One of the first e-scooter companies to operate in San Francisco files for bankruptcy – SF Gate

Skip Transport Inc., one of the first electric scooter companies to operate in San Francisco, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

The company was originally founded as Waybots Inc. before launching as Skip in 2018 with seed funding. In August 2018, Skip was one of only two scooter companies (the other was Scoot) allotted one-year permits to operate in San Francisco. But by the end of 2019, the company's scooters were no longer permitted to operate in the city, which may have something to do with several incidents of their scooters bursting into flames.

In December 2020, Skip announced they had been acquired by competitor Helbiz, a New York-based startup that operates e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds. Most recently, Skip's scooters were available in Long Beach, Portland and Washington, D.C. It is unclear how the bankruptcy filing will affect scooter availability, but at time of publication, Skip scooters are not available anywhere in the Bay Area, according to a search on the app.

The pandemic caused a dramatic drop in ridership for e-scooter companies across the board, but towards the end of last year, it had rebounded to within 20% of the previous years levels, according to the 2020 North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association (NABSA) State of the Industry Report. Currently, four companies hold permits to operate in San Francisco: Lime, Scoot, Spin and Jump (a former Uber subsidiary that has since been folded into Lime).

While Skip has filed for bankruptcy, other e-scooter companies still operating in San Francisco are chugging along.

"While COVID-19 was certainly a challenge for Lime at its height, we've seen demand return well beyond expectations, leading to our first full-quarter of profitability in 2020," said a Lime representative in a statement to SFGATE. "Cities and riders quickly embraced shared electric bikes and scooters because they offer open-air, socially-distanced and sustainable travel options. We've continued to grow in 2021 and are excited about the future of micromobility as city officials increasingly recognize its value as a way to help residents connect to public transit and as a preferred alternative to cars."

SFGATE also reached out to Skip for comment but has not heard back at time of publication.

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One of the first e-scooter companies to operate in San Francisco files for bankruptcy - SF Gate