Jump to content

Ofo (company)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 192.40.24.4 (talk) at 14:51, 18 September 2017 (→Service areas). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ofo
Company typePrivate
IndustryTransportation
Founded2014[1]
FounderDai Wei
HeadquartersBeijing, China
Key people
Dai Wei
ProductsBicycle sharing services
Websiteofo.com

Ofo is a Beijing-based bicycle sharing company founded in 2014. In February 2017, A $450M funding round valued the company at $1 billion.[1] The company has over 20 million registered users.[2]

Overview

The Ofo combination lock

Ofo is a "non-docking" platform for users to create what is said to be the world's first bike sharing company. It allows a true bike-sharing model where riders can provide the use of their own bicycles for access to the companies entire team. The "non-docking" platform is committed to solving the traffic problem of urban congestion. First, users need to download the Ofo application, then type in the number on the bicycle and obtain a passcode. Secondly, the user needs to turn the dial on the lock for each number in the passcode aligns with a yellow indicator. Once the passcode is in, simply press the round button to unlock.Thirdly, when the user finishs the trip and wants to return the bike, it simply leaves the bike in any area where bike-parking is allowed. It then becomes ready for the next user. There is no need to find a specially designated docking station.[3]

History

Ofo was started as a student project in 2014 by eventual PhD dropout Dai Wei and four fellow students from Peking University. They studied cycle tourism before deciding on bike sharing as a business model.[1]

Funding

In February 2017, investors including investment group DST Global, ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and CITIC's private equity arm combined in a $450 million funding round. Earlier investors included Didi as well, and Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi.[2] In July 2017 Ofo announced $700 million of additional funding in a round led by Alibaba, Hony Capital and Citic PE.[4]

Description

Ofo creates a new pattern that the user can unlock the bike anytime and anywhere through an online password. OFO has connected more than 2.5 million shared bicycles and provided almost 500 million times shared bicycle services since its inception in June 2015. It also provided convenient travel services for more than 30 million users in 46 cities around the world.The application has booked more than 100 million rides in 2017.[5]

Ofo has cooperated with Alipay, China's largest online payment platform.[6]

The theme of Ofo is "riding can be easier". In the future it hopes to connect people with bikes - allowing users to unlock the bike to meet their short distance travel needs, around the world.[7]

Service areas

Ofo bicycles in Dongdan, Beijing
Ofo bicycles near Metro Jiangning Road Station, Shanghai
Ofo bicycles parked in a suggested rack spot by Mobike in Wuhan University
Ofo bike in Haikou, Hainan
Country City Start date
China Beijing[citation needed]
China Shanghai April 2016[8]
China Hangzhou June 2016[9]
China Shenzhen[citation needed] November 2016
China Fuzhou November 2016[10]
China Guangzhou[citation needed] December 2016
China Chengdu December 2016[11]
China Xiamen December 2016[11]
China Kunming December 2016[12]
USA San Francisco December 2016[13]
China Tianjin January 2017[14]
China Wuhan January 2017[15]
China Nanjing January 2017[16]
China Hefei January 2017[17]
Singapore Singapore February 2017[18]
China Nanning February 2017[19]
China Wuxi March 2017[20]
China Qingdao March 2017[21]
China Zhuhai March 2017[22]
UK Cambridge March 2017[23]
USA Seattle August 2017[24]
Austria Vienna, Leopoldstadt August 2017[25]
Thailand Thammasat University, Pathum Thani August 2017[25]
USA Worcester, Massachusetts September 2017[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "One Startup Builds $1 Billion Business Out of 15-Cent Bike Rides". bloomberg. February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Ofo, Chinese bike-sharing firm, raises $450 million in latest funding round". reuters. March 1, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  3. ^ 网易. "ofo共享小黄车正式开启城市大共享计划_网易新闻". news.163.com. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  4. ^ "Ofo Eyes Global Expansion After Raising More Than $700 Million". Bloomberg.com. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  5. ^ Shu, Catherine. "Alibaba's Ant Financial invests in Chinese bike-sharing startup unicorn Ofo". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  6. ^ Lu, Yaobin; Yang, Shuiqing; Chau, Patrick Y. K.; Cao, Yuzhi (2011-12-01). "Dynamics between the trust transfer process and intention to use mobile payment services: A cross-environment perspective". Information & Management. 48 (8): 393–403. doi:10.1016/j.im.2011.09.006.
  7. ^ "专访ofo创始人：从抓住校园刚需到盯住全球市场". tech.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  8. ^ "摩拜单车 VS ofo 共享单车竞品分析报告" (in Chinese). 简书. 2016-11-13.
  9. ^ "Mobike与ofo现"红黄之争"杭州公共自行车：乐于接受挑战" (in Chinese). 杭州网. 2016-09-29.
  10. ^ "福建兴起"ofo共享单车" 让出行更方便" (in Chinese). 全商网. 2016-12-02.
  11. ^ a b ""小黄车"进入厦门成都 ofo共享单车覆盖城市已达24个" (in Chinese). 界面. 2016-12-16.
  12. ^ ""小黄车"进入昆明ofo 共享单车覆盖城市已达26个" (in Chinese). 中国网. 2016-12-30.
  13. ^ "Ofo Bicycle Sharing to Start Trial Operations in Silicon Valley and London". YicaiGlobal. 2016-12-26.
  14. ^ "ofo小黄车进入天津 首批投放将超5万辆 押金仅99元" (in Chinese). 中国科学网. 2017-01-13.
  15. ^ "ofo小黄车进入武汉 首批投放单车2万辆" (in Chinese). 湖北日报. 2017-01-06.
  16. ^ "ofo共享单车正式宣告进驻南京 被称自行车界"滴滴"" (in Chinese). 苏中科技网. 2017-01-10.
  17. ^ "ofo共享单车合肥投放一周 市民直呼用车系统需完善" (in Chinese). 凤凰安徽. 2017-01-12.
  18. ^ "New bike-share scheme hits the road". Straits Times. 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  19. ^ "摩拜单车正式入驻南宁！"小黄车"和"小红车"哪个更靠谱呢？" (in Chinese). 新浪. 2017-02-22.
  20. ^ "摩拜单车进驻无锡 首批一万辆公共自行车5月开跑" (in Chinese). 无锡本地宝. 2017-03-02.
  21. ^ "ofo共享单车入驻青岛遇尴尬 几乎没有自行车道" (in Chinese). 齐鲁网. 2017-03-24.
  22. ^ "摩拜最强劲对手ofo进驻珠海 99元押金共享单车最低" (in Chinese). 新浪广东. 2017-03-22.
  23. ^ "'Uber for bikes' scheme coming to Cambridge". Cambridge News. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  24. ^ "Ofo bike share set to launch in Seattle". curbed seattle. 2017-08-11.
  25. ^ a b "Chinesischer Radverleiher Ofo startet in Wien" (in German). ORF On. 2017-07-31.
  26. ^ "Bike-sharing company ofo puts 400 bicycles in Worcester: Here's how you can rent one for $1 an hour". 2017-9-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ofo Bicycle.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ofo_(company)&oldid=801239299"