Dutch Sport Tech
Fund participation
Link My Ride is growing
rapidly and discovering
new revenue models

Link My Ride, a portfolio company of Dutch Sport Tech Fund, saw the number of new users increase by about 50 percent each month over the past year. The startup also discovered new and unexpected revenue models. This is according to former professional cyclist Jacques Sauvagnargues, CEO and co-founder of this cycling app. In this interview, he talks about the ambitions, strategy, and growth opportunities of Link My Ride.

Founders Jacques Sauvagnargues and Tom Pidcock want to grow Link My Ride into an app as large and impactful as Strava, which has over one hundred million users. In a previous interview, they called Dutch Sport Tech Fund the perfect match for their growth ambitions. Through the Link My Ride app, cyclists can connect with other cyclists so they can ride beautiful routes together. Link My Ride therefore focuses on the so-called pre-ride, the experience before the bike ride. They are the only app that focuses on this.

“The past year went exceptionally well. Tom and I have learned a lot about entrepreneurship and how we can further develop the company. It is a challenge to grow the number of users, but we have found a dedicated group of users that continues to expand. The numbers really speak for themselves. The app now has 22,000 users, of which 12,000 are active monthly, and 45,000 people participate in rides through our app. Every month, the number of new users even grows by 50 percent.”

“That is due to a combination of the following factors: a good product, the right network, and ambassadors with a relevant reach (network). Over the past year, we have come into contact with many people who work at leading brands or who have a broad network of cyclists behind them. Our product appeals to them because it brings cyclists together in a new way. We are the only app that focuses on the pre-ride, the moment before cycling. We believe that cycling is a social sport and have developed the app to bring cyclists together. That is what sets us apart.”

“Of course, Tom Pidcock is involved as a co-founder and ambassador for the app, that goes without saying. In addition, we are very pleased that we have managed to secure South African cyclists Ryan Gibbons and Daryl Impey as ambassadors. Female athlete and gravel racer Tiffany Cromwell has also become an ambassador for Link My Ride. We mainly know Valtteri Bottas as a Formula 1 driver, but he is also a talented cyclist. He has millions of followers, who fortunately are also interested in cycling.”

“Actually, yes. At first, we focused only on cycling clubs, but that turned out not to be the fastest growth strategy. We are now also targeting brands, because that way even more cyclists are able to find their way to Link My Ride. We discovered that brands are looking for opportunities to organize branded cycling rides: a bike ride in the name of a brand. This turned out to be a new revenue model, something we hadn’t expected at all, but it’s proving to be a new growth strategy. In the meantime, Castelli (Girona), POC, Basso Bikes, and Sturdy have participated in this. We are always open to brands in the cycling domain or brands that want to connect with our community to organize branded rides; they can contact us for this.”

“I regularly consult with the experts at Dutch Sport Tech Fund and I’m happy about that. I present ideas to them and appreciate the feedback they provide, as it is useful and constructive. The fund also facilitates introductions to companies we want to collaborate with, which creates growth opportunities. In addition, the fund has relationships with other people in the sports world who can be of help, so there is real synergy. One plus one makes three together.”

“We notice that individual cyclists still find it difficult to create a ride themselves, rather than joining an existing cycling ride. So, we want to encourage them to organize their own cycling rides. We also see many opportunities in branded rides, so we are focusing even more on that. In the coming years, we will collaborate with more brands and leading organizations and further develop the Link My Ride app. We work on this every day. I look forward to growing the company even further and bringing even more cyclists together.”

Download the Link My Ride app via the Apple or Google app store.