Image credits: TrueKinetix
TrueKinetix, a Noord-Holland-based company that developed the first robotised bike for indoor cycling training announced on Thursday that Anna van der Breggen (team captain and former Olympic and World Champion) and Jak Dekker (entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast) have joined TrueKinetix as investors.
The Dutch company has secured €2.5M so far in a funding round through direct investments and crowdfunding from customers and cycling fans. The company will use the investment to accelerate product development and growth.
Has the Dutch workforce mastered all digital skills? Find out
“TrueKinetix managed to make indoor cycling feel like outdoor cycling. As a cyclist, I spent a lot of time on traditional indoor trainers, and from that experience, I can say that the TrueBike by TrueKinetix gives a much better cycling experience,” says Van der Breggen.
Besides being an investor, Anna van der Breggen has also committed herself as a brand ambassador. She continues, “To be an ambassador and investor, it was decisive for me that TrueKinetix is committed to getting more people on their bikes.”
How was TrueKinetix born?
TrueKinetix was founded in 2018 from the personal frustration of sports tech entrepreneur Bas van Rens.
In 2016 Bas van Rens was training indoors in winter for the Ironman Hawaii and missed his qualification by eight minutes. After an evaluation, he realised that he had trained the wrong muscles on an indoor bike with a flywheel.
And that is when he wanted to develop the best indoor trainer. He quit his job in 2017 and started TrueKinetix in 2018.
“In 2021, we will have grown by 400 per cent. We expect to grow strongly in the coming years. With this investment round, we can accelerate our growth,” says Bas van Rens, founder and CEO of TrueKinetix.
TrueKinetix: What you need to know
The company built the first prototype of the TrueBike, a robotic indoor bicycle trainer, in collaboration with TU Delft and TU Eindhoven.
The same year NOC*NSF (Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation) bought the first TrueBike, followed by the early adopters, claims the company.
In the TrueBike, the company has replaced the flywheel with a high-tech power generation platform which makes indoor training more efficient. The company says it can simulate the right pedal force, calculated for your body weight and length. The company currently employs 30 people.
Investors that can help put the pedal to the metal
“TrueKinetix managed to make indoor cycling feel like outdoor cycling. As a cyclist, I spent a lot of time on traditional indoor trainers, and from that experience, I can say that the TrueBike by TrueKinetix gives a much better cycling experience,” says Van der Breggen.
Besides being an investor, Anna van der Breggen has also committed herself as a brand ambassador. She continues, “To be an ambassador and investor, it was decisive for me that TrueKinetix is committed to getting more people on their bikes.”
“Anna van der Breggen – one of the best Dutch cyclists in history – and Jak Dekker – with all his knowledge of entrepreneurship and cycling – are investing in TrueKinetix is a highlight for us,” says van Rens.
He adds, “With our TrueForce Technology, we take indoor cycling to the next level and it is therefore very valuable that Anna van der Breggen and Jak Dekker endorse its added value.”
Jak Dekker, a successful entrepreneur and cycling fanatic, says, “I have been following TrueKinetix for a while. It appeals to me that the team is radically improving indoor cycling through new technology. In addition, I am impressed by how fast this company is growing,”
Catch our interview with Paul Down, Head of Sales at Intigriti.
