Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in east Cambodia protects almost 300,000 hectares of forest. Previously known as the Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area from 2002-09 and the Seima Protection Forest from 2009-16, the protected area is home to a wide range of biodiversity, forests, mountains, and indigenous communities.

For the Bunong people who live there, the forest is a key source of income and plays a large role in their spiritual beliefs. 

The region is also home to two geographically distinct areas of natural significance. The Annamite Mountains are notable for their vast evergreen forests and high levels of local species and the Mekong dry forest is crucial for local wildlife typical of the region to survive.

84 globally threatened species can be found in the project area, including Asian Elephants, primates, wild cattle, and birds such as the Giant Ibis and Green Peafowl. The world’s largest population of black-shanked douc and yellow-cheeked crested gibbon lives in the area.

However, local biodiversity and forest-dependent communities are increasingly under threat from unstainable resource extraction such as logging, hunting, and fishing.

The conservation work by the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary has had a huge impact on reducing emissions and protecting local wildlife and communities. Through their work, more than 20 million tonnes of CO2e emissions have been prevented from being released into the atmosphere and 25,000 hectares of forest saved from destruction. Shielding areas from deforestation prevents the release of emissions held within the forests’ biomass and soil.

The project also gives back to local communities, creating employment opportunities and supporting education and training programmes. An ecotourism venture has been established that supports these communities. 

Through a Cash for Communities Programme, that shares the revenue of carbon credit sales, the sanctuary has distributed almost $1 million. Funds go directly to the people of the region, who decide where funds should be allocated. The initiative has supported activities such as developing healthcare, education and building wells and bridges.

The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the many climate-positive projects Bumper is contributing to through its partnership with 

Protecting Local Communities and Wildlife in Cambodia

Protegemos las comunidades locales y la fauna salvaje de Camboya

The automotive industry is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic in the world. It is a sector that lives and breathes on innovation, with those businesses innovating fastest and deepest always winning. Consumers are quick to vote with their wallets if a brand comes out with something they are desperate to get a piece of.

Whether you are a manufacturer or dealer, maintaining competitive advantage is no longer just about the vehicles you make and sell; it’s about product, service and brand seamlessly combining to tell consumers that this is the one for them.

This is where partners like Bumper have a critical role to play. Manufacturers and dealers do what they do best – make and sell cars – and bring the very best partners in the world in other crucial elements of the customer experience to ensure those three components of excellence are delivered.

Given this context, at Bumper we have always known that staying ahead of the curve is not just a goal, it is an absolute necessity. If you stand still, you die – and while we have been on an incredible growth journey to date, becoming what is undoubtedly one of the leading businesses in automotive payments in Europe, we – like our industry partners – strive for better.

The $48 million funding round we announced last week underpins that ambition. We want to be the dominant payment platform for car dealers across Europe, giving their customers the ultimate flexibility in making the necessary payments to keep their cars on the road.

Our journey began with a simple yet powerful idea: to make car repairs less financially burdensome for owners while empowering dealerships with advanced, digital payment solutions to enable those customers to say “yes” to the repairs and upgrades they need. Delivering a product to meet this simple mission has ultimately driven our exponential growth, and the endorsement of investment from JLR’s InMotion Ventures and Porsche Ventures is a hugely positive moment.

The recent funding round, led by Autotech Ventures and bolstered by Shell Ventures, in addition to both JLR and Porsche, is about more than capital: it is a resounding vote of confidence in our vision to become the go-to payment platform for dealers anywhere in the world.

Our strategy is straightforward yet ambitious. We’re expanding our reach, targeting key European markets including the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland. While Bumper is already available through 5,000 dealers, enabling more than 250,000 repairs in the past year alone, our goal is to double this number annually.

While the growth strategies of automotive businesses vary widely from brand to brand, they increasingly have one consistent goal: to support their customers with the car-related challenges they face, take the pressure away when decisions are difficult and, ultimately, give them the most enjoyable car-buying and owning experience possible. Financing servicing and repairs is a fundamental part of delivering that, and there has never been a more critical time for dealers to consider the services they provide, with the cost-of-living crisis leading any car owner or buyer to consider their options more deeply than I have seen in my lifetime.

Bumper’s success isn’t just measured in numbers, it’s reflected in the relief and satisfaction of car owners who can keep their vehicles on the road without financial strain, and in seeing the thriving businesses of our dealer partners that can offer more to their customers. These objectives are ultimately two that not only mean the end customer is hugely positive, it speeds-up the time to purchase and drives incremental revenue.

