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An ex-Uber VP got $15 million for his new electric scooter startup — and it’s already causing chaos
An electric scooter rental startup led by a former Uber and Lyft executive that has caused chaos in Santa Monica has landed $15 million in funding to expand across the US. Bird is a Californian startup that lets customers rent dockless electric scooters (or "birds") with the tap of an app then leave them on the street when they're done. It first launched in Santa Monica, a city in Los Angeles County, in September 2017 — sparking disruption, hundreds of traffic stops, and a criminal complaint against the startup and its founder. The startup has since expanded to a number of other neighbourhoods in Los Angeles ... (full story)