What makes the Bikeep more than just a bike rack is connectivity. There is a device with a SIM card in the bike rack that is connected to a phone app that you can use to lock and unlock your bike. The first month Bikeep was installed by Örebrobostäder 80 thousand minutes were clocked. When the bike racks were installed in Vivalla, it was 90 thousand minutes in a month. This proved One4Tech’s concept: people were using the bike racks a lot and a lot of insights were gained from the real time data, which in turn have great value for their customers.
“Our data can help companies like grocery chain Ica Maxi understand things like new users, repeat customers, how long people are in the shop, what time they shop, the flow of traffic, and so much more, all of which helps them understand their customers and their habits better. This kind of data can also be an important contributor to the ecosystem of a smart city, where it can be used for city planning, such as where to place bike paths, where to adjust roads, etc.”
The future
When you have a company headed by young, ambitious, and entrepreneurial people it comes as no surprise that they have big plans going forward. One4Tech is well-positioned to establish Bikeep in Sweden. In fact, they have now installed a number of stations with Swedish grocery chain Ica Maxi, a real estate company that manages apartment buildings, and some municipality companies – and they’re in talks to install more, particularly with municipalities.
“We want to make Bikeep a normal product that is integrated so well that it becomes a regular part of people’s lives,” says Ali. “More and more people are cycling both for fun and to get from point A to B, and no one wants their bike stolen. Bikeep has never had a theft since it launched a few years ago, so we know this is not just a viable product but necessary one as people’s habits evolve. And now that we are up and running, the concept is easy to understand: secure bike parking that works.”
One4Tech has also innovated in installation, creating Bike Flex, which is a connected bike rack that removes a lot of the costly digging and ground work. Instead, with Bike Flex, as soon as the rack is ordered it can be shipped and easily installed at a cost savings. They are also speaking with bike rental companies and bike sharing schemes, where instead of putting the connected lock on the bike rack, it’s put on the bike itself.
“We are promoting the role of the bicycle in the community and making it the preferred mode of transport. A lot of money is going into biking schemes, but they’re not asking how to lower the risk of bike theft. This is a crucial question – you need a secure and safe way to park your bike, especially with e-bikes becoming so popular. They’re a lot more expensive than your average traditional bike, so making sure it’s safe when you park it is important.”
We were very pleased to welcome both One4Tech and Bikeep to the Innovation Hub at IoT Talks 2021 – Innovating the Ordinary on the 25th of November. If you missed the event, you can access video from the day here.
If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.