Tier Acquires Wind Mobility's Italian e-Scooter Business

Tier Expands into Italy with Vento Mobility Acquisition

Tier, the rapidly growing e-scooter company headquartered in Berlin, has finalized the acquisition of Vento Mobility, which operates as the Italian branch of Wind Mobility. Details of the financial agreement have not been disclosed. However, this acquisition signifies Tier’s official launch into the Italian micromobility market.

Recent Expansion and Consolidation

This move follows Tier’s recent purchase of Nextbike, a German bike-sharing service. This strategic acquisition demonstrates Tier’s commitment to becoming a multi-modal transportation provider and solidifying its position within the micromobility sector.

Prior acquisitions by Tier include Makery, a firm specializing in digital services such as product strategy, design, engineering, and support. Additionally, Pushme, a company focused on battery swapping technology, was also brought under the Tier umbrella.

Wind Mobility's Strategic Shifts

Wind Mobility has also been undergoing changes, recently divesting its Israeli operations to Yandex, a prominent Russian technology company. This suggests a potential gradual dismantling of Wind as industry consolidation continues.

To date, Wind has secured $72 million in funding, with its last Series A round occurring in 2019. In contrast, Tier raised $200 million as part of its Series D funding in October alone, bringing its total funding to approximately $647 million.

Response and Italian Rollout

Wind Mobility has not yet responded to inquiries regarding its future plans. Tier’s e-scooters are now operational in Bari and Palermo, Italy, as of Tuesday. Further expansion to other Italian cities is planned in the coming weeks.

Tier currently operates in 165 cities across 18 countries. Its scooters are equipped with features like integrated helmets, handlebar and rear wing turn signals, and triple braking systems featuring a large front wheel.

Fleet Transition and Staffing

Wind’s Italian fleet comprised 4,500 e-scooters distributed across 11 Italian towns and cities. Tier has confirmed it will not be integrating Wind’s existing fleet. Instead, it will deploy its own scooters. The company has not provided details regarding the future of Wind’s scooters.

However, Tier will be assuming all of Wind’s Italian staff as part of the acquisition.

This article was updated to incorporate additional information provided by Tier to TechCrunch.