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From the boxer engine to ebikes – Porsche become the majority stakeholder in Greyp Bikes

26.11.2021
by Rudolf Fischer

Porsche have taken an unusual step for a sports car company and acquired the majority stake in the Croatian ebike and technology specialists, Greyp Bikes. What does this mean for the future of the two companies? We’ve summarised everything you need to know.

On December 18, Porsche will officially own the majority stake in the innovative ebike brand, Greyp. In 2018, the German sports car manufacturers acquired a minority stake of around 10% in the Croatian ebike and technology company via their investment division, Porsche Ventures. The deal came about when Porsche bought into Rimac Automobili, Greyp’s parent company. Now Porsche are taking it one step further by securing a majority stake in Greyp Bikes, tapping into the potential of the ebike sector via the software and battery specialists. While both companies are still waiting for the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities, it’s already been made clear that Greyp Bikes’ management won’t be restructured after the Porsche takeover. As such, Greyp will still be led by company founder Mate Rimac and Greyp CEO Krešimir Hlede.

Instead of gasoline, you’ll find electricity flowing through the veins of Mate Rimac. The E-mobility pioneer isn’t just the founder of the Croatian hypercar company Rimac Automobili but also the brains behind Greyp Bikes.

In a statement on the takeover made by company founder Mate Rimac, there is mention of a big project, though without revealing any details:
„I have always believed that Greyp has the potential to be a hugely successful, world-class company and one of the leaders of the industry. I am super proud of the Greyp team, led by Krešimir Hlede, and what they have built over the last 7 years. The 100-people strong team has undoubtedly created the most connected and technologically advanced e-bikes on the market, set up series production in Sveta Nedelja and shipped bikes all over the world. At the same time, Greyp has been in the shadow of Rimac and could never flourish in its full potential. Now, we are starting an exciting new chapter in the company’s history – with Porsche buying the majority stake in Greyp. This will be the seed for something great and big, but we’ll talk about that another time. Greyp will have a very strong and growing presence in Croatia. We want to do big things, otherwise Porsche and us would not be doing this.“

It remains to be seen whether Porsche will dive headfirst into the ebike business with this investment or simply supplement their brand with a suitable micro-mobility solution. We’re excited to see what will result from the cooperation between Porsche and Greyp and will keep you posted. Until then, we’ve got some interesting reading material in our collection of articles about the two companies to pass the time.

From the king of connectivity to the king of trekking? You can read our review of the Greyp T5.2 E-trekking bike here.
Mind over Matter – We asked Mate Rimac and Greyp CEO Krešimir Hlede whether software is outpacing hardware in ebikes. You can read the interview here.
For a detailed behind-the-scenes look at Greyp Bikes and our first ride review of the Greyp G6 eMTB, presented in 2019, check out the article here.
Porsche have previously ventured into the ebike sector on their own. In our sister magazine, DOWNTOWN, we take a closer look at two ebikes from Porsche (read the article here).
We also put the new Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo to the test for you in our sister magazine, DOWNTOWN. Hype or future? The new Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo in review.
Porsche and Greyp have already worked together on the Cyklær E-gravel bike. It emerged from a collaboration between Porsche Digital, Storck, FAZUA and, of course, Greyp. The E-gravel bike features front and rear cameras with streaming capability, as you’ll find on Greyp ebikes. Check out our sister magazine, DOWNTOWN, for a closer look at the urban E-gravel bike in our Eurobike 2021 highlights.

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Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Various

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About the author

Rudolf Fischer

In his previous life Rudolf was a dab hand at promoting innovation, putting his brain behind big-ticket patent assessments that easily ran into six-or-seven-plus figures. These days, the self-confessed data nerd’s role as editor at DOWNTOWN and E-MOUNTAINBIKE is no less exciting. Given his specialism in connectivity, Rudolf’s often placed on the front line of future mobility conversations, but he’s also big into testing new bikes–both on the daily as a committed commuter and intensively for our group tests. The business economist graduate is as versatile as a Swiss penknife, and that’s no hyperbole. Away from two wheels, his background in parkour means he’s a master of front, side and backflips, plus he speaks German, English, French, Russian and a touch of Esperanto. Japanese remains woefully unmastered, despite his best home-learning attempts. Good to know: Rudolf’s sharp tongue has made him a figure of fear in the office, where he’s got a reputation for flexing a dry wittiness à la Ricky Gervais... interestingly, he's usually the one laughing hardest.