The Munich-based startup Ridetronic secured a spot in the final of the ProSieben show "Das Ding des Jahres" on Saturday. After decisively winning the duel against a toilet brush, the founders from the Bavarian capital lost the final audience vote to a foldable car trailer made of Franconia and sock buttons. However, the Munich-based startup managed to convince the jury, consisting of Joko Winterscheidt, Lena Gercke, and Hans-Jürgen Moog, and thus secured their ticket to the final.
The young company has impressed with its innovation for bicycles: They have developed an e-bike motor, the "TronicDrive," that can transform almost any old bike into an electric bike. Because it's installed in the front or rear wheel hub, no additional attachments to the bike are necessary. This ensures low weight while maintaining a consistent design. The even weight distribution of the drive components ensures an unchanged center of gravity for the bike, thus ensuring dynamic and effective handling. This is what makes it special, explain the founders.
Joko complains about the price
For them, appearing on the Saturday night show was a completely new experience. Maximilian Gassner, responsible for business development, says:
"Of course you're nervous in a TV studio in front of more than 500 people, but we had a lot of fun and we had a good feeling."
Juror Joko Winterscheidt, who took a test drive through the studio and seemed surprised by the high speed, was enthusiastic:
“This is the best thing we’ve seen here so far.”
Only the price-performance ratio seemed to have not yet completely convinced the entertainer.
“It has already paid off for us”
Participation in the show has had a positive effect for Ridetronic beyond reaching the finals. After the broadcast, the number of website visits skyrocketed, according to the founders. A significant increase in followers was also recorded on Facebook. In addition, several new orders have already been received. In short: interest in Ridetronic is enormous. Gassner and his colleagues are realistic about their chances in the finals:
"It's simply impossible to say. It will be decided by telephone voting, and our competition is really strong. Many factors will play a role. We're just hoping for the best. For us, it's already been worth it."
The final showdown will take place on March 10 in Cologne, when the finale of "Das Ding des Jahres" (The Thing of the Year) will take place and air live on ProSieben starting at 8:15 p.m. The Stefan Raab-produced inventor show offers a €2.5 million advertising contract. So, keep your fingers crossed.
