Lime Goes Public
Micromobility Giant Lime Prices Initial Public Offering Ahead of Nasdaq Trading in 2026.
Anonymous
Lime, the world's largest shared scooter and e-bike company, priced its initial public offering at $25.00 per share on June 30, 2026 — the exact midpoint of its targeted $24–$26 range. Shares are set to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on July 1, 2026, under the ticker "LIME," according to Business Wire.
The offering covers 6,956,522 total shares, with 6,679,791 coming from Lime itself and 276,731 from existing stockholders. Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan are leading the deal. Underwriters also hold an option to buy up to 1,043,478 additional shares, per Business Wire.
A $1.6 Billion Debut Built to Erase a Debt Wall
At $25 per share, Lime's implied valuation lands between $1.63 billion and $1.8 billion, based on roughly 65.1 million shares outstanding, according to GuruFocus. But this IPO is less about raising fresh growth capital and more about survival. Lime plans to use approximately $115 million of the proceeds to repay its Senior Secured Term Loan, per Business Wire.
That repayment is designed to trigger the automatic conversion of roughly $660 million in convertible notes into equity. In plain terms: Lime is using the IPO to wipe out a massive debt pile that was threatening to sink the company. Without the capital raise, Lime's own auditors warned there was "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business through late 2026, as reported by TechCrunch.
From Dockless Bikes to Near-Bankruptcy to Nasdaq
Lime launched in January 2017 as "LimeBike," deploying bright green dockless bicycles. It pivoted to electric scooters in 2018, then hit a wall when the pandemic struck. In May 2020, Uber led an emergency funding round and acquired Lime's biggest rival, Uber's own "Jump" unit, folding it into Lime. That deal made Uber Lime's largest shareholder, with roughly 24.4% of the company pre-IPO, according to Business Insider.
The partnership runs deep. Lime rides are bookable directly inside the Uber app, and that integration now drives about 14% of Lime's total revenue, per Fast Company. Uber also signaled interest in buying up to $20 million in additional shares to anchor the offering. CEO Wayne Ting, a former Uber executive, has called the IPO a natural result of Lime's improved "economics, growth, and profitability."
Revenue Growing, Losses Shrinking — But Not Gone
Lime posted $886.7 million in revenue for full-year 2025, a 29% jump year-over-year, according to Micromobility Industries. Monthly active users reached 3.8 million, and the company earned $7.47 in revenue per vehicle per day — both figures trending upward since 2023. The business is moving in the right direction.
Still, Lime is not profitable. It posted a $59.3 million net loss in 2025, wider than its $33.9 million loss in 2024, per Intellectia.AI. The company also carried $845.8 million in debt payments due within 12 months of March 31, 2026, according to its SEC S-1 filing. Lukas Muehlbauer of IPOX Research told Reuters that while the valuation "does not look excessive," the business remains "seasonal, regulated, and asset-heavy."
City Bans and Regulations Cloud Lime's Global Future
Lime operates in cities worldwide, but municipal goodwill is not guaranteed. Paris banned rental scooters entirely in September 2023 after a public vote, according to TRT World. Madrid has since moved toward a similar ban, joining other Spanish cities like Málaga and Seville, per Morningstar. Each lost permit is lost revenue.
London is also tightening its grip. The English Devolution Act, which took effect in April 2026, gives Transport for London new powers to cap fleet sizes and impose stricter parking rules, according to Fluctuo EU. For Lime, these regulatory headwinds are a core risk — and they go well beyond any single city's politics.
Sentiment
NeutralNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
6
Articles
5
Reach
6
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
