In a flurry of media activity, last week saw news break that former Stromer CEO Tomi Viiala was back with a bang. A partnership with François-Henri Bennahmias, founder and CEO of The Honourable Merchants Group, grabbed the headlines.
Bennahmias might be a name unfamiliar in cycling circles, but in the world of luxury goods, he is best known for his 10-year tenure as CEO of revered watchmakers Audemars Piguet.
What do a modern mobility solutions pioneer and the former CEO of a luxury watchmaker have in common?
A passion for sustainable mobility and cycling in general , where future cities depend on giving two-wheel solutions more space, not more roads, and finding smarter ways to share urban environments and doing TDF stages with the speed of a pro rider with a smile and improving your health.
Here we explore the plan, as Tomi outlines ‘what, where, why and how?’ for the new business which bears his name.
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Tomi, fair to say what comes next will not be like what went before?
Just how different is probably best reflected by the partnership with François-Henri Bennahmias and the Viiala brands’ Chief Innovation Advisor, Humna Khan. Between them, François and Humna represent the pinnacle of luxury watches and innovations in space travel!
Also now on board at Viiala is Pit Pillatsch, former Engineering Director e-bike Systems and Principal Technical Product Manager at Specialized.
And we’ve now been able to share news of our formal collaboration with Craig Dent, Co-Founder, Design Director and CEO at RiDE Studio. Craig has extensive motorcycling design experience, including 3 years with Honda and 13 years with KISKA, culminating in 3 years as Design Director – Motorcycle Design.
Advanced, automated manufacturing expertise, industry-leading e-bike experience, and award-winning motorcycle design: That’s quite a statement of intent you’re making.
Welcome to the new world! I can say that Viiala will be unlike anything that came before. Not a controversial thing to say when we explore what we are working on creating.
Let’s be clear: Viiala has been founded to redefine what cycling stands for. Our competition isnʼt other bike brands—itʼs every other mobility option you could pick.
We are here to ask people why they would choose a second car when a technology-rich Speed Pedelec – a two-wheeled EV engineered around the convergence of technology and innovation – delivers as both a vehicle and a unique status symbol.
Hence, the “our competition isn’t other bike brands” statement.
Exactly. We will be looking to the automotive industry and motorcycle industry for partnerships, for suppliers, and for manufacturing capabilities. As a low-volume producer, we are focused on innovation and delivering market-redefining two-wheeled vehicles – where engineering, aesthetics, and purpose converge to create the ultimate riding experience for an audience currently not engaged by or served by the cycling industry. Our mission at Viiala is to create bikes that today seem unimaginable, but tomorrow become indispensable.
We see unique opportunities to make a frame in a way not considered by the traditional cycling industry. To make our own e-bike motor. To produce (assemble) with automotive levels of robotics-enabled production.
You’re bringing together a blend of engineering and design expertise that enables you to think beyond the traditional cycling industry supply chain.
Yes. And the question I ask is a simple but defining one: Why would we want to be dictated to by suppliers insistent on 18-month forward orders, on MOQs that are only viable for the biggest cycling brands (and even then, I’d question if that’s really true).
To be frank, it seems the industry has learnt little or nothing from the overstock crisis it created. I have no interest in being part of that.
When you have a clean page and partners who share your ambition, why wouldn’t you look to innovate, to pioneer, to create something entirely new? To reach a new audience who currently don’t see themselves when looking at what’s currently available.
What timeframe are you working with?
We are working with a view to launching in three years. In 2028, we will launch our first model. 2029 will see two more arrive.
Have you identified a price range or set a target?
Prices will be in the range of 15,000-25,000 EUR, with the bikes incorporating advanced tech not currently existing in the market.
We can make a comparison with motorcycle customers who buy a Ducati. This audience doesn’t look at the price. They look at uniqueness. Honda would like to sell at Ducati prices, but they can’t. Yamaha would like to sell at Ducati prices, but they can’t.
Something like this. Prestige based on innovation, on engineering, on technology. And, importantly, based on brand. When the product we are developing costs less than half the cost of a premium four-wheeled EV – and is the right solution for specific types of travel – we see a new audience.
We aim to introduce technology, leveraging advancements from self-driving cars and robotics, to provide riders with a greater sense of security. This is also why we are prioritising non-cycling partners from the automotive and robotics industries – businesses that are open to innovating in the two-wheel sector.
Viiala will be creating a market niche that is currently untouched by other brands, focusing on customers who do not have the same price sensitivity as those in the traditional cycling industry.
For those in the industry who hear this and respond with a sizeable dose of scepticism, ask how Also. managed to raise $300 million in this current market. Ask how the market valuation for the business is $1 billion.
The future is out there, waiting for those with ambition to take it and make it. We shape it. Now that’s what gets me excited. It’s why François-Henri Bennahmias left AP after nearly three decades and set out on the journey with The Honourable Merchants Group.
We are in great company. Genuinely exciting times ahead.
