In this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, Prabin Joel Jones sits down with Tomi Viiala, former CEO of Stromer, to talk about building one of the most distinctive premium e-bike brands in the world and his next, far more ambitious project: Viiala. Tomi spent more than a decade at Stromer, helping take the Swiss speed-pedelec company from startup to an international brand operating across 25 countries. During that journey, Stromer pushed e-bike pricing from around €5,000 into the €10,000+ range, pioneered connected bikes, and built an unusually loyal community around the riding experience rather than individual components. We discuss why Stromer succeeded in creating a premium category, why Belgium became one of the world's strongest markets for speed pedelecs, why Germany has struggled to achieve the same adoption, and what Tomi learned about brand, pricing, distribution, product quality and protecting resale value. Then we get into what comes next. Together with former Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, Tomi is building Viiala, a new company developing what it calls a hyperbike. The first bike is expected to start at around €30,000, with a new motor system, battery technology, advanced electronics, V2X connectivity, integrated safety systems and a connected helmet ecosystem. Rather than designing a bike to hit a predetermined price point, the team is taking the opposite approach: engineer the system they want first and determine the price afterwards. Viiala also plans to source around 90% of its components from Europe, manufacture its carbon frames in Slovakia, assemble the bikes in Europe and initially produce only around 300–500 units of its first hyperbike. We talk about: • How Stromer created a cult following around speed pedelecs• Why getting customers on a test ride was more important than talking about price• Building a brand instead of selling Shimano, Bosch or other component specifications• Why Stromer avoided model years and heavy discounting• How premium pricing helped protect second-hand values• Why Belgium became such a successful speed-pedelec market• The regulatory barriers holding speed pedelecs back in Germany• Tomi's biggest lessons from more than a decade at Stromer• Why Viiala is building the brand before revealing the bike• The thinking behind a €30,000 hyperbike• Developing a proprietary motor, battery and technology platform• Bringing automotive-style safety technology to two wheels• Why Viiala wants to manufacture and assemble in Europe• Whether ultra-luxury bicycles can become a category like luxury cars and watches• Viiala's plans for more accessible commuter and urban models• The roadmap toward the first customer deliveries
