Notable backers include serial investor and highly experienced Chairman, Lord Mervyn Davies, who said “Estarli is an exciting business in a very interesting part of the economy with high growth prospects. Delighted to join the journey.”
The Hertfordshire eBike company, founded by the Francis brothers in 2020, is on track to double its eBike sales this year. The brothers credit much of estarli’s growth to its agile approach to bike building. Bike fanatic and former software engineer, Alex, said “we are a bit of an industry anomaly. Most bike companies release a new model each year in Spring. We believe in iterating. It’s how we worked during my programming career and I think it suits bike development because it allows us to react quickly to feedback and behavioral change”.
Estarli sells direct to consumers but has also begun to grow its retail model. “Aside from being in Selfridges, we spent our first year selling online. More and more independent bike shops started approaching us because they loved the brand and because we used universal parts - something that makes the after-sales relationship between customers and retail outlets easier,” said Alex. “When we began working with a range of shops, the kind of feedback we received differed from what online customers had previously shared. It was invaluable and it played into our agile model. There is no doubt in our minds it helped us improve”.
“The Chilterns are in our DNA”, said creative director, Oli. “It’s tailor-made for eBikes around here and our aim is to empower more and more people to ride more often and further. Berkhamsted in particular is overflowing with cars so we work closely with the town council and other local companies to inspire more journeys by eBike”.
Estarli is relocating within Berkhamsted to a bigger factory, better equipped to facilitate their growth. The investment is also being used to broaden their range of products. Oli added, “at first we saw a gap in the market for quality folding bikes that weren’t retro-fitted to be electric. Two years on and hybrid eBikes are a big part of our future plans. We have designed an intuitive fixed frame gravel bike which packs a lot of punch for the price. With the cost of living as it is, we think it holds an important place in the market”.
Estarli is on the majority of cycle-to-work schemes. For more information visit www.estarli.co.uk or email info@estarli.co.uk
Find out more about Estarli on their member profile page here
Member-created content 1 year ago | From members