Nihola France

What Nihola France does

Nihola France (legal entity OMNICYCLES SARL) designs, manufactures, and distributes cargo triporteurs (three-wheeled cargo bicycles) and related accessories from its headquarters and assembly workshop in Montaigu-Vendée, France. Founded in 2008 by Agathe de Sacy following the discovery of Danish NIHOLA bikes, the company is the French arm of the NIHOLA brand originally created by Niels Holme Larsen in Denmark in 1998. Its product portfolio spans six families — COMBI, CARGO, CARGO XL, LOW, ORIYA, and MAXX — covering family transport (up to 4 children), professional cargo and tool transport, municipal urban-cleanliness operations, dog transport, and compact mobility for seniors. Each triporteur is built on a proprietary monobloc steel frame (no articulation between the frame and front cargo box) with front-wheel steering based on Ackerman geometry and a cargo box positioned only 15 cm above the ground for low center of gravity. The company integrates electric-assist drivetrains from Shimano (EP8 Cargo, 85 Nm) and Bafang (250 W rear-hub motor) and reports that 75% of components are sourced in France, with steel frames manufactured and painted in Denmark before final assembly in France.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time hardware sales of complete triporteurs (priced from approximately €2,890 to €4,190+ TTC depending on model and configuration) and a broad accessory catalog including batteries (€490–€699.90), chargers, security hardware, cargo customization, and replacement parts (with a spare-parts availability commitment of at least three years post-invoice). Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce via www.nihola.fr, two company showrooms (Paris 17th arrondissement and Montaigu-Vendée) for test rides, and a dealer/reseller network across France, with professional customers and local authorities served through both dealer and direct B2B channels. Marketing leverages Instagram and Facebook organic content, email newsletters, professional cycling trade shows (Prodays, Cargo Bike Festival), and a recently added FMD-financing partnership with Tesmo Business Mobility that allows employees to apply up to €600 of their Forfait Mobilités Durables to a Nihola purchase.

Name

Nihola France

Legal name

OMNICYCLES SARL

Website

https://nihola.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nihola France designs, manufactures, and distributes Danish-inspired cargo triporteurs (three-wheeled cargo bicycles) in France. The company serves families, professionals and tradespeople, municipalities, and active seniors with monobloc steel-frame bikes assembled in Montaigu-Vendée.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cargo Bicycles and Tricycles

NAICS

Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing (336991)

SIC

Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)

akta.pro primary industry

E-bikes & E-cargo Bikes Manufacturing (IMACAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cargo & Utility Bike Retail (CRAMAHAF), E-Bike Retail (CRAMAHAE), Cycling & Micromobility Products Distribution (CRAOAJAF)

Keywords

• Cargo triporteurs
• Electric cargo bikes
• Family cargo cycles
• Professional cargo tricycles
• Urban maintenance vehicles

Headquarters

HQ city

Montaigu

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bicycle triporteur sales: Sale of complete cargo triporteur bicycles with multiple model lines (COMBI, CARGO, CARGO XL, LOW, MAXX, ORIYA) available in muscular or electric versions. Customers can customize with accessories and options.
2. Accessories and spare parts: Sale of accessories including batteries (Shimano, Bafang), chargers, anti-theft devices, protective covers, floor mats, custom stickers, removable shelves, and replacement parts. Spare parts available for at least 3 years after invoice date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nihola France designs, manufactures, and distributes Danish-inspired cargo triporteurs (three-wheeled cargo bicycles) under the NIHOLA brand in France. The product line includes six main model ranges (COMBI, CARGO, CARGO XL, ORIYA, LOW, MAXX) available with or without electric assistance (Shimano EP8 Cargo or Bafang rear-hub motors), targeting families, professionals, and municipalities for transport of children, pets, goods, and equipment.

