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Blacklane Enters Partnership With SIXT and Closes Series F Round

  • SIXT invests significant million euro sum in Blacklane, turning the company into one of its important shareholders
  • SIXT and Blacklane will jointly drive international growth by initially focusing on North America
  • Partnership includes integration of Blacklane services into SIXT app and gives Blacklane's chauffeurs partners access to SIXT's vehicles and connected services
  • SIXT investment marks second closing of series F round after previous investments by Mercedes–Benz Mobility and Gargash Enterprises

BERLIN , Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, global chauffeur service Blacklane announced a partnership under which leading international provider of high–quality mobility services SIXT will become one of Blacklane's important shareholders. In future, Blacklane and SIXT will jointly work on expanding their footprint in international markets, initially with a special focus on North America, for both companies the most important growth market.

Blacklane's chauffeur services will be available via the SIXT app in the US and other international markets in 2024, offering Blacklane as additional premium mobility option on the platform. The partnership will also benefit both companies through for example leveraging SIXT's fleet capabilities and connected services. This will offer guests and chauffeur partners an even broader choice of vehicles and services.

"We at SIXT are committed to providing premium mobility solutions in car rental, carsharing, subscription, and ride–hailing services. We welcome Blacklane on board as an additional valued partner in our mobility ecosystem and are looking forward to jointly create synergies for our business with this partnership", said Nico Gabriel, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at SIXT.

"We are thrilled to win SIXT as our partner and investor in this funding round", said Dr. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and Co–Founder of Blacklane. "Their extensive experience in the ground transportation and travel industry, combined with our expertise in premium chauffeur services, create a powerful bond that will drive both company's global growth and innovation and solidify Blacklane's position as industry leader."

The investment marks the second closing of Blacklane's series F funding, providing Blacklane with a significant million euro investment at a valuation roughly 50% higher than the previous one from 2020. The first round of this F series was backed by prominent investors Mercedes–Benz Mobility and Gargash Enterprises, driving Blacklane's growth in the Middle East.

With the completion of this Series F round, Blacklane is poised to strengthen its position as global leader in premium ground transportation. Coming out of a highly successful period where Blacklane quadrupled revenues in 2022 year–over–year, the company now plans to accelerate its growth by investing in new services such as its City to City–program, connecting metropolitan areas via 127 routes in 11 countries. The funding round will also contribute to the expansion of Blacklane's German and global employee base of 300, driving the company's growth and further strengthening its presence in its domestic market as well as abroad.

Additionally, the funding will support Blacklane's sustainability efforts by implementing innovative mobility solutions. The company is committed to deliver 15% of its rides with electric vehicles by year–end 2023, and 50% by 2025. Blacklane is also offsetting all rides back to its founding in 2011.

SIXT joins notable investors such as Mercedes Benz Mobility, Al Fahim Group, Gargash Enterprises, b2venture and Alstin Capital, all of which demonstrate confidence in Blacklane's business model and growth expectations.

Click here (https://www.blacklane.com/en/press/presskit/) to download the press kit.

ABOUT BLACKLANE
We are Blacklane, providers of premium global chauffeur services. Our mission is to create true peace of mind for discerning guests by delivering perfect experiences around the world to inspire for a better future. Blacklane offers airport transfers, City to City commutes, In City mobility options and chauffeur services by the hour in over 50 countries globally, either pre–booked or On Demand. Whether it's for business or pleasure, Blacklane and its 300 employees and thousands of chauffeur partners have the right premium transportation service for you. By changing how people move, we opened up new opportunities for our chauffeur providers and set industry standards for climate protection in the travel industry. Book on www.blacklane.com or download our app.

For Blacklane global media inquiries, please contact:

Blacklane GmbH
Radmila Palov
press@blacklane.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b6b304c–915d–4057–897f–f6ed288fd8ba


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8928938)

Global Chauffeur Service Blacklane Names Ebony S. Morczinek as Chief Financial Officer


Morczinek will accelerate the continuous scaling of Blacklane by driving growth through capacity optimization and the use of finance to drive strategy and localisation.

BERLIN, May 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, global chauffeur service Blacklane announced that it has appointed Ebony S. Morczinek as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately. She will report to Blacklane CEO and Co–Founder Dr. Jens Wohltorf, and is charged with optimizing the finance functions with a focus on enabling global and local operational management to drive Blacklane's growth. With more than 20 years of experience directing all facets of economics, operations, and executive–level business administration for top–tier organizations, Morczinek brings proven leadership and valuable insights to the Blacklane team.

