It has launched an initiative called the Global Business Partnership Programme (GBPP)

Singapore’s bike-sharing startup oBike has announced it has logged over 10 million rides in 60 cities across 20 markets.

To keep up with the increasing demand, it has set up a franchising programme to invite external business partners to help run oBike’s operations.

Called the Global Business Partnership Programme (GBPP), its partners will be responsible for managing on-ground operations and maintenance works , in return for a portion of the revenue. oBike will provide them with its technology, backend systems and product support.

oBike said this will optimise oBike operations through timely deployment as well as redeployment and maintenance of the bikes.

Interested parties can either join the City Partner programme, which covers one city, or the Regional Business Partner programme, which covers one country. For both programmes, business partners have to be locally-based in order to be eligible.

Also Read: Singapore’s oBike suffered global user data breach that lasted at least two weeks

“oBike was founded with the mission of harnessing technology to create a greener way of commuting in urban cities, and GBPP is our way of giving back to the communities we operate in. This comes back full circle, creating a holistic and sustainable ecosystem,” said Edward Chen, co-founder of oBike.

Last year, the company teamed up with Chinese blockchain company TRON  to launch its own cryptocurrency, called oCoins, built on the latter’s blockchain protocol. oBike users can earn oCoins while riding on the oBikes. They will then be able to use these coins to pay for future rides and top up their oBike wallets.

oBike was first launched in Singapore in the beginning of last year. It raised a US$45 million Series B in August, allowing it to expand quickly. The startup, however, faces tough competition from Chinese bike-sharing giants ofo and Mobike, both of which have raised about US$1 billion in funding.

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Image Credit: oBike

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