Tandem wants to democratize the company bike - Interview

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Arthur De Jerphanion and Nicolas Delcourt co-founded Tandem in 2020. The startup offers a turnkey bike rental service for businesses.

Tandem 's goal: to democratize the company bike. The origins of the project, the challenges faced, the plans for the future... We take stock with Arthur, whose ambition is to make cycling a mass means of transport for all French people.

How did the idea for Tandem come about?

In my previous jobs, I had company cars that stayed in the garage almost 90% of the time. They were neither suited to my lifestyle, nor in line with my ecological convictions. With my partner Nicolas Delcourt, we realized that, in contrast to company cars, companies offered reimbursement for public transport passes. But between the two, nothing was being offered to encourage soft and active mobility. We then looked at what was being done in other European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, where the practice is highly developed. We decided that there was clearly something to be done in France to democratize cycling.

You talk about ecological aspirations. Was there a trigger that led you to make a slightly greener transition?

It came gradually into my everyday life and my personal convictions. But when I wanted to start my own business, I knew I wanted to do it with a strong impact orientation. When we started looking at the transport sector, one figure stood out for me: 32% of our CO2 emissions come from transport, making it the leading sector in terms of CO2 emissions. Half of these emissions come from our private cars. So, contrary to what we might think, we can have an impact, at an individual level, by reducing or cancelling car use.

Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, it came gradually. My previous jobs were in intrapreneurship. I worked in the food industry for an American group and then in a startup called "prêt à pousser" where I was in charge of the commercial side. I've always been interested in testing new things rather than building on established things and making them grow. I spent 7 years as a salaried employee before starting my own business.

Why cycling? Because you saw a need or because you're passionate about cycling?

I used public transport for a long time. But the moment I switched to a bicycle, I asked myself why I hadn't done it all my life. It was a bit of a wake-up call. In France, cycling isn't very popular. There are two main ways of doing it: either you take your bike on vacation, in flip-flops to go to the beach in summer, or you wear lycra and climb Mont Ventoux on a racing bike. There wasn't much in between. On a personal level, I realized that on a daily basis, cycling made my life easier: I was more efficient, faster, more dynamic... because I was physically active.

Are the French cycling more than they used to?

Yes, there's been a strong acceleration in the bicycle market since Covid. Many initiatives and infrastructures have been developed in major cities. However, France is still lagging far behind other European countries. The overall number of daily bicycle trips is 4%, whereas in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, it's between 12 and 15%. So, while the pace of change is certainly accelerating, there's still a lot of work to be done.

How does Tandem work?

After observing our European neighbors, we realized that the democratization of cycling has largely taken place via the corporate sector. That's why we've developed a turnkey bike rental solution for companies. Everyone is free to choose the bike of their choice (urban, family, city...) and each bike is insured, serviced and delivered with its accessories right to the office. We also organize a short training course on bike handling and road safety. We try to take the company and its employees by the hand, to encourage them to get on their bikes. We really believe that it's through this lever of services that we can really encourage people to switch from the car to the bike. As the culture of cycling is not very well developed in France, we need to support companies and employees and remove all the obstacles.

On your social networks and in your communications, do you popularize and educate people about cycling?

Yes, completely, because we're convinced thatcycling has to be made attractive. In the same way that car advertisements talk about freedom, highlighting the benefits of owning a car... We need to make cycling attractive. Today, as players in the bicycle industry, we also have a role to play in popularizing the practice and removing the mental brakes: How do you ride a bike in the rain? How do you ride a bike when it's cold? How do you carry out minor repairs? These are just some of the mental barriers that can arise when you're unfamiliar with cycling, and which are actually quite simple to solve.

How did the Tandem story begin?

Initially, there were 2 of us, along with my partner Nicolas. We quickly decided to set up the offer and test it with small and medium-sized businesses. Let's face it, no one wants to be the first customer - that's a bit of a worry when you're starting out. By approaching small businesses, we were able to test the offer, see if there was any interest, modify and improve certain things, and fine-tune the service. It was important to test with small companies before working with larger groups. We wouldn't have been able to convince large groups if we didn't already have bikes in circulation.

Who are these major groups?

M6, Doctolib, Crédit Agricole, Kronenbourg, Michelin... We have just about every customer profile, from very small businesses to large corporations. We don't just target large companies, and our aim is not just to build very large fleets. We think that if we're going to democratize cycling, we need to target all types of company.

In concrete terms, I'm a company and I come to see Tandem: how does it work?

It all starts with an HR or CSR initiative. It's the company that decides to offer this service to its employees. We use a kit to present the scheme to employees. For those who are ready to take the plunge, once the bikes have been delivered to the office, we take care of the follow-up and management directly with the employees.

So customer service is fundamental to your business?

Customer service and support are key. We have an in-house team and local partners for greater responsiveness, particularly in bike repair and maintenance. When you change the habits of someone who has made the effort to give up their car for part of their journey, if the quality of service isn't up to scratch, it's someone you're going to lose.

Tandem is 4 years old. What have been the major milestones?

Moving from small businesses to large groups has enabled us to change scale. From an organizational and logistical point of view, delivering and deploying fleets of 100 bikes is completely different from doing it for 5 bikes. It's also been beneficial in terms of brand awareness. There's a mirror effect. When certain large groups take the plunge, others follow. Deploying our service nationwide was another important step. We had to find a network of partners.

What's next for Tandem?

We're currently raising funds via the Sowefund platform. We've opened up our capital to everyone. The entry ticket starts at 1000 euros. This is an important step for us. To continue to grow and finance our growth and acceleration, but also to find ambassadors throughout France. Acquiring a stake in Tandem will encourage shareholders to offer the service to their companies and, more broadly, to spread the word. This in turn will raise our profile.

Next, we're going to continue our roll-out. We are currently present in the major metropolises. We now want to expand into rural areas and medium-sized towns and small cities. Many of our customers have factories in rural areas, and we want to be able to equip them and offer their employees an alternative to the car. Especially as there is little public transport in these areas.

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