Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH Reorganized Through Management Buy-Out

The Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH is now the Bio-Hybrid GmbH. The previous managing director Gerald Vollnhals and the venture builder meisterwerk ventures GmbH take over Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH. All jobs in Nuremberg and Munich will be retained. Series production of the Bio-Hybrid is set to begin in 2021.

(Herzogenaurach) The globally active automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has today signed a purchase agreement with Micromobility services and solutions GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of meisterwerk ventures GmbH, through which the Schaeffler Group sells all shares in Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH.

Transaction Not Subject to Antitrust Law

Behind meisterwerk ventures GmbH are five venture capital shareholders, including the company of Gerald Vollnhals, the current managing director of Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH. Mr. Vollnhals will continue to act as managing director of the company, which will henceforth operate as Bio-Hybrid GmbH. The corporate appearance surrounding the brand “Bio-Hybrid” will remain. The financial details of the transaction have been kept confidential. The closing of the transaction, which does not require antitrust approval, will take place shortly. The Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH has been working since the end of 2017 on the development of a four-wheeled pedelec called Bio-Hybrid. The vehicle combines the freedom and maneuverability of a bicycle with the transport volume and weather protection of a small car. It is powered by a combination of human power and electric motor and can be operated without a driver’s license on bike paths. The company, which was founded as a start-up within the Schaeffler Group, has locations in Nuremberg and Munich.

Start of Series Production in Q2/2021

Gerald Vollnhals said: “We thank Schaeffler for their support on the way to series production, which we want to start in the second quarter of 2021. We are particularly pleased that all jobs will be retained as part of the change of ownership. Our excellent team will work even more closely with our key partners and suppliers. This way, we will keep our foot on the gas and aim to sell a four-digit number of Bio-Hybrids in 2021. We would like to start the reservation phase later this year.” Uwe Wagner, Board Member for Research and Development at Schaeffler AG, commented: “The joint development of the Bio-Hybrid was a very exciting project, where all participants learned a lot. We are pleased to have paved the way for this promising concept into a successful future. The new company will be able to act even more agilely and drive series production more purposefully, independent of the Schaeffler Group.”

About Bio-Hybrid GmbH

Bio-Hybrid GmbH is a German tech start-up that rethinks and sustainably shapes the future of mobility. For less smog, more smartness, and more quality of life. With around 25 employees at the locations in Nuremberg and Munich, the company is preparing for the planned series launch of the covered pedelec Bio-Hybrid in mid-2021. In its variants Passenger, Cargo, and Pick-up, the new mobility concept fills the gap between bicycle and car. The idea of Bio-Hybrid was presented in 2016 as a vision for individual transport in urban areas by Schaeffler. In November 2017, the automotive and industrial supplier founded Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH to develop the Bio-Hybrid to series maturity. After the sale of the company, it has been operating under the umbrella of meisterwerk ventures GmbH outside the Schaeffler Group since October 2020.

About meisterwerk ventures GmbH

meisterwerk ventures GmbH is a venture builder based in Berlin. Founded in 2016, the company specializes in building businesses in medical technology and e-mobility. Behind meisterwerk ventures GmbH is a team of experienced inventors and technologists who develop innovative technical solutions with disruptive thinking and versatile engineering know-how. Portfolio companies include midge medical GmbH, which is working on a novel technology for mobile COVID-19 gene tests, AICURA medical GmbH, which is developing an AI-based health platform for doctors and clinics, and Micromobility services and solutions GmbH, which includes Bio-Hybrid GmbH.
Photo: © Bio-Hybrid / Title image: Bio-Hybrid GmbH is also planning a cargo variant as a pick-up or box (in the picture)
www.bio-hybrid.de    www.schaeffler.de