The Zagreb startup has created a so-called parking capsule that locks the bike and protects all of its main parts.
As Sergej Novosel Vuckovic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of August, 2018, the Zagreb-based startup Bike2Lock has found itself in the running for the title of the best young company in Central Europe, of the 10,000 startups, entrepreneurial incubators and individuals reported, Bike2Lock is now among the top 50 contestants in the Central European Startup Awards.
Bike2Lock is nominated, among the rare, in two categories for this prestigious award - the best startup and the best young startup. This brought them to a unique solution - a system for bicycle protection against theft, which can be mounted in public areas - streets and squares, as well as company buildings and shopping centres. Voting for the best company can be done online until August the 24th, when the choice narrows down to the Top10 and then the Top5. The startup's team members Natko Bošnjak, Antonio Filipović, Slaven Pokrivko and Tomislav Vukovski are of course very satisfied with the nomination.
"We're going like the Vatreni (Croatian national football team players) step by step. The winner will be announced on October the 24th in Warsaw, Poland, and this European competition is special because it doesn't share classic cash prizes, the winner can cooperate with big companies like General Electric and Google, or major banks such as Morgan Stanley'' say the young men who work with their startup at Zagreb's Technology Park after work. The Bike2Lock system, which was initially launched a year ago and a half ago, has been created so that every bicycle has its own "parking capsule" that locks itself by activating the system.
"It allows for bike parking and a safety lock, so all of the vital parts, the frame, the wheels, the steering, and the seat are protected from theft when parked," they say from the startup. Along with ''hardware'' is a city info display screen and mobile app. Although, as cycling enthusiasts themselves, they wanted to set up a system at several frequented locations in the City of Zagreb, starting with King Tomislav square, they have not managed to do so yet, finalisation has been slowed down due to, as they say from the startup, very expensive costs in the final test phase. Otherwise, most of Bike2Lock's systems are self-funded.
"Otherwise, we have a great deal of cooperation with the City of Zagreb. The Economy Office has helped us a lot in the development of the project, and the city has recognised the importance of cycling and is developing in that direction,'' they state from Bike2Lock.
Although they have been in contact with companies from Europe, China and the UAE, the system has not yet sold, but it is more than likely that their success in being chosen and listed among the best Central European startups will be a springboard for future business deals.
"Being a startup and in the development phase or the final product testing phase is often a step forward as well as a step backwards, and that's something we're now facing. Because of that, we're very proud of the fact that our small steps are being notices," Bike2Lock's team modestly concluded.
Click here for the original article by Sergej Novosel Vuckovic for Poslovni Dnevnik