Most recently, Morczinek served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Europe for global meal kit provider Marley Spoon, where she was recognized for doubling gross revenue while leading integrated operations across six countries in Europe. Before that, she was the Chief Financial Officer of the Global Services division at Likewize (formerly Brightstar Corporation), where she spearheaded IPO readiness for the global telecommunications company. Stations at companies such as Citigroup and Lufthansa complement her career, giving her experience in working with large organizations as well as start–ups.

"I am thrilled to join the Blacklane team and further establish our leadership position in the premium mobility and travel industry," said Ebony S. Morczinek. "My goal is to support Blacklane's growth trajectory in a sustainable way, while having a keen eye on the business opportunities which will come through markets and our investor community. My thanks go to Jens and the Board for the trust they have placed in me as we drive Blacklane's success story based on a common mission to create true peace of mind by delivering perfect experiences around the world to inspire a better future."

"We are continuing to grow Blacklane's executive team and it fills me with great pleasure to welcome Ebony to our group," says Dr. Jens Wohltorf, Co–Founder And CEO of Blacklane. "Coming out of a highly successful period where we quadrupled revenue in 2022 year–over–year and won a significant investment from Gargash Group and Mercedes–Benz Mobility, in 2023 we plan to introduce innovative products as well as expand and open markets. Ebony's expertise in a wide range of strategic operational and financial tasks will bring Blacklane to the next level as it continues to revolutionize our industry."

Press Materials

ABOUT BLACKLANE
Blacklane's global chauffeur service brings peace of mind to travelers moving through a fast–paced world. The crew's dedication to safety, reliability, and smart technology places Blacklane at the forefront of a new era of stress–free travel. Since 2017, the company has been carbon–neutral, combining a five–star guest experience with care for the planet. Upgrade your travels on Blacklane's mobile apps or website.

For Blacklane global media inquiries, please contact:
Blacklane GmbH

Radmila Palov

press@blacklane.com

+49 157 80 67 4435

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4536f7bf–c270–42da–abde–ac36d5f5ebd6


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8831916)

Global Chauffeur Service Blacklane Decisively Expands City-To-City Offering With 98 Connections In 11 Countries

The premium chauffeur service now offers guests the opportunity to book rides between key metropolitan areas, boosting altogether 127 connections

With this move, Blacklane is becoming the high quality transport solution alternative, adding a new level to sustainable next–generation urban mobility

City–to–city offers chauffeurs a reliable revenue stream

BERLIN, April 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Blacklane, the leading global chauffeur service, announced that its City–to–city offering will expand by 98 new routes in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the KSA, the U.S., the UK, the U.A.E. and Thailand, bringing the total offering to 127. This includes connections between key metropolitan areas such as London and Manchester, UK, New York and Atlantic City, U.S., as well as Rome and Florence, Italy (full list please see below). Blacklane guests now have the opportunity to book professionally chauffeured rides and enjoy a comfortable, safe, reliable and stress–free travel experience. All rides have a fixed fare including taxes, tolls and tips, guaranteeing a transparent pricing model adding to the peace–of–mind experience Blacklane offers.

The expansion of its City–to–city services is part of Blacklane's continued growth efforts which focus on diversifying its products as well as exploring new markets. Blacklane's product range includes airport transfers, City–to–city services, On–demand rides in metropolitan areas as well as hourly bookings. The company is active in 50 countries. With services all around the world, Blacklane not only gets its guests where they need to go safely, but also sustainably. Travelers can ride with Blacklane with ease knowing that all rides and routes are 100% carbon neutral as the company offsets all carbon emissions from all trips, an industry first. In addition, Blacklane's services are a real alternative to short–haul flights and offer cost savings as the seats can be shared among up to four individuals. At the same time, this approach reduces empty leg journeys for the chauffeurs and offers them new, sustainable income streams.

For guests, the added conveniences are a reliable schedule where they travel on their own time and are not bound to a fixed schedule. In addition, the journey is seamless from door to door, so the guests don't have to worry about the first or last leg of their journey. A recent survey* Blacklane released with YouGov actually found that 57% of recipients choose a car service, such as Blacklane, over other modes of travel because of this convenience. Lastly, Blacklane's limousines offer comfort and privacy which enables guests to either fully relax or continue with their work uninterrupted – 36% of recipients in the YouGov survey expressed this is a must when traveling long–distance.

Dr. Jens Wohltorf, Co–Founder and CEO of Blacklane, said: "Blacklane continues to accelerate to reach its growth goals by successfully combining highly personalized services with advanced technology platforms. We are strategically investing in important and popular long–distance routes across several markets to diversify our business model and expand into new sectors. This is also beneficial from an urban mobility perspective as our rides are a real alternative to short–haul flights."

