Brussels-based long-bike manufacturer Bike 43 is taking a step towards producing 10,000 bikes. In this way, the company triples production.
Bike 43 engineer and founder Etienne Richelle actually designed a prototype of his tall bike in 2011. Five years ago he launched his bike, which can carry up to three children and is easy to assemble with accessories. Meanwhile, the ‘family bike’, which is being marketed as a sustainable alternative to the car, is available in bike shops across Europe.
Investors Miguel Van Damme and Thibaut Deheim joined Richelle in 2022, pumping one million euros into the company. Together they created a new company with headquarters in Brussels, near the custom-built Travie, where bikes are assembled. In addition, Bike 43 also obtained a loan from Brussels Finance and Investment Company, Brussels and secured bank financing.
Bike 43 says it’s already profitable and wants to use the new money to triple production in its second year of operation. “The new resources are intended exclusively as working capital for stocks of raw materials,” she says. The bike maker is aiming for 10,000 copies.
Bike 43 currently sells half of its bikes in Belgium and the other half elsewhere in Europe. This mainly concerns France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In their own words, Bike 43 has also noticed a growing interest in Scandinavia.
