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26 I Companies & Markets bne September 2022
Therefore, dealers have changed their approach: they have stopped talking about ecology and are focused on cost savings.
Due to the increased demand for EVs, the number of importers is growing. But not all of them provide car maintenance. In fact, rarely do they provide guarantees at all. They convince buyers that EVs do not break down. And few market participants want to invest in infrastructure development. Because not everyone has plans to "play for a long time".
This approach of some players has a negative effect on
the entire market, causing negative consequences from subsequent EV operation and false beliefs among potential buyers of electric cars.
One of the “newcomers” working on infrastructure development in this direction is ZTY Car Energy. The CEO of ZTY told bne IntelliNews that the company was intending to provide the full cycle of services to EV drivers.
“We are intending to become the first company in Uzbekistan able to provide the full cycle of services. Our prices start from $9,000 and rise depending on the EV class and demand. The first dealership will soon open in Tashkent. Those consumers who buy our EVs will enjoy one-year of technical service for free. If necessary, our technicians are ready to provide services on spot. Moreover, our consumers will be able to charge their
Romania’s SeedBlink crowdfunding platform acquires Dutch peer
bne IntelliNews
Romania-based SeedBlink, the European co-investment platform in tech startups, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Symbid, one of the world's first investment crowdfunding platforms, in
a European consolidation move.
The deal is set to accelerate SeedBlink's coverage as
a pan-European player, broadening its geographic footprint in CEE and Benelux, and its mission to consolidate and build the equity investment infrastructure for European tech companies at all stages.
With Symbid’s addition, the platforms have contributed over €110mn investments in 250 startups, with a combined network of 62,000 individual investors.
In the future, the Symbid team will continue to lead the investment efforts in Benelux.
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cars for free for three months,” said Shahboz Hudoyberdiev, ZTY’s CEO.
Companies engaged in the EV sphere are urging the government to introduce legislation prohibiting or restricting the sale of EVs if the seller does not have a specialised and authorised service centre and a staff of specialised repair specialists who can ensure the fulfilment of warranty obligations to the customer in the event of technical problems, as well as ensuring normal operation and maintenance after the expiration of the warranty period.
Very much worth taking account of is how gasoline prices have surged in recent months. One litre of AI-80 gasoline in Uzbekistan at the time of writing this article was around $0.68. Some users of social networks have responded that “the government is pushing prices up to force drivers to switch to EVs.”
Earlier this year, Uzavtosanoat signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s BYD. Aziz Shukurov, deputy head of Uzavtosanoat, said that "this is the first step towards the future in EVs".
Moreover, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave instructions to strengthen EV transport development in the country. Uzbekistan, he said, should find an EV strategic partner by the end of the year.
Seedblink
Symbid investors will benefit from new opportunities and gain access to pan-European investment opportunities through greater coverage and resources.
The acquisition significantly expands SeedBlink's investor pool by increasing the high-net-worth individuals' community and includes a professional funding partner network Symbid is already connected with, such as banks, venture capital funds and angel investors.
Symbid was founded in 2011 by a team of Dutch entrepreneurs as one of the first investment crowdfunding platforms in the world and has since built a community of 50,000 investors in startups mainly from the Benelux. In its first 10 years of operation (until the end of 2021), Symbid has facilitated investments totalling €35mn for more than 180 startups with equity and convertible notes, 67 of which were from the technology sector.