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Getaround Car-Sharing Startup Raises $300 Million

San Francisco-based car-sharing startup Getaround Inc. says it raised about $300 million in a latest funding round led by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp.

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San Francisco-based car-sharing startup Getaround Inc. says it raised about $300 million in a latest funding round led by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp.

Founded in 2013, Getaround operates peer-to-peer car-sharing services in 66 U.S. cities. The company plans to use the new funds to expand in North America, launch global programs and develop partnerships with carmakers.

Toyota, which made an unspecified investment in Getaround in 2016, and some other existing investors also contributed to the new funding. Last year Getaround raised $45 million in a funding round that included Braemar Energy Ventures, Cox Automotive, Menlo Ventures and actor Ashton Kutcher. In addition to Toyota, Getaround has partnerships with Ford and ride-hailing giant Uber.

SoftBank is Uber’s largest shareholder. The investment company also has part-ownership of several other ride-hailing companies, including DiDi Chuxing in China, Grab in southeast Asia and Ola in India.

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