US-based micromobility company Bird has announced the acquisition of European shared e-scooter company Circ.
The combined company will result in Bird adding more than 300 employees to its European operations.
Berlin-based Circ currently operates across 43 cities in 12 countries throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Organisations joining Bird’s existing investors as part of the combined company include Target Global, Team Europe, Idinvest Partners, and Signals Venture Capital.
Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird, said: “I founded Bird nearly three years ago because we need to change the status quo and take a transformative stance to combat the traffic and pollution that affect our cities and endanger people globally.
“To further advance our mission, we’re excited to acquire Circ, which is the clear European leader.
“We like their laser focus on treating cities as their number one customer and their mindset of prioritising profitability over growth.”
Bird has also announced a US$75m (£57.7m) extension to its Series D funding round, bringing the size of the round to US$350m (£270m).
Capital from the investment will be used to increase Bird’s vehicle development and research initiatives, and to support European expansion plans.
