UK’s FLIT raises €1.4M to produce folding e-bikes built using aerospace-grade techniques

Cambridge, UK-based FLIT, a company specialised in building folding electric bikes for urban commuters, has secured £1.2M (approximately €1.4M) in the new funding round.

The UK engineering company was backed by ACF Investors, Cambridge Angels, and former Head of Technical Development at British Cycling, Tony Purnell. 

ACF Investors (formerly the Angel CoFund) is a privately managed and commercially focused venture capital fund. 

The company works alongside sector smart business angels to invest in high-potential SMEs across the UK, directly providing funding to support exceptional businesses. 

Tim Mills, Managing Partner at ACF Investors, says, “FLIT is exactly the innovative UK business we look to support. The team has combined cutting-edge engineering with a deep understanding of urban mobility to develop a truly innovative product. Its unique approach to design and manufacturing positions them perfectly to capitalise on the growing e-bike market. We are pleased to be part of their journey as they scale production and bring the FLIT M2 to more riders across the UK.”

The funding will be used to ramp up production of its latest model — the FLIT M2 at its Cambridge facility. 

This latest funding follows an Innovate UK grant in 2023 and will accelerate production and delivery of the FLIT M2 to UK customers, which began in October 2024.

FLIT: Manufacturing lightweight foldable e-bikes

Dave Henderson and Alex Murray, (co-founders) met in 2015 whilst studying in Beijing.

Electric bikes were their fast and fun way of flitting between lectures and sparked their interest in how e-bikes could be used elsewhere.

Dave, as an ex-Jaguar Land Rover engineer, had always dreamed of developing his electric vehicle, whilst Alex’s study of transport policy had convinced him that “our cities could be happier and healthier places to be.”

Consequently, they moved to Cambridge, the cycling capital of the UK, to begin the FLIT story with just a few ideas on a piece of paper.

Since then, the FLIT team has turned those early pencilled sketches into a simple folding bike, designed from scratch to be electric.

Designed for urban mobility, the company’s e-bikes are lighter and more compact than traditional e-bikes.

At just 14.5kg, the M2 is designed to fit easily into train luggage racks, carry up stairs, and roll through city streets when folded. 

FLIT M2 was produced through the ‘no-weld adhesive bonding technique,’ which is also used in aerospace and automotive engineering.

Initially developed as a response to supply chain disruptions during COVID-19, the no-weld technique not only accelerates production times but also enhances structural precision, enabling a tighter, more compact fold and a 1kg weight reduction compared to a similar welded frame. 

Alex Murray, Managing Director and co-founder of FLIT says, “As cycling enthusiasts, we wanted to help people find better ways to move around cities. Unlike traditional e-bikes that retrofit motors and batteries onto non-electric designs, we build from the ground up, integrating folding and electric capabilities from the start. By applying aerospace-grade bonding techniques, we’ve eliminated the distortions caused by welding, resulting in a lighter, stronger, and more compact design. Our mission has always been to make cycling easier and more accessible for urban commuters, and this funding allows us to take that mission to the next level with the FLIT M2.”