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--- transportation:vanmoof [2023/07/18 00:10] – [Bankruptcy] timb
+++ transportation:vanmoof [2025/06/21 01:31] (current) – [Bankruptcy] timb
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 https://github.com/grossartig/vanmoof-encryption-key-exporter
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 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/rival-e-bike-maker-helps-vanmoof-owners-grab-bike-keys-while-company-struggles/
+== VanMoof, the e-bike startup, officially declared bankrupt in The Netherlands ==
+Ingrid Lunden - 17 July 2023
+Another grim stage for VanMoof, the e-bike startup backed by venture capitalists to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. After making a last-hour effort to stave off bankruptcy last week, the court of Amsterdam has taken the step of officially declaring bankruptcy for the company’s Dutch legal entities, VanMoof Global Holding B.V., VanMoof B.V. and VanMoof Global Support B.V. The court has now appointed two trustees to explore an asset sale to a third party to keep VanMoof running.
+Legal entities outside of The Netherlands are part of the group, but they are not involved in these proceedings. From what we understand, stores in San Francisco, Seattle, New York City and Tokyo remain open, but the rest of its stores are closed. The company has some further detail about how to unlock a bike you already own (to make it usable without the app, should that cease to work), the state of repairs (halted), the state of refunds (paused for now, unclear how, when and if they will be carried out) and information for suppliers in a FAQ about its current situation here.
+https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/18/vanmoof-goes-vanpoof-bankruptcy/
+== VanMoof, the Most Funded E-bike Company in the World, Declared Bankrupt ==
+Posted by msmash on Tuesday July 18, 2023 07:00AM
+VanMoof -- the independent e-bike maker that once bragged about being the "most funded e-bike company in the world" -- has been declared bankrupt in the Netherlands. The company had entered into a so-called "suspension of payment" proceeding with court-assigned administrators just last week. From a report:
+<blockquote>
+According to a statement released by VanMoof, the court of Amsterdam withdrew the suspension of payment proceeding of the Dutch legal entities VanMoof Global Holding BV, VanMoof BV and VanMoof Global Support BV, and declared each entity bankrupt. VanMoof legal entities outside the Netherlands are not in insolvency proceedings. Two administrators have been appointed as trustees and are continuing to assess the situation at VanMoof and the possibility of a restart. That includes exploring an asset sale to a third party so that VanMoof could continue operations.
+</blockquote>
+https://slashdot.org/story/23/07/18/099236/vanmoof-the-most-funded-e-bike-company-in-the-world-declared-bankrupt
+== VanMoof e-bikes has declared bankruptcy ==
+The company is putting its Dutch operations up for sale.
+Sarah Fielding - July 18, 2023 5:40 AM
+E-bike company VanMoof has declared bankruptcy for all its Dutch entities and aims to find a buyer in the "next few weeks." The announcement comes alongside the court of Amsterdam's withdrawal of suspension of payment proceedings and appointment of two trustees to oversee a possible third-party sale of the assets to ideally keep VanMoof functioning. The news came through a mass email to Dutch employees that was subsequently shared on Reddit.
+Bankruptcy proceedings have come to VanMoof less than two years after it claimed to be the "most funded e-bike company in the world" while announcing a $128 million investment. Yet, trouble has been brewing for some time, with it allegedly costing more money to sell and service its bikes than people were paying for them. Dutch financial outlet FD reported an €11.9 million ($13.4 million) gross margin loss for VanMoof in 2021, with €8 million ($9 million) spent on repairs and replacements. The company's international entities, in places like the United States and Taiwan, aren't part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
+https://www.engadget.com/vanmoof-e-bikes-has-declared-bankruptcy-094041635.html
+== From VanMoof to VanPoof! How did the e-bike pioneer go bankrupt, even as the market boomed? ==
+Mike Butcher - 17 July 2023
+Troubled e-bike maker VanMoof — which had raised a total of $189.1 million from the likes of Balderton Capital and Felix Capital, among other investors — has now officially gone bankrupt in the Netherlands after barely a week in an administrative process. As TechCrunch previously reported, the company was in a “suspension of payment” process, with court-assigned administrators, after we broke the news that it had suspended bike sales.
+VanMoof owners are now in a quandary, as the VanMoof e-bikes require highly customized parts as well as a unique digital key connected to VanMoof’s servers to function fully, although they are able to be operated in a basic fashion without these. Somewhat improbably, competitor Cowboy even came up with an app to allow VanMoof owners to retain the digital keys to their bikes.
+https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/18/from-vanmoof-to-vanpoof-how-did-the-e-bike-pioneer-go-bankrupt-even-as-the-market-boomed/
+== Amsterdam police ask VanMoof customers to stop accusing the company of theft ==
+Wednesday, 19 July 2023 - 13:05
+The Amsterdam police have received many accusations of criminality and questions from VanMoof customers who believe their bicycles were stolen by the the company, the Amsterdam police said on social media this week. The police could not provide exact numbers, a spokesperson said. The police are calling on customers of the bankrupt e-bike company to stop contacting them.
