What Human Powered Solutions does

Human Powered Solutions (HPS) is a privately-held U.S. consulting firm founded in 2018 that provides expert advisory services to the bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery industries. The firm is led by Jay Townley (Founding Partner & Resident Futurist, nearly seven decades of industry experience, former Schwinn executive) and Mike Fritz (Founding Partner & CTO, started at Schwinn in 1973, former VP of Product Development at EV Global Motors under Lee Iacocca), with Steve Bina serving as Senior Advisor. HPS targets four primary customer types: OEMs and importers (regulatory compliance, risk management, product safety), insurers (risk assessment on e-bike and lithium-ion battery products, recall strategy), law firms (expert witness and technical counsel for product liability litigation), and specialty bicycle retailers (safety policy, compliance, and business planning, often via NBDA collaboration).

The firm delivers five core consulting services — Investigate and Defend, Safety Policy and Education, Comply with Regulations, Business Planning, and Retail Dealer Programs — supplemented by the HPS Bicycle Business Reporter newsletter, a complimentary one-hour virtual consultation, and a members-only video content library. HPS differentiates through direct participation in standards-setting bodies including SAE International and UL Solutions, as well as affiliations with NBDA, PeopleForBikes, LEVA, and NFPA. The business model is professional services: project-based engagements with no publicly disclosed pricing, complemented by content marketing and association referrals as the primary demand-generation channels. The firm operates as a facilitator that assembles and manages expert teams tailored to each client engagement rather than scaling a large internal workforce.

Name

Human Powered Solutions

Legal name

Human Powered Solutions

Website

https://humanpoweredsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Human Powered Solutions is a U.S. consulting firm that advises bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery OEMs, importers, insurers, and law firms on regulatory compliance, product safety, liability defense, and business strategy, led by senior industry veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bicycle and E-bike Industry Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting (BPAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Bicycle industry consulting
• E-bike regulatory compliance
• Lithium-ion battery safety
• Product liability defense
• Micromobility advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyndon Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: HPS provides expert consulting services to OEMs, importers, insurers, and legal teams in the bicycle and micromobility industries. Services include regulatory compliance advisory, product safety policy development, accident claim investigation, product liability litigation defense, and business planning. Revenue is generated through professional service engagements with clients seeking expert counsel on e-bikes, lithium-ion batteries, and compliance matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Human Powered Solutions is a consulting facilitation firm that assembles and manages teams of experts to serve the bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery industries. Its core offerings center on five professional service lines: Investigate and Defend (accident claim investigation and product liability litigation defense), Safety Policy and Education (development of product safety policies and education campaigns), Comply with Regulations (navigation of U.S. bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery regulations including CPSC, UL, and SAE standards), Business Planning (strategic consulting for post-pandemic market uncertainty), and Retail Dealer Programs (development and execution of dealer policies and programs for distribution, marketing, sales, safety, and product end-of-life). Supporting deliverables include the HPS Bicycle Business Reporter newsletter and members-only video content.

Product overview

Human Powered Solutions is a consulting facilitation service that assembles and manages expert teams to help businesses navigate the bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery industries. The company offers five core consulting services: Investigate and Defend (accident claims investigation and product liability defense), Safety Policy and Education (safety protocol development), Comply with Regulations (regulatory navigation), Business Planning (strategic consulting), and Retail Dealer Programs (distribution and sales policy development). Additional offerings include the HPS Bicycle Business Reporter newsletter, complimentary virtual consultations, and exclusive Members Only video content. The company partners with industry experts Jay Townley (Founding Partner & Resident Futurist) and Mike Fritz (Founding Partner & CTO) to deliver specialized expertise in regulatory compliance, battery safety, recalls, and market strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HPS Bicycle Business Reporter: Company's principal industry newsletter covering tariffs, regulations, and market trends in the bicycle and e-bike industry

