and infrastructure as the real lever for adoptionWhy cities need new categories for micro mobility and microcars🎟️ Micromobility Europe 2026Berlin | June 2–3🎟️ Micromobility America 2026San Francisco | November 11–12Tickets & speakers: www. micromobility.io

    57 min
  4. Micromobility Founder Turned VC: Building, Scaling, and Investing in Europe - Thijn Van Helvoirt

    12/22/2025

    Micromobility Founder Turned VC: Building, Scaling, and Investing in Europe - Thijn Van Helvoirt

    Thijn built CHECK when everyone else in micromobility was chasing growth at any cost. While competitors burned capital, CHECK focused on unit economics, density, and operational discipline and reached profitability early. Now, as a VC at No Such Ventures, Thijn backs founders across mobility, energy, and European tech. In this episode, we talk about what he learned as an operator, what most founders still get wrong, and how he evaluates companies today. This episode covers:- Why most micromobility strategies fail in practice- What founders misunderstand about scale, density, and service areas- How CHECK made unpopular decisions that actually worked- Capital efficiency vs headcount inflation- The real state of micromobility funding going into 2026- What VCs actually mean when they say “traction”- Where the real opportunities are in micromobility today- How to build in Europe without pretending it’s the US If you’re building, investing, or operating in micromobility, this episode is about reality, not decks. 🎟️ Micromobility Europe 2026Berlin | June 2–3Tickets & speakers: micromobility.io

    59 min
  5. 100 Million Rides: Building Dott the Right Way - Henri Moissinac, Co-Founder & CEO Dott

    12/15/2025

    100 Million Rides: Building Dott the Right Way - Henri Moissinac, Co-Founder & CEO Dott

    In this episode of The Micromobility Podcast, Prabin Joel Jones sits down with Henri Moissinac, Co-Founder & CEO of Dott, to unpack how the company scaled into one of the world’s leading shared micromobility operators, now approaching 100 million rides per year and operating across 400+ cities. Henri shares lessons from Facebook, Uber, and eBay, and breaks down how timing, product-market fit, hardware cycles, machine learning, and relentless user focus shaped Dott’s trajectory. If you’re building in mobility, logistics, SaaS, hardware, or consumer apps, this is a masterclass in scaling a complex, operationally heavy business the right way. Key Takeaways:- Dott scaled by prioritizing survival and timing over hyper growth.- Product market fit and timing matter more than speed.- Micromobility is now a cash flow business, not just a VC story.- Hardware cycles are essential with about 20% of the fleet renewed each year.- New hardware improves margins through more rides per swap and lower costs.- Machine learning drives demand forecasting, fleet placement and operational efficiency.- Parking is the biggest user friction and a major unlock for the coming years.- Hardware innovation continues with improvements in batteries, tires, comfort and reliability.- Local operations require local models rather than a single global approach.- Increasing rides per user per month is a key growth driver.- Talking to users frequently is a superpower for product insight.- Do not overestimate the short term and do not underestimate the long term.- Consolidation will continue but the industry will not collapse into one global player.- Great founders stay obsessed, communicate clearly and focus on the user. 🎧 Hosted by: Prabin Joel Jones📍 Presented by: Micromobility Industries🌐 Learn more: https://micromobility.io

    1h 7m
  6. The Untold Story of SWING With San Kim

    11/24/2025

    The Untold Story of SWING With San Kim

    In this founder focused episode, Prabin sits down with San Kim, Founder and CEO of SWING, one of the few profitable micromobility companies in the world and one of the most underestimated operators in the industry. SWING scaled from a tiny team with less than 1 million dollars in initial capital to more than 100,000 vehicles, more than 64 million dollars in yearly revenue, and profitability from year one.  San shares, in rare detail: How SWING became profitable from day oneWhy Korean culture helped them achieve five year vehicle lifespansThe hidden math behind franchise successHow SWING kept HQ costs extremely low while growing fastWhy shared scooters collapsed in KoreaHow SWING pivoted into subscription, motorcycle leasing, shuttle software, and roboticsWhy a global micromobility merger is extremely difficultHis long term vision: micromobility to roboticsThis is one of the most transparent and insightful founder conversations in mobility. It is packed with real numbers, failures, pivots, and future bets. 🎧 Hosted by: Prabin Joel Jones📍 Presented by: Micromobility Industries🌐 Learn more: https://micromobility.io 🎟️ Micromobility Europe 2026 will take place in Berlin - get your tickets at www.micromobility.io.

