Beryl bikes secures £2m to fund new manufacturing hub in Poole

Beryl, the Poole-based micro-mobility firm, has secured £2 million funding to fuel its next stage of growth.

The funding, provided by Frontier Development Capital’s (FDC) Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative Recycled Fund (AMSCI), will be used to create a new manufacturing hub in Poole, along with creating new jobs, apprenticeships and opportunities.

Currently the only UK-based micro-mobility provider to design and develop its own technology, this allows the B-Corp registered company to reduce its carbon footprint by removing the need for mass overseas transport.

The new hub will further the development of Beryl’s e-bike/e-scooter connected technology. This provides each vehicle with a self-contained suite of onboard sensors to alert Beryl to the real-time status of the rider and the vehicle.

Philip Ellis, CEO and founder of Beryl, said: “This investment is crucial in helping Beryl build upon the success we have already had in encouraging more people to take up sustainable travel options, reducing harmful carbon emissions and traffic congestion while improving air quality and public health.

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"We’ve led the industry in the development and deployment of connected technologies that keep riders and pedestrians safe while also managing the deployment of our bikes. As more electric-powered bikes and scooters launch, we find that off-the-shelf products do not meet the standards that both we and our customers expect.

"That is why it’s crucial that we meet the challenge of the constantly evolving micro-mobility sector, by developing and producing the next generation of electric vehicles such as our new e-bike.

"We’re already recognised for meeting exceptional standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, and the investment will also allow us to take this to the next level by boosting our UK manufacturing capacity and contributing to UK industry.”

Andy Green, investment manager at Frontier Development Capital, said: “Beryl is a true UK success story and a business with a clear mission. The team has continued to adapt, growing from an accessories brand to a leading manufacturer and tech firm that’s meeting a real demand for sustainable travel across the country.

"It’s this commitment that has led to its success over the past decade, and the team’s ambitions for the future make it perfectly placed for FDC’s AMSCI funding. We look forward to seeing the Beryl team apply the funding to R&D of its products and manufacturing capabilities over the coming years.”

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