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--- transportation:vanmoof [2023/07/21 01:20] – [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://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/