Products and services

• Investigate and Defend Services Investigation and defense services for bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion accident claims, including preparation and defense against product liability litigation and management of potential recalls. Targeted at OEMs, importers, insurers, and legal teams facing product liability exposure.
• Safety Policy and Education Services Development and management of bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery product safety workplace, residential, and multi-occupancy policies, protocols, and education campaigns. Delivered to OEMs, distributors, retailers, and other stakeholders.
• Comply with Regulations Services Navigation and compliance assistance with U.S. bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery regulations, including CPSC, UL, and SAE requirements. Delivered to OEMs, importers, and manufacturers needing regulatory clarity.
• Business Planning Services Strategic consulting to assist clients in charting a course of action through the uncertainty and disruptions of the post-pandemic era for their bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery business.
• Retail Dealer Programs Services Development and execution of retail dealer policies and programs for bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery distribution, marketing, sales, safety, and product end-of-life. Targeted at OEMs, importers, and retail dealer networks.
• Complimentary Virtual Consultation One-hour virtual consultation service offered to help businesses understand industry challenges and opportunities in the bicycle, e-bike, and lithium-ion battery sectors. Functions as the firm's primary lead-generation mechanism.
• Members Only Video Content Exclusive video content library for members covering topics such as bike shop business improvement and the future of bicycle retail. Targeted at specialty bicycle dealers and industry professionals.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPS maintains an active partnership with NBDA, collaborating on safety initiatives and retailer education. Jay Townley serves as principal writer of the NBDA News Hour podcast. The partnership involves joint educational programming, webinar participation, and content collaboration for the specialty bicycle retail community.
• PeopleForBikesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an industry affiliation on HPS website. PeopleForBikes is a leading bicycle advocacy organization working to make riding safer and more accessible.
• SAE InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationMike Fritz contributes to SAE committee work on e-bike systems and batteries, helping develop technical standards for the micromobility industry.
• UL SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationMike Fritz participates in UL committee work on e-bike systems and batteries. HPS has collaborated with UL on CPSC regulations and UL voluntary e-bike and lithium-ion battery standards.
• LEVA (Light Electric Vehicle Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an industry affiliation. HPS partner Mike Fritz was inducted into the LEVA E-Bike Hall of Fame.
• NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an industry affiliation. NFPA develops codes and standards related to battery safety and fire prevention relevant to lithium-ion battery products.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification firm with consumer products and mobility compliance services. Comparable to HPS's regulatory and safety advisory work, with significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• UL Solutions: Global safety science and standards organization, also a direct HPS partner. Provides UL standards compliance and advisory for e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries, directly competing with HPS's regulatory compliance service line.
• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification provider with advisory services for consumer products including e-bikes and batteries. Comparable to HPS on regulatory navigation, though much broader in scope and geographic reach.
• RINA: Global certification, testing, and engineering consulting firm with mobility and battery sector services. Comparable to HPS on regulatory advisory and product safety, though horizontally diversified across industries.
• Element Materials Technology: Global testing and certification partner for consumer and industrial products, including battery and e-mobility testing. Comparable to HPS on safety and compliance validation, with much broader testing infrastructure.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, certification, and regulatory advisory firm with active e-mobility and battery testing programs. Comparable to HPS's regulatory compliance work, but at global scale and across many product categories.

Direct peers

• Engineering Design & Testing: Forensic engineering and consulting firm providing accident reconstruction, product failure analysis, and expert testimony. Comparable in business model and expert witness delivery to HPS's bicycle and e-bike defense practice.
• Rimkus: Engineering consulting and expert services firm supporting insurance and legal clients with product failure and accident investigations. Directly comparable to HPS's insurance and law firm engagements on e-bike and battery incidents.
• Exponent: Engineering and scientific consulting firm with a large expert witness practice supporting product liability litigation. Highly comparable to HPS's Investigate and Defend service line, though operating across many industries rather than specializing in micromobility.

Emerging players

• Affirm Consulting: Bicycle and outdoor industry business consulting firm serving retailers, suppliers, and advocacy organizations. Comparable to HPS's Business Planning and Retail Dealer Programs services within the same cycling niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL2_lUNVqsVGJbZmHLuyFCuZGBIN-GudUZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-powered-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Human Powered Solutions