Innovative payments: Bumper’s new funding will support an exciting future for car dealers across Europe

Pagos innovadores: La nueva propuesta de Bumper abrirá un futuro apasionante para los concesionarios de automóviles de toda Europa.

Three teams headed to Ankara, Turkey this month to compete in Bumper’s annual hackathon. 

Racing against the clock, members of our development, product, design, and sales teams were split into three groups. They were tasked with creating a new feature to add to Bumper’s existing product offering. 

Over the course of just two days, the teams had to take their features from an initial concept into a fully workable feature. Teams were judged in five key areas: quality of code, user experience, commerciality, presentation, and inspiration. 

Matt Williams, Bumper’s Chief Growth Officer, headed up the winning team. He said, ‘Our annual hackathon is an opportunity for members of different departments to come together and focus on one project. The result is something really quite incredible. 

‘Last year our winning team created the ability for service advisors to see their customers’ reviews directly on their Bumper dashboard, adding immense value for our partnered garages and dealerships.

‘This year we’ve gone a lot bigger, looking at ways to improve the experience of the end user. The final product we’ve created is going to have a massive impact on the way our customer base can interact with us and we’re all incredibly excited to get it out there.’ 

Following the team’s win in Ankara, the new feature will go through several rounds of meticulous user testing before its release.

Three Bumper Teams Battle It Out for Hackathon Crown

The majority of energy consumed in Morocco is created by fossil fuels, with around 57% coming from oil, and 33% from coal. In 2021, solar energy in the country accounted for less than 2% of the overall energy mix. With such substantial solar and wind power potential, Morocco has been actively developing renewable energy sources to meet the growing demand.

The Ouarzazate solar power station is one such project looking to capitalise on the country’s solar power potential. One of the world’s largest concentrated solar projects, this huge facility uses concave mirrors to concentrate solar energy and generates 582 megawatts of electricity. 

The site can store up to 7 hours of solar energy for continuous power supply after sunset.

The chosen region for the project benefits from exceptionally high sunlight year-round, giving the power station a unique advantage for solar energy generation.

In addition to a new source of renewable energy, the project has had a big impact on local communities. 7,000 local job opportunities have been created as well as educational initiatives and skills training.

A mobile hospital to provide health services to the local community has been set up, and funding is given to the local medical centre, including an ultrasound machine.

Additionally, the project has helped the local community by providing a minibus, which has lowered the local school dropout rate. 

Through our partnership with Ecologi, Bumper contributes to lots of climate-positive projects throughout the world. To find out more about how Bumper gives back to our community head to our 

Ecologi Project: Renewable Energy Solutions in Morocco 

Through our partnership with Ecologi, Bumper is contributing to major climate-positive projects throughout the world. Ecologi helps to support Bumper’s sustainability goals by using funding from its members to invest in carbon avoidance and tree planting projects around the globe.

Currently, India generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually. Although 75% of this waste is collected, only 20% is treated. This has a huge impact on environmental and health issues across the country. 

When the waste is sent to landfill sites the supply of oxygen to organic waste is often cut off causing it to decompose anaerobically. This produces, amongst other harmful emissions, methane. Methane produced in India contributes to around 29% of total greenhouse gases, with the global average being around 18%.

To make the issue worse, India’s demand for electricity is growing rapidly, with coal power plants often relied upon. This can lead to adverse environmental and health effects for local communities. 

The aim of the Organic Waste Management Programme is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and firewood for cooking by placing biogas plants throughout the country. The biogas is recovered and used for thermal and electrical applications. The programme also helps to avoid emissions by ensuring waste at landfill sites is disposed of properly. 

Between 2016 and 2023 the project resulted in an annual emission avoidance of up to 70,000 tCO2e and supported 73 jobs in the local community. A recent survey also found that 100 families who had previously used firewood for heating food had switched to biogas created from organic waste.

Ecologi Project: Using organic waste to produce electricity in India 

The 2023 Best Workplaces in Tech™ list was launched this week by 

, recognising Bumper among the list of organisations in the small to medium-sized category for both UK and Turkey, where our tech centre is based. 

Bumper colleagues anonymously reported that Bumper’s way of working makes the company a Great Place to Work. Employees said Bumper is a peaceful, fun and inclusive place where there is emphasis on sharing knowledge and achieving together. Bumper’s Guiding Principles are that they think big together, make it happen together, and celebrate success together. 

