START-UPS HAVE A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR REFRESHING THE BIKE MARKET
Young entrepreneurs are attracting attention on the bicycle market with their new product ideas. They are aiming to make cycling more practical and fit for everyday life as a result. In contrast to the established manufacturers, they are also able to take risks and pursue new paths. EUROBIKE offers these companies their very own platform with the Start-Up Award, which is taking place for the second time this year. We spoke to three of last year’s winners and wanted to know what has become of their companies and why the cycle sector in particular offers scope for Start-Ups.
START-UP WINNER 2018
INTERVIEW WITH MULI CYCLES
Felix Schön, responsible for sales and marketing at muli-cycles
What opportunities do Start-Ups have at present to influence the bike market?
“Start-Ups have a great potential to refresh the bicycle market and contribute to its continuing development. In particular, we see customer proximity, which is an important factor for a young company, as a great bonus. Customers appreciate the personal contact and feel that they are part of a project. As a result, we have direct feedback from everyday use all the time and are able to constantly adapt and refine our products. This flexibility coupled with innovative force does in any case represent added value for the entire industry.”
Why is your product specifically having a revolutionary impact?
“In the ‘muli’, we have coupled the practicality and added value of cargo bikes with the flexibility and agility of customary city bikes. You might also say that we have developed a cargo bike that is not actually a burden itself. In this way we are contributing to opening up the still very young segment of cargo bikes to a large potential user group. Another special feature of our product results from the fact that we are consciously relying on achieving the most sustainable production possible within Germany. Throughout the entire product life cycle, from frame production to final assembly, we are working together with local suppliers only.”
How has your company developed during the past year?
“First of all, we are of course very pleased to have taken another large step in establishing the ‘muli’ on the market. The demand for and the interest in our concept continues to rise noticeably and we have been able to increase our production capacities according to plan for the third year in succession. Through new, motivated employees and by creating the necessary structures, we have also been able to further consolidate the foundation for our company. The ‘muli’ is now available nationwide in Germany and in many European cities and regions, and we have been able to enter into some exciting cooperation arrangements with committed specialist dealers.”
Has winning the EUROBIKE Start-Up Award helped you?
“Even though the effect cannot of course be measured directly, we do in any case believe that winning the Start-Up Award as well as the additional accolade of the EUROBIKE Gold Award has been very valuable and helpful to us. As a result, we have initially received a great deal of media attention and
INTERVIEW WITH TRENUX
What opportunities do Start-Ups have at present to influence the bike market?
“Very good chances indeed. The barriers to entry are not as extreme as in some other industries, such as the difficult certification procedures in medical engineering for example. In addition, it is precisely the right time for new ideas connected with bikes. At the same time, though, the competition is of course fierce, and the large number of new products makes it difficult to stand out.”
Why is your product specifically having a revolutionary impact?
“The Trenux trailer fits precisely into the gap in the market between the established panniers, trailers and cargo bikes. The idea combines the compactness of panniers with the cargo volume of a conventional trailer. In this way, we are giving cyclists the independence and freedom to move around quickly in the city yet still be able to carry everything with them. Just one manoeuvre is all it takes to transform the carrier rack into a fully fledged bicycle trailer with a generous cargo capacity for up to two crates of drinks. And it doesn’t matter whether you already have a bicycle trailer or not, or whether you ride a trekking, city or mountain bike. Trenux fits onto almost every cycle and can be swiftly attached with very little effort. It turns the bike into the perfect companion for sustainable urban mobility.”
How has your company developed during the past year?
“A number of things have happened since EUROBIKE 2018. Investors, first customers, new manufacturers, ten prototypes and a lot of development work. Our crowd-funding campaign is running at this very moment until 13 July on Kickstarter (shop.trenux.de).
Has winning the EUROBIKE Start-Up Award helped you?
“Definitely. The award has been the trigger for practically everything that has happened since. It’s by no means certain whether Trenux would still be in existence without the Award. The Award brought in a great deal of feedback for the idea and provided the trigger for really embarking on the long development journey.”
INTERVIEW WITH SPEAROAD
Ivan Furfaro, CTO and co-founder of Spearoad
What opportunities do Start-Ups have at present to influence the bike market?
“The bicycle market is actually very tough due its incessant competition and the new players entering. The dynamic environment causes companies to keep developing all the time while also launching innovative optimized products and services. However, an industry that is permanently developing is where Start-Ups in particular can find fertile ground for their ideas. They have the flexibility and responsiveness to understand and test the needs of the market in order to develop a product portfolio that extends beyond the range of normal standard products. The role and obligation of Start-Ups here is to show people how important the bicycle is in comparison to other means of transport. Start-Ups can achieve this target by influencing the market and developing products that solve existing problems.”
Why is your product specifically having a revolutionary impact?
“Safety in road traffic is an important topic, yet creates only little enthusiasm at institutional level. Many people say that they don’t use a bike for everyday purposes because they feel unsafe. Spearoad’s main task therefore is to find an effective solution that satisfies cyclists’ needs for greater safety and visibility in road traffic. The result is the PED, the world’s first smart bicycle pedal with a blinker. A remote controller on the handlebars enables the pedal to be illuminated. This makes the cycle more readily visible in the dark or activates the blinker to indicate a turn. Lights all along the side of the pedal provide 360-degree visibility. PED also functions entirely without batteries – meaning no recharging and high sustainability. It simply replaces the normal pedal and is a product for all bike fans. In short, it is a new type of pedal, unique and so far unknown on the market. It increases visibility and hence, as a consequence, safety on the road.”
How has your company developed during the past year?
“We have been continuing development of our product and have produced a new version in which both technology and user friendliness have been optimized in order to back up the promise to our users. In addition, a large amount of effort was involved in concluding the financial and commercial cooperation arrangements for our Start-Up to grow sustainably and thus get our product onto the market as quickly as possible.
Has winning the EUROBIKE Start-Up Award helped you?
“Definitely. Winning the EUROBIKE Start-Up Award greatly increased our international visibility and raised our credibility. Thanks to this important accolade, various companies and key players in the industry have shown great interest in our product, and work is in progress on potential synergies. Thank you very much once again.”