Rosie Burgin

PARIS, France - On course to double sales in 2025, refurbished e-bike seller Upway, has received a financial injection of US$60 million (€52 million) in closing its Series C funding round. The company has now raised a total of US$125 million (€108 million) since its founding in 2021. The latest funding will facilitate new UpCenters in Europe and North America, expansion into five more countries and the launch of new digital services.

MADRID, Spain - Following a slow start to the year, bicycle production is set to decline in Spain in 2025. The country produced a total of almost 220,000 bicycles in the first nine months of 2025, a 10% drop compared to the same period last year. Totalling €179 million in value, this represents a considerable decline, according to official data published by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. The data for Q3, however, shows the most promising signs of a revival.

HASTINGS, United Kingdom - British bike brand Whyte Bikes Ltd. has changed private equity hands, from current owner Cairngorm Capital to Causeway Capital. The acquisition sees 100% ownership of Whyte transferred to Dublin-based Causeway Capital. The brand sees the move as a major step toward developing international growth.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - In the wake of forced labour accusations from the United States, Giant Group is extending its 'Zero Recruitment Fee Policy'. Originally in effect from January 1, 2025, this will now apply to all migrant workers currently employed at the company in Taiwan. "This latest expansion reflects the Group's ongoing institutionalisation and practices of human rights protection and fair employment," the company states.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Around 150,000 e-bike units were exported from Taiwan to the European Union in the first nine months of 2025, the latest customs data shows. This is a 3% increase compared to the same period last year - a welcome sign of market stabilisation for the Taiwanese supply chain. However, total exports reached just over 270,000 units from January to September, representing a 3% year-on-year decline. The spotlight is now on how this develops as the year closes, with the rollout of United States tariffs and human rights accusations on Taiwanese companies bringing disruptions to trade.

GIRONA, Spain - "We're not just replacing derailleurs — we're replacing complexity," says Marc Barceló, CEO and founder of Niche Mobility. The new player in the e-bike system market has built a fully digital drivetrain from scratch and is on course for an OEM launch in model year 2027. A significant step forward for the start-up was the display of prototypes at this year's Sea Otter Europe in its hometown of Girona.

WARSAW, Poland - Today, Poland is a European manufacturing hub for bicycles and e-bikes — not a niche player but one of the continent's top producers. Polish factories produced around 1 million bicycles annually in the early 2020s, putting the country among the EU's five largest producers and giving it a meaningful share of regional supply chains.

PARIS, France - This was the question looking to be answered at the recently held Summit Series in Paris, supported by CIE's Women in Cycling expert group. The event, focusing on the retention and recruitment of women in the bicycle industry, hoped to 'lead the change' in correcting the current imbalance in the sector. With cross-spectrum representatives from industry and academia present, the conclusion was that progress is slow, and opportunities are being missed.

MYSŁOWICE, Poland - Located just outside the Polish city of Katowice, Polana Bikes has quietly set up a state-of-the-art bicycle production facility. With its own e-bike brand already on the domestic market, the company has big ambitions to change the narrative regarding European e-bike production. Under the motto 'Passion for bicycles meets industrial precision,' the company relies on local expertise with a touch of Chinese 'Guanxi.'

GIRONA, Spain - The Spanish bicycle industry is facing 2025 with moderate optimism. 38.9% of companies have reported increased turnover in the first half of the year, while only 25.9% reported declines, according to the results of AMBE's second bicycle sector barometer, presented at Sea Otter Europe. Additionally, a new €20 million government subsidy has been secured to boost e-bike sales in the country.