Blacklane's focus is on sustainably delivering luxurious experiences, thereby reimagining premium mobility globally. The company pays extra attention to the customer, ensuring they are not only comfortable and relaxed, but that they are getting the highest quality and best–in–class driving services and experience with their chauffeur. For more information and to book a ride, please visit: https://www.blacklane.com/en/city–to–city/.

Full list of long–distance rides:

Australia

  • Brisbane – Gold Coast

Canada

  • Vancouver – Whistler

France

  • Lyon – Courchevel
  • Lyon – Megve
  • Lyon – Mribel
  • Lyon – Val–d'Isre
  • Marseille – Aix–en–Provence
  • Monaco – Cannes
  • Marseille – Montpellier
  • Monaco – Nice
  • Monaco – Saint Tropez
  • Montpellier – Toulouse
  • Nice – Aix–en–Provence
  • Nice – Cannes
  • Nice – Marseille
  • Nice – Saint Tropez
  • Nice – Toulon
  • Paris – Angers
  • Paris – Bayeux
  • Paris – Caen
  • Paris – Disneyland
  • Paris – Clermont–Ferrand
  • Paris – Le Havre
  • Paris – Le Mans
  • Paris – Lille
  • Paris – Lyon
  • Paris – Nantes
  • Paris – Orlans
  • Paris – Reims
  • Paris – Rennes
  • Paris – Rouen

Germany

  • Berlin – Dresden
  • Berlin – Hamburg
  • Berlin – Leipzig
  • Cologne – Duesseldorf
  • Duesseldorf – Bonn
  • Duesseldorf – Frankfurt/Main
  • Frankfurt/Main – Baden–Baden
  • Frankfurt/Main – Bonn
  • Frankfurt/Main – Cologne
  • Frankfurt/Main – Nuremberg
  • Frankfurt/Main – Stuttgart
  • Hamburg – Bremen
  • Hamburg – Hanover
  • Munich – Frankfurt/Main
  • Munich – Nuremberg
  • Munich – Passau
  • Munich – Regensburg
  • Munich – Stuttgart

Ireland

  • Dublin – Belfast
  • Dublin – Galway
  • Dublin – Shannon

Italy

  • Bologna – Florence
  • Naples – Positano
  • Naples – Sorrento
  • Rome – Florence
  • Rome – Naples
  • Rome – Positano
  • Rome – Sorrento

KSA

  • Jeddah – Mecca

Thailand

  • Bangkok – Pattaya

U.S.

  • Austin – San Antonio
  • Chicago – Milwaukee
  • Fort Lauderdale – Orlando
  • Fort Lauderdale – Palm Beach
  • Fort Lauderdale – Tampa
  • Houston – Austin
  • Los Angeles – Disneyland Anaheim
  • Los Angeles – Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles – Palm Springs
  • Los Angeles – San Diego
  • Los Angeles – Santa Barbara
  • Miami – Fort Lauderdale
  • Miami – Orlando
  • Miami – Palm Beach
  • Miami – Tampa
  • New York – Atlantic City
  • New York – Boston
  • New York – East Hampton
  • New York – Greenport
  • New York – Greenwich
  • New York – Montauk
  • New York – Philadelphia
  • New York – Washington, D.C.
  • Palm Beach – Orlando
  • Palm Beach – Tampa
  • Philadelphia – Atlantic City
  • Tampa – Orlando
  • Washington, D.C. – Baltimore

UK

  • Birmingham – Manchester
  • Bristol – Cardiff
  • Exeter – Manchester
  • Glasgow – Ayr
  • Glasgow – Edinburgh
  • Glasgow – Manchester
  • Inverness – Edinburgh
  • London – Basingstoke
  • London – Birmingham
  • London – Bournemouth
  • London – Brighton
  • London – Bristol
  • London – Cambridge
  • London – Canterbury
  • London – Cardiff
  • London – Cheltenham
  • London – Colchester
  • London – Coventry
  • London – Dover
  • London – Ipswich
  • London – Leeds
  • London – Leicester
  • London – Liverpool
  • London – Manchester
  • London – Milton Keynes
  • London – Northampton
  • London – Norwich
  • London – Oxford
  • London – Portsmouth
  • London – Reading
  • London – Southampton
  • Manchester – Crewe
  • Manchester – Liverpool
  • Manchester – Leeds
  • Manchester – Sheffield
  • Manchester – York

U.A.E.

