With the relocation, Classified brings innovative manufacturing once again to the building on the Dam square in Antwerp, near the trendy Park Spoor Noord, an area in full transformation.
The new facilities will host R&D, manufacturing and assembly as well as the sales and marketing hubs in a brand-new space, especially tailored to meet the expanding needs of the company that continues to assemble its core technology in-house.
Invest in local production
In addition to the support it had in the search for a suitable location, Classified has also received financial support from the City of Antwerp within the framework of its innovative SME development projects. This allows the company to further invest in the (local) production, distribution and sale of their revolutionary bicycle shifting system.
Bart De Wever, mayor of the city of Antwerp; “Antwerp is the economic engine and sports city of Flanders. We welcome any company that wants to become part of our urban fabric and wants to contribute to its DNA with open arms. With its innovative and sustainable profile, Classified fits perfectly into that picture.” Erica Caluwaerts, alderman for economy and innovation of the city of Antwerp adds: “As an innovative business city, Antwerp is the perfect location for Classified Cycling to establish, further develop and internationalize. After all, the city supports startups and scale-ups growth by looking for locations, creating an attractive business climate, matchmaking between partners and promoting international development.”
Portfolio expansion
Classified reports that 2022 will be an important year as it prepares to expand its portfolio of applications across different cycling categories alongside the first steps into competitive pro-cycling. To that end, the support of the City of Antwerp has been crucial in sustaining the growth of the deep-tech company that currently staffs 40 employees.
Mathias Plouvier, CEO of Classified: “Our goal is to further revolutionize drive technology in cycling, and take sportive bikes as well as urban mobility to the next level. We are applying our technology to a wide range of segments within the industry, including e-bikes. With our move to Antwerp, we have established a solid base for our future growth.”
Since its inception, Classified, winner of Eurobike’s 2021 Gold Award, has received wide international recognition and, alongside Tom Boonen, enjoys the backing of key investors such as former pros André Greipel, Marcel Kittel and Anna van der Breggen in its mission to ignite a revolution in cycling through innovative drivetrain technology.
Shifting technology
The Belgian-Dutch technology company Classified has developed a revolutionary shifting technology, called Powershift, which in its first application replaces the functionality of the front derailleur on race and gravelbikes. The Powershift shifting system is integrated into the rear wheel hub and allows to shift in a fraction of a second, under full load and with a large gear range and small step sizes.
