1. You launched on 15 April! Please could you tell us more about your business model & how it’s been going since the launch?
Bloom's mission is to enable freedom of movement for all. 🚴♂️
Bloom is an all inclusive e-bike subscription service. It combines great hardware, advanced software and concierge services to offer a full user experience.
Bloom is launching its pilot in Paris in May with an introductory price of €59/month all-inclusive by invitation on ridebloom.com. The offer includes a high-tech electric smartbike, an on-demand repair service, insurance and assistance against theft as well as a connected application. We believe that by simplifying access to green mobility we will succeed in creating healthier, safer and greener cities. Bloom currently has over 500 potential riders on its waiting list, and we will be ready to deliver our first 100 bikes on May 15th.
2. You were General Manager at the scooter company Bird. What will you take from your experience there and apply to Bloom?
As a General Manager at Bird, I learned how to operate efficiently large fleets of vehicles but also how to design and implement efficient user acquisition strategies. I also realized how important it is to focus on profitability per asset in order to build a sustainable business. I plan to apply those learnings to my new project but also to learn from the mistakes I made at Bird.
3. Bloom integrates tech into every step of the product and UX. Please could you talk us through this?
Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of electric bikes through design, data and technology.
In fact, we offer an elegant, comfortable and efficient urban electric bike suitable for all sizes. Its battery, with a range of 50km, is removable and can be fully recharged in four hours from a standard socket. The bike is equipped with a torque sensor that allows the electric assistance to be adapted to the pedalling rhythm.
The bike is directly connected to a smartphone application which enriches the user experience by providing accurate route data, GPS navigation, customer support and other features to make it easier for users to get around. We are also working on future features to gamify the experience of our users and reward them through a credit system.
4. Please could you explain how the subscription model is economically viable for the customer? If they are paying 59€ per month, would it not be better for them to invest their own?
Ebikes have an average cost of €2,000 in retail. On a monthly basis this would equal to a monthly cost of €80 if we include insurance and damage repairs.
With a flexible all-inclusive subscription offer, Bloom is by far the most competitive offer out there and offers full flexibility to the users on top of that.
5. You’re aiming to have a user base of 1,000 to 1,500 by the end of the year. How will you do this?
Our ambition is to become the leading micro mobility subscription in Europe and Paris is a great starting point as it is the biggest micro mobility city in the world. We will leverage the data collected from our pilot phase to improve our product and grow significantly this summer. We will implement different user acquisition strategies such as referrals, PR, paid acquisition and partnerships.
6. We love your fun branding! Talk us through the inspiration behind it.
It's very simple, “Bloom” is fast, dynamic and catchy, just like our e-bike. Also, the little bar above the two O's reminds us of the shape of the bike. We think that the multicolour represents our idea of community, with blue representing security and freedom, green reminding us of nature and pink of seduction.
Through our lively logo, we want to communicate our desire to support the travel riders by allowing them to move efficiently and reliably.
7. Your bikes are #MadeInFrance and this is key! But could you see yourselves expanding internationally in the future?
Absolutely! Our goal is to become the leading micro mobility subscription service in Europe and for that we decided to start with Paris. Paris has been at the forefront of innovative urban mobility for the past years and it is going through deep transformations with improved cycling infrastructure all over the city. Many other cities in Europe are going through the same changes such as Barcelona, London or Milan which are target cities for us.
8. And finally... how come you chose the Partech Shaker to house your startup?
The Partech Shaker was an obvious choice for us because of its location, at the heart of the“Silicon Sentier”, its ecosystem and the quality of the amenities. There were also many startups which started here and went on to be great successes and we hope that this will be true for us!
Thank you Driss for the interview! 🙏
Discover all about Bloom on their website.