Bolt
Estonian ride-hailing company; founder Markus Villig angel-invested in Rivan, April 2026.
Last refreshed: 22 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is the founder of a ride-hailing app backing synthetic natural gas in Wiltshire?
Timeline for Bolt
Mentioned in: Rivan raises £25m for Europe's biggest SNG plant
UK Startups and Innovation- What is Bolt and who founded it?
- Bolt is a Tallinn-based ride-hailing, food-delivery, and micro-mobility company founded in 2013 by Markus Villig (then 19). It operates in 50+ countries and serves 150m+ users. Its last valuation was approximately \xC2\xA37.4bn.
- Why did Markus Villig invest in Rivan?
- Bolt's CEO Markus Villig made an angel investment in Rivan's £25m fundraise in April 2026. Rivan is building Project Steadfast, Europe's largest synthetic natural gas plant in Wiltshire, backed by IQ Capital and Plural.Source: Lowdown
- How big is Bolt compared to Uber in Europe?
- Bolt serves 150m+ users across 50 countries in Europe and Africa, making it the dominant ride-hailing alternative to Uber in Central and Eastern Europe. It is valued at approximately \xC2\xA37.4bn (2023).
Background
Bolt's founder and CEO Markus Villig made an angel investment in Rivan, a Wiltshire-based synthetic natural gas startup, as part of Rivan's £25m fundraise on 20 April 2026 . The round was led by IQ Capital with Plural also participating; Villig's involvement as a European tech founder signals cross-sector interest in energy-transition infrastructure.
Bolt was founded in 2013 in Tallinn, Estonia by Markus Villig, then 19 years old. The company operates in ride-hailing, food delivery, and micro-mobility across more than 50 countries and over 600 cities, primarily in Europe and Africa. Bolt is one of the largest European tech companies by users, serving over 150 million people. Its last public valuation was approximately £7.4bn following a 2023 funding round.
Villig's angel activity in UK Energy infrastructure reflects the diversification of European tech founders beyond their primary sectors. Rivan's Project Steadfast is Europe's largest planned synthetic natural gas facility; Villig joins Matt Clifford and Thomas Wolf as technology-sector angels backing the company.