London scaleup acquires competitor in ‘fast-moving’ European expansion
Bike Club, Europe’s largest subscription provider of kids’ bikes, has agreed to acquire Bicircular, a Barcelona based bike subscription platform for children in Spain.
Founded in London in 2016, Bike Club enables parents to subscribe to premium light-weight bikes for their children, and then exchange the bikes for larger sizes as their children grow.
In this way, Bike Club aims to take the hassle, cost and time out of selling and replacing kids’ bikes repeatedly: the average child needs six or seven bikes before the age of 16 to keep up with their growth.
The company has raised almost £50m to date from investors including Circularity Capital, Europe’s leading circular economy VC firm, to fuel an organic and acquisitive high-growth strategy in the UK and Europe.
Bicircular was Spain’s first platform for children’s bike rentals, making it possible for Spanish parents to rent rather than buy premium lightweight bikes to match the needs of their growing children.
Under the terms of the deal, Bicircular’s subscribers will seamlessly join Bike Club’s community of parents and riders and become customers of the combined company. Gabriel Medina, founder & CEO of Bicircular, also joins Bike Club in a senior leadership role to guide and execute BC’s business development strategy as country director for Spain.
Gabriel commented: “For several years, Bike Club has been the ‘one to watch’ in the family cycling market, creating a new way for parents to finally source bikes for their children on terms that suit their preference for ‘access over ownership’ while never compromising on the quality and selection of bikes on offer.”
As Circular Economy businesses that use and reuse materials to reduce waste, Bike Club and Bicircular share a mission to improve sustainability in the European family cycling market.
James Symes, CEO of Bike Club, added: “Bike Club’s fast adoption in Germany and the market position Bicircular gained in Spain both support our conviction that the family cycling market is ripe for disruption in countries throughout Europe.
“We’re in a strong position to act fast on the accelerating pace of consumer demand for kids’ bike rentals, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise across the continent. Giving customers the chance to choose between buying for good and subscribing for as long as you need it is more important than ever.”
By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily
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