Now in its sixth year, the Best Workplaces in Tech

 list celebrates companies adept at developing dynamic, collaborative cultures that serve as a catalyst for innovation and personal growth for all. 

An example of how Bumper’s supportive and innovative culture comes following recent Pulse survey results. Bumper’s Personal Enhancement Allowance Policy was implemented following colleague feedback and allows colleagues to spend an annual allowance on all things wellness and development related, creating a bespoke benefit that colleagues can tailor to their own needs 

One colleague stated in their survey, “I have found Bumper to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. My manager is exceptional, providing valuable guidance and support for my development. The work is engaging and allows me to expand my skills while staying up to date with industry trends. The team is talented and collaborative, creating a positive and motivating atmosphere. I feel fortunate to be part of such a remarkable company.” 

James Jackson, CEO and co-founder for Bumper has said: “We are incredibly proud to be ranked as one of the Best Workplaces in Tech for both the UK and in Turkey. We have worked hard to create a culture centred around the wellbeing and development of our colleagues in a fun and innovative environment. This award showcases exactly how we have managed to achieve this and how much we value our colleagues and great contributions they bring to the growth of Bumper.” 

Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place To Work® UK said: “The Best Workplaces in Tech™️ list is created using the anonymous feedback collected from employees within the technology industry about their workplace experience. In one of the country’s fastest-growing industries, it’s fantastic to see these Tech organisations putting their people strategy at the heart of the business and implementing policies, practices and programmes that sustain an impactful and consistently great employee experience for all. A huge congratulations to Bumper for making one of our most prestigious lists.” 

Bumper Awarded Best Workplace in Tech 

Bumper has joined Driving Pride - a network of automotive companies working to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity across the industry. 

Founded in 2021, the network is now backed by key industry players such as Arnold Clark, 

, Inchcape UK, Jaguar Land Rover, Keyloop, Bentley, Carwow, and Heycar. 

Driving Pride aims to provide a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ people within the automotive industry by running events for employees, sharing resources for companies to improve inclusivity, and providing a forum for employees to discuss professional development. 

Although great progress has been made for LGBTQ+ inclusion in recent years there is still a great deal to do. Pride activities in the workplace are as important as ever. Reports show that many LGBTQ+ people continue to face difficulties in their careers and personal lives. 

42% of LGBQT+ pupils reported being bullied due to their sexuality or gender identity at school. This is more than double the number of non-LGBTQ+ students (12%). 48% of kids said they received little or no support for dealing with their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

In higher education, 7% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students experienced discrimination from university employees due to their sexual orientation and in the workplace, more than a third of LGBTQ+ staff (35%) have hidden their identity. 

Many LGBTQ+ people face prejudice in their personal lives too. 64% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced violence or abuse due to their sexuality or gender identity. 

Driving Pride is an important opportunity for Bumper to continue its commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. The partnership will provide a wealth of resources to expand on existing diversity policies and practices. 

To find out how you can get involved as an individual or corporate partner visit the Driving Pride 

Bumper Joins Driving Pride to Shift LGBTQ+ Inclusion Forward

Bumper se une a Driving Pride para impulsar la inclusión LGBTQ+

 recently joined the Peak District National Park Foundation for a day of tree planting at Hordern Barn Farm to prepare the land for future climate change. 

The Peak District National Park Foundation is a charitable organisation raising funds for the conservation of the Peak District. Their vision is to preserve the park as a vibrant, colourful, and safe home for wildlife that can be enjoyed by future generations. 

Accompanied by experienced rangers, the team planted over 1,000 trees at Horden Barn Farm. The farm is typically a sheep farm but reserves some land to be restored as a natural habitat for the surrounding wildlife. After a previous unsuccessful attempt at tree planting, the area had been secured by a large wooden and wire fence. This was to protect the new trees from being eaten by deer. 

In addition to creating homes for local species, tree planting is often considered one of the best ways to fight the climate crisis. A young wood, mixed with a variety of native species, can remove over 400 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. In order to reach the Government’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the UK’s woodland would need to increase from 13% of the country to at least 19%. That’s 1.5 million hectares of additional woodland. 

If you’d like to find out more about the work the Peak District National Trust is doing to preserve the Peak District National Park and how you can join the fight against climate change, you can visit their website 

Bumper Joins Peak District National Park Foundation to Prepare for Climate Change

Bumper se une a la Fundación Peak District para prepararse ante el cambio climático. 

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