    55 min
  7. Back to Micromobility Basics with Horace Dediu, Co-Founder Micromobility Industries

    11/17/2025

    Back to Micromobility Basics with Horace Dediu, Co-Founder Micromobility Industries

    Welcome back to the Micromobility Podcast! In this special episode, host Prabin Joel Jones sits down with Horace Dediu, the OG host of the show and co-founder of Micromobility Industries, who coined the term "micromobility" back in 2018. Seven years after the first episode of the Micromobility Podcast where Horace introduced micromobility as vehicles under 500kg, Horace reflects on how the industry has evolved, what he got right, what surprised him, and why he believes micromobility will ultimately win over automobility. From Paris to Helsinki, cities are transforming—and the revolution is happening beneath the radar. Key Topics: The original definition of micromobility and why it still mattersHow COVID, capital swings, and regulation shaped the industryWhy women riders are the key indicator of successThe "Jobs to Be Done" framework applied to mobilityParis, London, and Brussels: Case studies in urban transformationWhy persistence and patience matter more than hypeUpcoming Event: Micromobility Europe - Berlin, June 2-3, 2025 Get tickets at micromobility.io Connect: Follow the Micromobility PodcastVisit micromobility.io for more resourcesKey Talking Points & Takeaways 1. The Definition Still Holds Micromobility = vehicles under 500kg (excludes cars, includes everything from skateboards to L6E microcars)The weight limit was chosen to deliberately exclude cars while allowing innovationAlternative definitions: "negative space around the car" or "vehicles that lean into corners"2. The Pendulum Has Swung The industry experienced extreme cyclicality: capital enthusiasm → depression → recoveryCOVID, regulation changes, and political shifts created volatilityDespite media silence, micromobility is thriving at the local level3. Watch the Outliers Women, children, and elderly users are key indicators of healthy ecosystem adoptionHorace sees women with children on scooters, elderly couples on e-bikes—signs of mainstream acceptanceFood delivery workers enabled by two-wheelers represent utility validation4. Cities Are Transforming Paris (Rue de Rivoli), London, Brussels (Grand Place), and small European towns show dramatic changeCars are being slowly pushed back through parking restrictions, speed limits (30 km/h), and congestion charging"As parking goes, so goes the car"5. Jobs to Be Done Framework People don't travel to minimize cost—they travel to meet lovers, help parents, get educationMicromobility enables higher trip frequency with lower friction than carsPotential for "surfing" in physical space: spontaneous redirection and discovery6. The Long Game "To survive is to win" - persistence matters more than growthSmall, undercapitalized companies have disruption advantageBe hungry for profit, patient for growthSubstance and customer focus beat hype7. Non-Consumption Opportunity Micromobility can unlock mobility for billions without motorized transportSimilar to how bicycles unleashed mobility 120+ years ago in wealthy countriesElectric drive accelerates this potential globally

    57 min
  8. The Yulu Story: How Amit Gupta Built India’s Largest Shared Micromobility Company

    11/10/2025

    The Yulu Story: How Amit Gupta Built India’s Largest Shared Micromobility Company

    Amit Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO of Yulu, joins Prabin Joel Jones on the Micromobility Podcast to share how Yulu became India’s largest shared electric vehicle platform and one of the few micromobility companies worldwide to achieve EBITDA profitability. From surviving the toughest years in mobility to building a battery-swapping network and scaling a fleet of 50,000+ vehicles, Amit walks through Yulu’s incredible journey and why EBIT profitability is key to unlocking non-dilutive growth capital and scaling to 1 million EVs. We cover Yulu’s early pivots, partnership with Bajaj, the rise of gig mobility in India, COVID resilience, and the company’s vision to become the “AWS of Mobility.” Talking Points How Amit Gupta went from co-founding InMobi, India’s first profitable unicorn, to launching YuluThe early days of shared bicycles and Yulu’s pivot to electric vehiclesWhy India’s traffic and infrastructure made Yulu’s design choices uniqueSurviving COVID and finding product-market fit through delivery use casesHow Yulu built a battery swapping network with 99.9% uptimeWhy profitability is the key to unlocking “infinite capital”Scaling from 50,000 to 1 million EVs and beyondLessons for founders on balancing growth and profitability in emerging markets🎧 Hosted by: Prabin Joel Jones📍 Presented by: Micromobility Industries🌐 Learn more: https://micromobility.io 🎟️ Micromobility Europe 2026 will take place in Berlin - get your tickets at www.micromobility.io.

    59 min
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About

Welcome to Micromobility, a podcast exploring the disruption that comes from new lightweight utility vehicles. Using the history of computing as a framework, we unpack what business models and impacts we’re likely to see in transport in cities.

Information

  • Creator
    Micromobility Industries
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Micromobility Industries
  • Show Website
    The Micromobility Podcast

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