Product overview

Nihola France manufactures and sells Danish-inspired French cargo triporteurs (three-wheeled cargo bikes) designed for families, professionals, and municipalities. The product portfolio comprises six main product lines: COMBI (family-oriented 4-place models including COMBI 4 Family and COMBI Utility), CARGO (practical versatile triporteurs including CARGO Family, CARGO Basic, CARGO Dog, CARGO Open, and CARGO Single), CARGO XL (professional-grade elevated models including CARGO XL Pro, CARGO XL Propreté for urban maintenance, and CARGO XL Événementiel for mobile communication), ORIYA (compact lightweight model for active seniors), LOW (compact rounded model also for seniors), and MAXX (heavy-duty model with 200 kg payload for large volume transport). Each triporteur features a signature monobloc steel frame, front steering wheels using Ackerman geometry, and is available with or without electric assistance using Bafang rear-hub motors or Shimano E-Bike Systems. Products are 75% made in France, with assembly at the Montaigu-Vendée workshop. The company also offers a comprehensive range of accessories including batteries, chargers, security locks, protective covers, cargo customization options, and specialized kits for dog transport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COMBI 4 Family
• COMBI Utility
• CARGO Family
• CARGO Basic
• CARGO Dog
• CARGO XL Pro
• CARGO XL Propreté
• CARGO XL Événementiel
• NIHOLA ORIYA
• LOW
• MAXX
• CARGO Open
• CARGO Single

Quantifiable outcome

• 1600 postal bikes still operational after 11 years and 250,000 start-stop cycles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tesmo Business MobilityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNihola France partnered with Tesmo Business Mobility to allow customers to use their Forfait Mobilités Durables (FMD) budget directly when purchasing a triporteur. Customers can pay up to €600 of their triporteur purchase using their employer-provided sustainable mobility allowance, with automatic submission of proof of purchase to the employer. This simplifies financing for employees who want to adopt soft mobility for their commute.
• ShimanocoreTechnology or IntegrationShimano provides electric pedaling assistance systems (EP8 Cargo) and automatic transmission (Nexus 5 Di2) for NIHOLA triporteurs. This is a key technology partnership for the electric versions of their bikes.
• BafangcoreTechnology or IntegrationBafang provides rear-hub electric motors (250W, 50Nm) and lithium-ion batteries (450Wh or 600Wh) for NIHOLA triporteurs. Alternative electric system to Shimano for their electric-assist models.
• MEDICYS (Mediation service)minorOthersConsumer mediation service for dispute resolution. In compliance with French consumer law, Nihola France offers MEDICYS as a free mediation service for consumers who have first attempted to resolve disputes directly with customer service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Riese & Müller: German premium e-bike and e-cargo bike manufacturer with strong full-suspension and electric drivetrain integration. Comparable on premium positioning, Bosch/Shimano electric systems, and German/European family mobility.
• Douze Cycles: French cargo bike manufacturer with a modular front-loading platform, competing head-to-head with Nihola in the French market for family and professional cargo bikes.
• Yuba Bicycles: US-based cargo and family bike brand offering longtail and front-loader cargo bikes. Comparable target market (families and cargo haulers) and electric-assist product strategy.
• Larry vs Harry (Bullitt): Danish manufacturer of Bullitt two-wheeled cargo bikes and trikes, popular for courier and family use. Closely comparable Danish heritage and front-loading cargo platform.
• Babboe: Dutch cargo bike brand specializing in family-oriented two-wheel cargo bikes with a wooden box. Competes in the same family-transport niche as Nihola's COMBI and CARGO lines.
• Urban Arrow: Amsterdam-based premium e-cargo bike manufacturer offering two- and three-wheeled family and commercial cargo bikes. Most direct European competitor in the high-end cargo triporteur/bike segment.
• Tern Bicycles: Compact and folding/cargo bike brand serving urban commuters and families. Comparable target market (urban family/commuter) with shared component partnerships (e.g., Bosch).
• Christiania Bikes: Danish-origin three-wheeled cargo bike brand, like Nihola founded on Copenhagen heritage. Directly comparable front-box triporteur design and family/professional use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon: Global sporting-goods retailer with its own brand of cargo bikes (e.g., B'Twin/Elops). Operates broadly across cycling and outdoor retail with overlapping cargo-bike assortment at lower price points.
• Specialized: Global premium bicycle brand with electric and family-oriented models including the Specialized Globe Haul ST. Broad incumbent with overlapping premium e-cargo positioning rather than direct triporteur specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/niholafrance
• Instagraminstagram.com/nihola_france
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omnicycles-groupe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Nihola France