Rent a bike instead of buying it yourself. The concept convinces investor Roland Brack (50). In today’s episode of the TV show “Die Höhle der Löwen”, the founder of the online retailer brack.ch awarded the Zurich start-up Ribe in the amount of CHF 550,000. This is the largest investment in the history of the Swiss version of “The Lion’s Den”.
The Ribe sharing platform was founded this spring by three people from Zurich. Three passionate motorcyclists Kris Fiocchi (CPO, 32), Kevin Bieler (CEO, 32) and Tsering Selang (CMO/CHRO, 33) have demonstrated a sharing platform for almost everything but motorcycles. They wanted to change that and founded Ribe, which stands for Ride Better.
Airbnb for motorcycles
The function couldn’t be simpler. Private moped owners offer their motorcycles for rent on the platform. Interested motorcyclists can rent any bike they want. “We’re often described as an Airbnb for motorcycles,” says Tsering Selang. An appropriate sentence.
For rental companies, the platform has the advantage of less parking for their bikes, while renters have a wider selection of brands than the corner dealer. Full coverage of motorcycle insurance and 24-hour breakdown service provide reassuring security.
550,000 francs for an international breakthrough
This total package convinced former motorcyclist Roland Brack. Due to work, he had less time to ride his motorcycle and eventually sold it. If Ribe had existed back then, it wouldn’t have been necessary. With an investment of 550,000 francs, Ribe now wants to rise in the international arena. The sharing platform should first expand to Germany and Austria and soon cover all of Europe. In addition, an application will be developed and the staff will be expanded.
Mobility ideas seem to be well received by Swiss investor lions. A few weeks ago, e-scooter company SoFlow was awarded a record amount of CHF 1.3 million. Two years ago, car subscription provider Carify found an investor in its “lion’s cave,” and mobile home sharing platform MyCamper succeeded in convincing investors.
Martin A Bartholdi
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
