London-based mobility tech startup Skarper, which develops an e-bike conversion kit that transforms a regular bike into an e-bike with a single click, has secured £4.5 million to bring its product to market. The funding round was led by Adjuvo, with participation from existing investors, including Starry Group, Mobilitech Capital, and Yaron Kottler.
- Founded in 2020 by Ean Brown, Alastair Darwood, and Uri Meirovich, Skarper develops DiskDrive, an Ultralight, clip-on drive portable device that converts regular bicycles into high-performance electric bikes.
- The device attaches to the bike's disc brake rotors, offering a range of up to 50 km. Manufactured by Tetro, part of the Starry Group, it was developed in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the innovation division of Oracle Red Bull Racing, the world champion Formula 1 team.
Details of the deal
- The investment round was led by Adjuvo, a London-based angel investor syndicate that backs early-stage British startups.
- Existing investors also participated, including Skarper's current backers: Starry Group, a global consumer products manufacturer; mobility technology investor Mobilitech Capital; and Yaron Kottler, chairman of the engineering and cybersecurity firm Resilion.
"We are preparing to deliver our very first units of our patented device that turns regular bikes electric with a single click. Thanks to our investment partner Adjuvo for leading this raise," Skarper's team, commented on LinkedIn.
- The funds raised will enable Skarper to increase its marketing efforts, improve production capacity, and boost its sales infrastructure. The startup also plans to launch its first product in the final quarter of this year, starting with a focus on the UK market before expanding across Europe.
