Angell, a French startup specialising in smart electric bikes, has communicated to its customers that it is declaring insolvency and will seek judicial liquidation through the courts.
Marc Simoncini, co-founder and CEO, expressed on Instagram that the company’s journey has come to an end. He noted that a critical hardware issue has led to this decision, despite the dedicated efforts of all employees.
Founded in 2019, Angell aimed to produce an electric bike featuring numerous smart and connected attributes. The original model included a compact colour touchscreen on the handlebars that provided vital information and offered turn-by-turn navigation. It was also capable of connecting to smartphones via Bluetooth.
Equipped with an integrated locking system, alarm, built-in GPS chip, and cellular modem, Angell positioned itself alongside other notable European smart bike brands, including Cowboy and Vanmoof. Notably, Vanmoof declared bankruptcy in the Netherlands in 2023, and efforts are underway by a new owner to revive the brand.
However, Angell faced reliability challenges with its all-in-one offering. In a correspondence to customers, the company indicated that issues with the first-generation model have contributed significantly to its current predicament.
The company stated that “The fragility of the bike’s frame represents a risk of breakage” and acknowledged it to be a manufacturing flaw related to the welding process of the frames.
Angell does not manufacture its bikes independently. It collaborates with SEB, the French industrial firm known for brands like All-Clad, Krups, Moulinex, Rowenta, and Tefal, to manage the production, and partners with KickMaker for design.
In the same email, Angell sought to attribute the severe design issues to its two partners. Nevertheless, Angell bears financial responsibility for the defective bikes, as it is the entity that sold them. The company is faced with the decision to either recall up to 7,000 bikes or reimburse its customers.
However, both options appear financially burdensome for the startup, prompting the decision to pursue insolvency. Further legal determinations may arise regarding the accountability for these manufacturing defects among Angell, SEB, and KickMaker.
For owners of Angell bikes, those with first-generation models are now faced with a product deemed unsafe for use. Additionally, customers who purchased recent Angell bikes may also be impacted, especially as the company has hinted at the possible shutdown of its servers. Users hope this will not interfere with the electric assistance and smart lock functionalities.