“A richer life to me means working on some of the biggest challenges our planet is facing. It’s about creating opportunities to make a difference.”
Photo: VanMoof
An entrepreneur and cleantech innovator.
Taco Carlier co-founded VanMoof, a leading e-bike manufacturer, with his brother Ties in 2009, with the aim of creating the perfect city bike for commuting. With a background in industrial design, Taco has applied his unique experience to redefining urban mobility. By making revolutionary changes to the basic design of the e-bike, including integrating technologies to combat bike theft, headwinds and temperature extremes, Taco and his brother have ensured that their company has been at the forefront of the recent growth of the e-bike industry. Among their achievements was to produce the first smart connected e-bike on the market, and its successors continue to win awards for their novel, integrated design. This commitment to innovation has made VanMoof one of Europe’s fastest growing companies that, under Taco’s stewardship as CEO, has opened brand stores across the world, from New York to Tokyo.
As CEO of VanMoof, Taco has balanced profit with purpose, aiming to make e-biking a transportation option that is available to all. Through the company’s stated aim of ‘getting the next billion on bikes’, Taco and VanMoof are facilitating a global shift in the transportation sector that will make cities greener and healthier spaces to live.