Why We Built ZÆT: A Personal Journey to Better Urban Mobility

Hey everyone,

I’m Tim Grootjans, founder and CEO of ZÆT, and our little one is due in just a few weeks, so I’m writing this now before life gets wonderfully hectic. Parenting three energetic boys has only sharpened my conviction that our cities must be safe, clean, and easy to navigate on two wheels.

From Shanghai’s Shared-Bike Chaos to a New Model

Back in 2018, while working on e-bike designs in Shanghai, I watched streets overflow with shared bikes; hard seats, wobbly frames, and riders left stranded when none were available. Sidewalks became cluttered with broken units, and city crews spent more time shuffling bikes than solving real mobility challenges. It struck me then: the technology was there, but the model was broken.

The ZÆT Pivot: Subscription Over Ownership

By 2024, after countless conversations with riders and city planners, we realized the solution wasn’t launching another bike brand or another short-term share scheme. It was a simple subscription: one high-quality e-bike, one fixed monthly fee, zero surprises. In early 2025, ZÆT officially launched this concept. Subscribers keep the same bike for as long as they need, ride emissions-free, and we handle every tune-up and repair through our network of local shops.

Tech That Empowers Riders and Cities

Behind the scenes, our technology arm CY:ONS is working on some key innovations such as IoT-connected displays for live diagnostics, a Rider App for seamless booking and battery monitoring, a Fleet Management Dashboard that tracks usage and health across every bike, and advanced safety features to deter theft. All data is anonymized and can power future city planning, helping pinpoint where new bike lanes or parking zones will make the most impact.

Looking Ahead to Late 2025 Pilots

We’re gearing up to launch our first 150-bike pilot in our local region of Limburg by the end of 2025. Over the coming months, we’ll be reaching out to municipalities and local businesses to co-design custom branding, set up pick-up points, and recruit our inaugural riders. This pilot will prove the concept at scale and generate the usage insights that cities need to build smarter, greener streets.

Join the Movement

If you’re a city leader, local entrepreneur, or simply someone who loves the idea of a dependable, zero-emission ride, let’s talk. Visit www.zaet.nl to learn more or drop me a line at tim@zaet.nl.

Together, we can give our children a cleaner, safer way to move through their world.

Tim Grootjans Founder & CEO, ZÆT B.V.