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The Netherlands and bikes are synonymous, so no doubts there are numerous bicycle startups in the country. Cycling is the most common and most frequent mode of commute in the tulip land. Reportedly, there are more bicycles than residents in cities like Amsterdam.
People in the country prefer cycling than traveling by car or public transport. Of course, the high frequency of cycling is enabled by infrastructure like cycle paths and tracks and generous bicycle parking in the country.
To make use of the opportunity, lots of Dutch startups are foraying in the segment, out of which quite a few of them have some amazing tech concepts to complement this common mode of transport. At Silicon Canals today, we have come up with a list of 5 Dutch bicycle startups that are going big in the Netherlands. Let’s take a look!
#1 SwapFiets
Founded in 2016 by three young entrepreneurs studying at the Delft University, SwapFiets offers the convenience of owning a bike. The startup lets you rent the SwapFiets bikes at €12 per month if you are a student and €15 per month if you aren’t one. If there is any issue such as a flat tire, SwapFiets will get step into your house to repair the bike. Worst case, if your bike cannot be repaired, you can swap it for a new one without paying a deposit. Those interested, just need to sign-up online, choose the city where you want a Swap bike and they make an appointment and deliver the bike. Cool! Isn’t it?
#2 Urbee
Urbee is a Dutch startup aimed at creating a more sustainable city with less CO2 emissions. The company was found with an aim to set up a shared network of e-bikers.
Available at a cost of €2 per hour or €15 per day, Urbee offers full electric bikes and has also installed e-bike charging stations in the central part of Amsterdam. Reportedly, they teamed up with the Dutch Bike Rental and Amsterdam Fund for Climate and Energy – Qwic to invest €2.1 million in the startup.
#3 VanMoof
VanMoof is a Dutch bicycle startup founded by Taco Carlier. The VanMoof bikes are city-proof and defend themselves from thieves. VanMoof bikes come with an inbuilt theft defense system to keep the thieves off the bay. The Dutch company offers a range of e-bikes under the Electrified series.
Founded in Amsterdam, VanMoof zipped its way through other countries such as London, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Taipei and San Francisco. Till now, VanMoof has received €4 million from Dutch-based Slingshot Capital. This fund will be used to further intelligence the city design bicycles and expand the company’s international presence.
#4 Hello-Bike
Hello-Bike is an easy-to-use bicycle sharing system in Amsterdam. It offers a set of pickup points and drop off zones in the city. Users can pick a Hello-Bike from a pickup point and drop it off at another drop off zone. There are information points at drop off zones to help users. Users have to use the Hello-Bike app on their smartphone to see the pickup and drop-off zones and reserve a bike by unlocking it up to 20 minutes in advance. Pricing of Hello-Bike starts from €1 for an hour, €4 between 4 and 12 hours, and €6 between 12 and 24 hours.
#5 FlickBike
Founded in 2017 by Vikenti Kumanikin, FlickBike lets you unlock bikes in Amsterdam with just an app. You can use the FlickBike app to locate bikes when you want to go on a ride.
FlickBikes are parked randomly and are instantly available on city streets. Unlock the bike with the app by scanning the QR code and the user need not to worry about returning the bike. They can simply park and lock to check out the FlickBike at the destination.
These e-bikes are innovative with an inbuilt solar panel to provide electricity for the lighting and lock. Also, there is an inbuilt GPS system on these bikes.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.
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