OREANDA-NEWS. October 18, 2012. Ecomobilite Ventures, Europe’s First Private Equity Fund Dedicated to Innovation in Sustainable Mobility, today announced that it had invested a total of €5 million to acquire equity interests in three companies, Move About, EZ-Wheel and Zilok Auto.

The key to ensuring the success of sustainable mobility lies in stepped up innovation and moreextensive cooperation between start-ups and large corporations. Ecomobilite Ventures, the private equity fund created by French national railway operator SNCF, mobile telephone operator Orange and energy company Total, intends to provide long-term support for this fast growing industry. Backed by €25 million in capital, the corporate partnership is focusing its investments on four priority areas: transportation services, innovative information technology, connected vehicles and mobility products, and intelligent infrastructure.

The three fledgling companies selected are helping to foster the emergence of new modes of transportation and mobility solutions, each in its own sector.

Move About, a Norwegian company set up in 2008 par Jan-Olaf Willums, offers an EV car sharing service to companies and municipalities. Present in Scandinavia and Germany, Move About manages 100 vehicles for customers that include IKEA, KPMG and Microsoft.

EZ-Wheel, led by Jerome Penigaud, is a start-up based in Angouleme (France) that has developed the world’s first integrated, plug-and-play electric wheel to make it easier to move handling equipment. The innovative self-propelled solution has been available since 2011, with several hundred wheels already sold to hospitals and manufacturers. Zilok Auto, a collaborative platform created by Marion Carrette, allows French car owners to rent their vehicles to other people, thereby optimizing use.

Zilok Auto has seen its membership and transactions increase steadily since July 2012 and has 3,000 cars available to rent.

These three stakes reflect an investment strategy that balances mobility products and services, French and foreign companies, and start-ups and more mature businesses.

“These first three investments are proof that the innovative partnership approach taken by Ecomobilite Ventures works,” says Fabienne Herlaut, Managing Partner of Ecomobilite Ventures.

“They demonstrate that big corporations can effectively team up to identify and support highpotential start-ups on the road to well-deserved success.”