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Micromobility, the global shared micromobility operator, has dropped out of the race to restart VanMoof, following the Dutch e-bike brand’s bankruptcy last month.
In a post on Twitter (X), Micromobility CEO Salvator Palella said: “Regrettably, our bid for VanMoof, which deeply prioritised consumer protection and job preservation, wasn’t accepted by the trustees.
“They’ve opted to negotiate with another party. My gut tells me financial figures are taking precedence over consumer protection. Best wishes to the VanMoof community – they deserve respect and quick answers. We’ll be watching closely.”
Micromobility had plans to leverage VanMoof’s advanced e-bike technology and successful subscription model to enhance the group’s product offerings.
The company also intended to continue investing in the e-bike segment, as it sees significant potential in this market in the coming years.
However, VanMoof trustees in charge of finding a new investor decided that the company was not a suitable candidate.
Reports online suggest that a number of other parties remain in the running to takeover VanMoof, including Trek, KKR, who recently acquired the Accell Group, and an undisclosed German company.
Some believe that VanMoof’s original founders, Taco and Ties Carlier, could be planning to lead a rebirth of the brand with outside investment.
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According to Dutch news outlet FD, the brothers founded a new company last week, and bankruptcy trustee Jan Padberg would not comment on whether they were a potential suitor.
Palella also believes that the Carlier brothers are one of the potential suitors and, if confirmed, he says Micromobility “will not hesitate” to appeal the ongoing restructure.
In a follow up social media post, he said: “In my opinion, there’s an empty shell the founders are potentially using (through other investors) to repurchase the company. If this isn’t a new way of cycling around the rules, I don’t know what is. Shouldn’t this manoeuvre be on the ‘no-pedal’ list?”
