John-Pierre Hardy

Who is Viiala? What do we want to achieve ? Viiala is a Swiss-based mobility company redefining what cycling stands for: from one option among many to the option people actively choose. Viiala wants to challenge and disrupt the cycling industry and this with R&D hubs in Switzerland and Dubai, Viiala is building the next generation of premium e-bikes — engineered with 95% of components sourced from Europe and the USA, and planning to assemble in Europe. As cities grow more congested and riders demand more safety, efficient power management, range, design, and digital integration, Viiala challenges the status quo with a bold vision: no shortcuts, no compromises — only absolute performance and trust. “Our competition isn’t other bike brands—it’s every other option you could take and still choose to bike.” Unveiled in 2025 as part of the Honourable Merchants Group and launching its inaugural bikes in 2028, Viiala’s first model enters a new, untapped price point above today’s market. More than an e-bike, it is a statement of possibility — where engineering, aesthetics, and purpose converge to create the ultimate riding experience for the cities of today and the roads of tomorrow. who is behind the brand? Two heavyweights from completely different sectors are joining forces in a new bicycle brand: Viiala. Former Stromer Co-CEO Tomi Viiala and François-Henri Bennahmias, former CEO of watch brand Audemars Piguet. Together, they want to reinvent the e-bike with radical new technology, high performance. follow our journey on www.viiala.com or viialabike at TikTok, Instagram, Facebook #ebike #brand #crossover #car #innovation

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The Soul-Sucking Acquisition Congratulations, you bought a brand for all the right reasons! Innovative. Trend leader. Great Community. Now please… stop killing it. Here’s how it usually goes: A big company or group swoops in, buys a cult brand because of their energy, connection with a strong community, and celebrates the “synergies.” Then, almost immediately, they forget why they bought it in the first place. The magic? The soul? The community? Ignored? Instead, they zero in on efficiency and accelerated growth: Cut the people who are the brand. Swap authenticity for spreadsheets. Replace the zealots with middle managers. Trade in the garage band for a cover band. The problem is, those people weren’t just employees. They were a part of the soul of the business. They knew the vision. They were the community. Without them, the brand isn’t the same — no matter how pretty the logo looks on a bigger balance sheet. And here’s the kicker: when you lose the soul, you lose the early adopters, hard core, and the die-hard fans. The leaders. The tastemakers. The reason the brand mattered in the first place. What you’re left with is a watered-down version chasing third and fourth-tier users… while the core community quietly walks away. The brand goes from magic to meh, on a palette at Costco. The good thing is, there is a way to do both. Acquire and keep the soul. You just have to try. Truth Bomb: Cutting the soul to save money is like pulling out the engine to make a car lighter. Sure, it’s efficient — but don’t act shocked when it doesn’t go anywhere. — Unsolicited Advice from a Creative Overachiever

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👟 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸? 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁. Their latest earnings report is one of the most interesting turnaround stories in retail right now, showing the first real signs of life after a long slump. For the first time since February 2024, Nike is growing again. The Q1 results (August quarter) delivered some major wins: • 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘄 +𝟭% to $11.7B (a massive $710M beat). • 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 +𝟳% as Nike mends its retail partnerships. • The crucial 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟬%. But this race is far from over. Major challenges remain: • 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 continues to struggle, with sales falling another 9%. • 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 (their own digital sales) is still declining (-4%). • 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳𝘀 are now a looming $1.5 billion annualized headwind, pressuring margins. Nike's forecast for Q2 (November quarter) is for another sales decline, confirming this recovery will be a 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁. The progress in running and wholesale is promising, but the headwinds in China and digital are real. A classic case of "green shoots" amid the challenges. What's your take on Nike's turnaround strategy? 👇 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀. https://lnkd.in/gw-dQrgz 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Join 𝟮𝟰𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ subscribers reading 📊 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.

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