Amsterdam-based smart bicycles startup VanMoof has raised 4 million euro from Slingshot Capital, also from the Dutch capital. A spokesperson said to the Dutch business news media outlet RTL Z that Slingshot will get a substantial minority share of something between 10 and 50 percent in return for its investment (in Dutch).
The capital raised will be used to further the intelligence of its singular city design bicycles and expand internationally. The brand is famous for the features like enabling you to control the lights via an app and calling in the help of so-called ‘Bikehunters’ when your bicycle is stolen. The company guarantees you will get your bike back in two weeks or you will get a new one instead.
Founded in 2009 by the brothers Taco and Ties Carlier the aim of the company has from the outset been to take all the concerns away that urban bicycle users might have. Concerns that more traditional bicycle producers have for so long ignored.
With the new investment VanMoof takes a full stack approach servicing its customers. “We will solve more and more problems of urban bicycle users. For instance, by enable customers to find their bicycles, better software and more functionalities for our electrical bicycles”, a spokesperson said. Adding: “Our aim is also to make the bicycle more modular. This enables us to very easily and quickly sends parts to anywhere around the world if need be.”
Taco Calier says to Business Insider (in Dutch) that the reason to partner with Slingshot is beyond the money they were prepared to invest. Calier: “We believe that their experience, hands-on mentality and backing of their community of successful entrepreneurs can provide us the necessary support to achieve our ambitions”
VanMoof has stores in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brooklyn, Taipei and Tokio. It sells its bicycles online in the EU, USA and Japan. It aims to add five more countries to this list.
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