2022: A Year In Review

A Look Back at 2022

A Year in Review
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E-bikes are becoming increasingly popular as electric transport transitions from a niche hobby to a serious contender. With growing awareness of environmental issues, sustainability is more than just a trend—it’s a commitment to reducing our ecological footprint. Plus, they’re convenient, efficient, healthy, and cost-effective—doesn’t that sound like the dream?

In this interview with Daniel Tonkopiy, CEO of Ukrainian electric bike company Delfast, we delve into his inspiring journey of founding and building an electric bike that broke a Guinness World Record and remains unmatched to this day. So grab a seat—we’re about to dive in.

Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to start an e-bike company?

Not really. It didn’t happen all at once. Back in 2014, I founded a courier company with the vision of delivering goods from online stores faster than pizza delivery. We managed to deliver smartphones and laptops within an hour in Kyiv. That’s how the company got its name—Delfast, meaning “We Deliver Fast.” Initially, we used electric bikes for deliveries, but customers kept stopping by our station to inquire about purchasing them. Some days, we’d get 15-20 such inquiries, so much so that we had to post a sign: “We Do Not Sell Electric Bikes! We Are a Courier Company.” At that point, starting an e-bike company was the last thing on my mind.

But eventually, we decided, “Why turn these people away? Let’s give it a shot!” A few years later, after selling the courier business, we transitioned into Delfast, the e-bike company. And that’s how it all began.

What were the biggest challenges at the start of your journey?

Our first electric bikes for couriers could barely manage 30 miles on a single charge, which was far from sufficient since couriers typically cover around 130 miles daily. After testing various models from different manufacturers, we found that none of them met our needs. So, we decided to design our own bikes that could truly stand out.

Step by step, we developed an electric bike that outperformed all others globally. In 2017, we set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled on a single battery charge—a staggering 235 miles without pedaling. That record still hasn’t been broken.

By the way, the previous record was just 50 miles.

Even amidst a challenging year, Delfast launched a new model. What inspired you?

The idea for the new bike model came from our employees. Our sales team in Los Angeles informed us: “This is the type of electric bike people are asking for in the market. This is exactly what they need.” Meanwhile, our engineers in Ukraine said, “We can’t just stay cooped up in bomb shelters all day in fear of airstrikes. We want to work, innovate, and create.”

Normally, creating a new motorcycle or e-bike takes 2-3 years. From concept to production, we did it in just 8 months. This was only possible because our entire team poured all their energy, passion, and dedication into making it perfect—the dream e-bike, exactly what people wanted and what we ourselves would love to ride. Since this model was inspired by California, we named it the “Delfast California.”

The whole world is standing with Ukraine right now. How has the war impacted your team and operations?

War is, of course, not an ideal environment for running a business. Many team members have lost their homes, and some have lost loved ones. Russian terrorists continue to target electricity generation facilities with missile strikes, leaving our Ukrainian office with only 3-4 hours of connectivity each day. The rest of the time, there’s no electricity, no internet, no water, and no heating during winter. It’s tough, but we urge everyone to support Ukraine. You don’t have to buy our bikes, but any Ukrainian product helps. If you can, donate, or send power generators and charging stations to Ukraine. Support our fight for independence.

Ironically, these extreme conditions have brought our team closer together. They’ve highlighted risks and opportunities for growth. Work has become our motivation, a source of pride and purpose. We know victory is near, and despite everything, we raised the necessary funds on IGG within the first 24 hours.

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Never give up.

Gone with the Wind was rejected by 38 publishers.
Angry Birds was the 52nd game by the Finnish studio Rovio.
Henry Ford lost every race until he was 60.
Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, once said, “Give 99 defeats for every victory.”
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb after 11,000 failed experiments.
Michael Jordan missed the basket over 9,000 times.

Mistakes and failures are part of the process. It’s not shameful to fail—it’s shameful not to try. It’s even worse to stay down when you’ve fallen. Never, ever, ever give up!

What are your plans for 2023?

Just three goals:

  1. Boost our bike sales by at least threefold.
  2. Start assembling and producing bikes in the U.S.
  3. Defeat the Russian terrorists once and for all!

You’re a proud Ukrainian startup. How do you support Ukrainians?

Since the war began, we’ve been equipping our troops with electric bikes. For this purpose, we added features like a pendulum, footrests, a different controller, and a more powerful motor wheel to meet the needs of our fighters. The modified TOP 3.0 bestseller was given to our air reconnaissance units at the heart of the conflict, proving invaluable in combat due to its quiet operation, long range, off-road capability, ease of use, and high payload capacity.

Additionally, we donated 5% of our sales to Ukraine’s armed forces to purchase essential supplies like advanced sights, food, and winter uniforms. Every team member is proud to have contributed to this cause, and some of us are serving on the frontlines as well. It’s something we take immense pride in.

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