FAZUA GmbH, a Munich-based company founded in 2013 and provider of the innovative evation drive system for e-bikes, receives €6.5 million in a new round of financing. Lead investor Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners (UVC Partners) is investing together with existing investors High-Tech Gründerfonds, Bayern Kapital - this time with Wachstumsfonds Bayern - and various business angels.
FAZUA will use the investment to meet the rapidly growing demand for the particularly lightweight e-bike drive and to establish growth-capable corporate structures. In addition, the technology leadership is to be further consolidated through further developments. A move to a larger location with expanded production capacity will take place as early as spring 2018. FAZUA will also expand in terms of personnel: Currently, employees are being sought in quality assurance, production management and electronics development, among other areas.
Benjamin Erhart, Partner at Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners, explains: "FAZUA has established a very promising market position. Within the fast-growing overall e-bike market, it is a leader in lightweight and very lightweight products. More and more renowned bicycle manufacturers are relying on the evation drive. We are convinced that FAZUA will deliver significant added value in the coming years. We are very pleased to join the strong consortium of existing investors and support the further development of the company."
"As an early-stage investor, we are particularly pleased that FAZUA has developed extremely positively from the seed phase. With another investment, this time from Wachstumsfonds Bayern, we can make an important contribution to the company's growth," says Dr. Georg Ried, Managing Director at Bayern Kapital.
Yann Fiebig, Investment Manager of High-Tech Gründerfonds, is equally impressed by the development of the young company: "We were convinced of the product's profitability and competitiveness from the very beginning. HTGF is proud to continue to be part of this special success story."
FAZUA's integrable drive system enables bicycle manufacturers to redefine their previous demands on the design, weight and flexibility of e-bikes: The battery and motor disappear almost invisibly into the down tube, and the low resistance of the system means that the bike scores particularly well with cyclists with sporting ambitions thanks to its natural riding feel. The response in the racing bike and performance sector has been correspondingly positive. The evation drive also receives a lot of recognition in the industry: for example, FAZUA was awarded in three categories (Newcomer, Components MTB and Road) at the DESIGN & INNOVATION AWARD 2018.
"We are very pleased about this round of investment, which will further support an extremely strong positioning of FAZUA GmbH in the market," says Hannes Biechele, CEO and founder of the Munich-based company, "Experience, added value and know-how of the shareholders are essential pillars for us, without which FAZUA could not operate so successfully."
About FAZUA
Founded in Munich in 2013, FAZUA's goal is to revolutionize the e-bike market in a sustainable way. With the evation drive, the team led by Managing Director Johannes Biechele presents an electric drive system that is particularly aimed at sporty demands while conveying the natural riding feeling of an unmotorized bicycle. Well-known customers of FAZUA, who are already selling bikes with the evation drive in 2018, are: CUBE, Focus, Bianchi, Fantic and Pinarello. FAZUA has been supported by SCE start-up funding.
Website: www.fazua.com