Comodule yearly recap: will we see the smartbike shift in 2025?
Comodule Strategy Day 2024: Planning the future and celebrating the move to a bigger office. A selection of smartbikes being tested in front of Comodule HQ in Talli
As 2024 comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect on what has been a transformative year for both Comodule and the cycling industry. While the industry continues to face challenges, there’s a growing sense of optimism and a stronger focus on innovation than we saw in 2023. This momentum is fueling new ideas and actionable plans that will bring connectivity to the majority of the e-bike users in the coming years.
2024 milestones in e-bike connectivity
Advancing software and hardware solutions
This year, we made digitalization more accessible for e-bike brands by introducing the Comodule SDK - a powerful tool that empowers brands to customize their connected experience while speeding up app development and reducing costs. We launched Share My Bike, Bike Passport, and Theft reporting features alongside many UX/UI updates in our Companion App. These features not only strengthen security but also enhance ownership and sharing experience for the users. We are launching product updates, including performance and integration upgrades based on our 10-year market experience and competence working with all major component providers on the market. The integration processes will be simpler for the OEMs and the connectivity will make e-bikes upgradable with periodic feature updates for long term.
Making e-bikes unstealable: A new era of smart security
The rise in e-bike theft and the increasing value of bikes have created an urgent need for smarter security solutions. Comodule is proactively improving e-bike security with the goal to make e-bikes "pointless" to steal -ensuring stolen bikes cannot be used or retain value. Examples like Comodule’s 2Lock showcase how components can be made unusable post-theft, further discouraging theft. Collaborating with FRIS, we’ve introduced theft reporting in-app, sending critical data to recovery teams for swift action. Together, these solutions make significant strides toward smarter, more secure e-bikes.
We are near the leap of digitalization
Most partners we engage with now have connectivity at the forefront of their brand strategies. Concrete action plans for integration are being developed, marking the beginning of the “Smartbike moment”, where the the majority of big players are either launching or planning to launch a connected bikes. These advancements, alongside innovations in e-systems expected in the coming years, position IoT as the brain of the next-generation e-bike, seamlessly controlling and integrating its components through a single interface. IoT plays a significant role in shaping the future of connected mobility, carrying the responsibility to enable smarter, more secure, and highly integrated solutions. A key challenge is finding a standardized way to seamlessly integrate any components to the e-bike system. The other challenge is, that bike design process is often long and complex, meaning that components-including IoT-are few years ahead of when they actually are taken into use by the consumers. However, this also creates opportunities for bike brands that can adopt agile approaches and embrace innovation early, positioning themselves as leaders in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Collaborations and open ecosystems: Key to mass digitalization
In 2024, we continued to adapt to market needs, working closely with drive unit providers to make IoT more accessible to bike brands. Our open ecosystem not only enables innovation but also provides bike brands with greater control over product development efforts. This shift is essential for bike brands to reclaim their "face" in a component-driven market. Digitalization has the most potential for innovation in the cycling industry, creating more opportunities to differentiate, innovate, and deliver versatile solutions tailored to diverse customer needs. This open approach ensures that most bikes in the future will either be connected or IoT-ready, aligning with the growing demand for smart cycling experiences.
Comodule presenting Comodule ecosystem of smart components and services and a selection of smartbikes at Eurobike 2024: Canyon, Swapfiets, Ridley and Christiania Bikes
Looking ahead to 2025
In 2025, Comodule will continue to lead the way with cutting-edge IoT solutions, building on our position as the biggest and the most advanced e-bike connectivity provider in the market. We will communicate product updates in the first months of 2025 alongside many interesting new collaborations. Visit us at B2B Nieuwsfiets festival on February 9-10 where we demonstrate the latest developments in e-bike connectivity, and offer a hands-on experience of new developments.
Alongside this, we are working on our partnerships and collaborations. We have some projects in our pipeline that will enhance IoT compatibility, but also bring us another step closer to “e-bikes becoming pointless to steal”. We perceive that in next years the majority of e-bikes will become connected or IoT-ready, whereas Comodule has a unique responsibility to make cycling safer, smarter, and more seamless for everyone.
We want to take a moment to thank everyone in the cycling industry for their resilience and dedication. Despite a tough market situation, the amazing people in this industry continue to collaborate, and push boundaries for a joint goal to get more people onto two wheels. It’s the collective spirit that gives us confidence that the market will turn up again in 2025. Together, we can continue pedaling towards a brighter, more connected future.
Here’s to a successful year ahead and to all the exciting possibilities that 2025 will bring. Let’s keep making cycling the smartest and safest choice for everyone.
