STILRIDE raises funds for e-bike made with ‘industrial origami’

The manufacturing technique sees robots fold single sheets of steel into intricate, lightweight and durable new structures. The process is being used to create the chassis and body for a fleet of next-generation e-motorcycles that will be made available to consumers in Europe later this year.

This £2.5m seed round was joined by angels and private investors including Gustaf Hagman, Saeid Esmaeilizadeh, Sam Bonnier and Andreas Adler. 

“Their green steel production technique STILFOLD is groundbreaking and there are endless application areas, this is just the beginning,” said Hagman, a serial entrepreneur, business angel and investor.

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STILFOLD was developed by Tue Beijer and Jonas Nyvang who are using the method to ‘reimagine how high-performance electric-mobility products are manufactured and distributed’ using steelwork, advanced robotics and bold design.

The funding will be used to bring the start-up’s first product - Sport Utility Scooter One (SUS1) - to market. The SUS1 is constructed by folding sheets of stainless steel over curves, which requires fewer raw materials and reduces labour costs. Compared to a traditional scooter, the SUS1 is said to require 70 per cent fewer components, drives a 25 per cent reduction in labour costs and a 20 per cent reduction in material costs.