About us
In 2019, there was a completely intact bright pink children's bicycle among the scrap metal on the environmental street in Utrecht. Determined to save this 'discarded gem', one of our founders, Casparis Beyer, fished out the bike.
Thus the seed for BikeFlip was planted. What started as a study assignment during Casparis' master's degree in Sustainable Business and Innovation at the University of Utrecht, quickly grew into a company with great ambitions.
BikeFlip beginnings
A year after the start of BikeFlip, student friend Paul Remie joined as a partner and the company took on increasingly serious proportions. The start-up is based in Utrecht and has so far been active in the areas of Utrecht, Amersfoort, Hilversum, Amsterdam, Almere and Rotterdam, but in the coming years parents and children in the rest of the Netherlands will also be introduced to the subscription to the children's bicycle.
The problem
From a sustainability and circularity perspective
→ 3.8 million bicycles are unused in sheds.
→ Children outgrow their bicycles approximately every 1.5 years.
From an efficiency perspective
→ Every year, 1 million new bicycles are purchased, which is associated with emissions, environmental pollution, possibly poor working conditions and depletion of raw materials.
From a social & societal perspective
→ In 2023, there were 1.5 million people in the Netherlands who were at a disadvantage in the labor market.
Our solution and vision
Reducing the pile of unused bicycles and innovating the children's bicycle industry from ownership to use
At BikeFlip we believe that every non-new bicycle not only produces profit for people and the planet, but also makes children happy!
BikeFlip gives you something to choose from. Choose from a wide range of children's bicycles. Every time your child gets too big for their bike and a new one (flip) is needed, it feels like you have a brand new bike!
Resolving mobility poverty in problem neighborhoods
BikeFlip not only offers (children's) bicycle subscriptions, but also refurbishes bicycles for social projects. In collaboration with municipalities, these bicycles are made available to, for example, refugees or families in financial vulnerability.
Solving the mismatch in the labor market for technical personnel
BikeFlips' 'social' workshop upcycles bicycles and at the same time gives people who are disadvantaged in the labor market the opportunity to learn and integrate. This offers a diverse group of people with different backgrounds the opportunity to move on to a good (paid) job.