+"The customers who have bought a bicycle here or have given their VanMoof bicycle for repair, ask whether they can report the theft to the police or have already reported the theft online." However, the police said that declarations, reports and questions about the bankrupt company will not be processed. "A bankruptcy is a civil matter and not a criminal matter. No matter how irritating, the police can not do anything for customers for this reason."
+An Amsterdam court declared the Dutch company bankrupt on Tuesday. The VanMoof administrators previously appointed by the court will investigate the possibilities of a restart as trustees. Last week, the bicycle company was forced to close its shops and request protection from creditors. In Amsterdam and elsewhere, customers found themselves in front of a closed door when visiting the company's stores, even when sometimes their bicycle remained inside.
+https://nltimes.nl/2023/07/19/amsterdam-police-ask-vanmoof-customers-stop-accusing-company-theft
+== Van poof! Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof goes bankrupt, leaving riders stranded ==
+August 23, 20235:14 AM ET - Rob Schmitz
+AMSTERDAM — More than two-thirds of the population of Amsterdam commutes to work on two wheels, and some, like office worker Brian Rueterkemp, prefer to do it in style.
+"I think one of the things I really appreciate about my bike is having a boost button," he says about his VanMoof, an electric bike that, over the years, has become a hipster accessory both in Europe and in the United States.
+But the brand, considered by many bicyclists the Tesla of e-bikes, has gone bankrupt; its cofounders are in talks with outside groups to revive the failed company.
+The Dutch startup's bikes have become famous for their sleek design and ease of use through a smartphone app. But VanMoof's downfall has left customers like Rueterkemp stranded.
+https://www.npr.org/2023/08/23/1195201692/vanmoof-ebikes-bankrupt-netherlands
+==== Rebirth ====
+== Dutch E-Bike Brand VanMoof Bought Out of Bankruptcy by Scooter Maker ==
+Posted by msmash on Thursday August 31, 2023 09:40AM
+VanMoof, the Dutch e-bike maker that gained a zealous following but declared bankruptcy last month, has been acquired by Lavoie, an upscale electric scooter company, the firms announced on Thursday. From a report:
+<blockquote>
+Riders of the expensive and technologically advanced VanMoof bikes were left in limbo by the company's bankruptcy, because the machines are built from proprietary parts that only the company made and many of the bikes' functions are linked to a smartphone app that runs on the company's servers. Despite the buzz around the brand, VanMoof had run into financial problems that led to a production backlog and monthslong waits for sales and repairs.
+</blockquote>
+https://slashdot.org/story/23/08/31/1621218/dutch-e-bike-brand-vanmoof-bought-out-of-bankruptcy-by-scooter-maker
+== VanMoof makes a move: Lavoie acquires the e-bike startup out of bankruptcy for ‘tens of millions’ of euros ==
+Ingrid Lunden - 31 August 2023
+VanMoof, the flashy e-bike startup that skidded into bankruptcy this summer, has gotten back on its bike, so to speak. Today it was announced that Lavoie, which makes electric scooters, has acquired the business out of administration. The company plans to invest in the brand and relaunch the business, it said. That will include providing services to VanMoof’s existing customers, from the looks of it, and from what using some of the tech VanMoof had built for its bikes that it never launched due to going bust.
+Sources close to the deal tell me Lavoie paid a price in the “tens of millions” of dollars. That represents a huge drop on VanMoof’s estimated valuation from its last round in 2021: Dealroom puts that figure at between $512 million and $768 million.
+https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/31/vanmoof-makes-a-move-lavoie-acquires-the-e-bike-startup-out-of-bankruptcy-and-plans-to-relaunch-it/
+== VanMoof is back with a new custom e-bike and rebooted repair network ==
+‘I don’t think there’s a reason for VanMoof to exist if we’re going to use off-the-shelf parts like everyone else.’
+Rebecca Bellan - 8:04 AM PDT June 20, 2025
+Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof is back two years after bankruptcy with its first model designed under new leadership. And despite past criticism that VanMoof’s over-reliance on custom parts led to the company’s downfall, the S6 sticks to the brand’s signature bespoke design.
+Today, VanMoof is betting that higher-quality custom parts, alongside a more robust servicing network, will allow it to stay true to its design-forward, tech-heavy core, while avoiding the repair and servicing pitfalls that came out of scaling a specialized product too quickly.
+“I don’t think there’s a reason for VanMoof to exist if we’re going to use off-the-shelf parts like everyone else,” co-CEO Elliot Wertheimer told TechCrunch backstage at Micromobility Europe in Brussels this week. “We’re here to push design, to have a bike that, if you’ve never ridden an e-bike in your life, you get on it and it’s intuitive. Easy, like an iPhone.”
+VanMoof previously raised more than $200 million in venture capital and gained a cult following for its premium, minimalist-designed e-bikes equipped with integrated lights, batteries, and motors.
+https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/20/vanmoof-is-back-with-a-new-custom-e-bike-and-rebooted-repair-network/