Like it or not, the dockless electric scooter field is growing, and growing quick. Bird ($PRIVATE:BIRD), launched by ex-Lyft and Uber exec Travis VanderZanden (who boldly stated that "bikes are dead"), is one of the fastest growing startups in the space, with operations in more than 100 cities throughout North America and Europe. It also claims to have generated 10 million rides in its first year of operations. Bird's series A raised $15 million, and a follow-up round generated $150 million, making it the fastest company to ever reach a $1 billion unicorn valuation.
But wait. It then raised yet another $300 million, bringing its valuation to a fat $2 billion. So what's it doing with the money? Expanding into new cities, of course. Based on a recent lift in job listings at the company, we can safely predict which cities are next, as well as uncover other early details about how Bird will expand.
Since February 2019, hiring at Bird has been on an incline, with a more recent acceleration. These acceleration periods aren't just signs of growth for a company like Bird — they're also signs of footprint expansion for a business that is in a race to grow its presence and beat competitors to establish a new marketplace.
By looking at new job openings by location across the world, we can see where Bird will launch new scooter-sharing operations. Some of those cities include:
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bird is hiring for at least 17 positions in bike-friendly Amsterdam, where it's building what appears to be a European headaquarters. Open positions include Financial Accountants, EMEA Recruiters, Graphic Designers, Operations Associates, and Transaction Counsel.
Australia
Look for Bird to fire up scooters in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, where it's seeking General Managers and Operations Associates. Bird rival Lime is already down under, so it's little surprise that it's looking to enter the market.
Germany
Bird is looking for Warehouse Supervisors in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Dusseldorf in a sign that it may be launching there soon.
Chicago
Chicago looks almost certain for a Bird launch as the company is seeking a General Manager and Operations Associate in the Windy City. Scooter rides along the Lakeside Drive sound splendid.
Santiago, Chile
Job listings for an Operations Associate and Service Center Associate are indications that scooters could be coming to Santiago.
Shanghai
Given the fact that Bird is now looking for a Logistics Manager in Shanghai, China, it appears the company is in the early stages of making a move on China.
Our latest sample of job openings at Bird shows a large amount of hiring at the company's Santa Monica, California, headquarters, of course, but these new job listings are a good sign for global city dwellers looking to quicken their last miles. In fact, Bird is now hiring in 41 cities around the world.
|
Location |
Jobs |
Location |
Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Santa Monica, California |
80 |
Lisbon, Portugal |
1 |
|
Culver City, California |
16 |
Mexico City, Mexico |
1 |
|
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
13 |
Munich, Germany |
1 |
|
Warsaw, Poland |
5 |
Miami, Florida |
1 |
|
New York City, New York |
4 |
Mumbai, India |
1 |
|
Shanghai, China |
4 |
Canada |
1 |
|
Australia |
3 |
Nashville, Tennessee |
1 |
|
Germany |
3 |
Oakland, California |
1 |
|
Paris, France |
3 |
Berlin, Germany |
1 |
|
Compton, California |
3 |
Cologne, Germany |
1 |
|
Santiago, Chile |
3 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
1 |
|
Atlanta, Georgia |
2 |
Dusseldorf, Germany |
1 |
|
Austin, Texas |
2 |
Frankfurt, Germany |
1 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
2 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
1 |
|
Venice, California |
2 |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
1 |
|
Bogota, Colombia |
1 |
Lima, Peru |
1 |
|
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
1 |
Washington, D.C. |
1 |
|
Barcelona, Spain |
1 |
Columbus, Ohio |
1 |
|
Brazil |
1 |
Marseille, France |
1 |
|
Antwerp, Belgium |
1 |
Vienna, Austria |
1 |
|
Hamburg, Germany |
1 |