  • Dubai – Abu Dhabi

*Survey Methodology: YouGov conducted this survey around long–distance travel from February 21st, 2023 through March 2nd, 2023 using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov PLC UK panel of over 800,000 individuals.

Download Press Materials.

ABOUT BLACKLANE
Blacklane's global chauffeur service brings peace of mind to travelers moving through a fast–paced world. The crew's dedication to safety, reliability, and smart technology places Blacklane at the forefront of a new era of stress–free travel. Since 2017, the company has been carbon–neutral, combining a five–star guest experience with care for the planet. Upgrade your travels on Blacklane's mobile apps or website.

For Blacklane global media inquiries, please contact:

Blacklane GmbH
Radmila Palov
press@blacklane.com
 +49 157 80 67 4435

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5a5a5b3–624b–48f2–9de8–692d9654fcdb


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8824723)

UBTECH Smart Elderly Care Solution honored as the winner of the 2023 Edison Awards™

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, USA, April 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, April 20, 2023— UBTECH, a leading global AI and robotics company, was honored the Bronze award of the 2023 Edison Awards' MedTech category for the distinguished innovation of its Smart Elderly Care Solution.

Known as the “Oscars of tech,” the Edison Awards is one of the oldest and most prestigious technology awards. It honors the most impactful brands and business leaders worldwide, with past winners including Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, General Motors, and Genentech, recognizing their excellence in service development, marketing, design, and innovation.

All nominations were reviewed by the Edison Awards Steering Committee with the final ballot determined by an independent judging panel. The panel is comprised of more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, as well as past winners.

UBTECH's Smart Elderly Care Solution offers an enriched portfolio of intelligent robots to enhance the quality of life for seniors. In addition to using cutting–edge robotics technologies, the solution also leverages advanced artificial intelligence. And through UBTECH's Smart Healthcare Cloud Platform, the Smart Elderly Care Solution creates a network that enables seamless integration of a variety of devices. This interconnect between hardware, network and people supports the seven key scenarios of smart elderly care: operational management, safety and security, health management, daily care, rehabilitation, mental and physical activities, and nutrition and diet.

"This is the industry's comprehensive solution that combines advanced robotics and AI technology to assist seniors and their caregivers in nursing homes. Rather than providing services using isolated, individual products, we focus on addressing system–level challenges. By extensively applying AI technology, we vastly improved product performance to bring a richer, more optimized experience to the elderly and caregivers," Henry Tan, Co–Chief Technology Officer of UBTECH and General Manager of UBTECH Healthcare, says, "It is an honor to have our Smart Elderly Care Solution be recognized by the Edison Awards."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, starting in 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 and older. And by 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. This forecast generates demand for efficient, comprehensive assistive care solutions.

Designed for accessibility, UBTECH's Smart Elderly Care Solution portfolio accepts a multitude of inputs. Its smart sensors, working in parallel with its data platform, transform care from passive to proactive in assisting with daily tasks. And with rich interactive features, the solution can support seniors' physical and mental well–being.

Moving into the smart care era, UBTECH provides people with an intelligent, independent, and convenient solution to raise the standard for the elderly care industry. Within the past year, UBTECH has released five service robots: Wassi, an intelligent walking assistance robot; VerCari, a containerized delivery robot; PathFynder, a smart wheelchair; AuCari, an open delivery robot; and Welli, a companion robot.

Due to its utility and innovation, UBTECH's Smart Elderly Care Solution is garnering international interest. The PathFynder smart wheelchair is now exploring market in North America. In addition, UBTECH has worked with companies and partners to deliver and implement the solution in different facilities and scenarios. These successes are encouraging UBTECH to continue its mission to refine its technologies, pushing the industry forward to promote a higher quality of care.

As UBTECH expands its business globally, it expects to generate higher value and provide higher–quality services for seniors worldwide. By continuing to develop robotics and AI, the company aims to address the long–term challenge for society and create a new industry to boost the global economy.

About UBTECH

UBTECH, established in March 2012, is a leading AI and robotics company specializing in service robotics research, manufacturing, and marketing. Throughout the ongoing journey, from establishing an R&D center in North America focusing on the healthcare sector in 2019 focusing on applying solutions in various elderly–care scenarios, to releasing its global strategy for smart elderly–care in 2022, UBTECH has been a pioneer and leader in smart service robotic solutions. UBTECH is committed to the vision of transforming the healthcare industry and the sustainable development of the elderly–care economy with innovative technologies, together with industry partners.

Press contact

Jade Su

Senior PR Manager

Jade.su@ubtrobot.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8824058)