{"data":{"type":"company_profile","id":132406,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:132406","attributes":{"canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN","generated_at":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","updated_at":"2026-06-12T05:00:57Z","entity_ids":{"company":"wefunder:company:132406","slug":"wefunder:company_slug:DRIVEN"},"profile_visibility":{"owner_published":true,"public_search_results":true,"site_search_listed":true,"privacy_mode":"promote","invite_only":false},"provenance":{"source":"wefunder_public_company_profile","as_of":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","claims":{"total_amount_raised":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#amount_raised","last_verified_at":"2026-06-12T05:00:57Z","as_of":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","confidence":"high"},"total_investors":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#number_of_investors","last_verified_at":"2026-06-12T05:00:57Z","as_of":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","confidence":"high"},"active_raise_states":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil)","last_verified_at":"2026-04-30T17:13:10Z","as_of":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","confidence":"high"},"latest_fundraise_state":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil).order(funding_started_at)","last_verified_at":"2026-04-30T17:13:10Z","as_of":"2026-06-13T03:29:31Z","confidence":"medium"}}},"company":{"id":132406,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:132406","slug":"DRIVEN","name":"Driven","tagline":"Driven is bringing cutting edge automotive technology to the fast moving e-bike market. ","story":"Driven Technologies had a Eureka moment last summer, when we discovered that an electric hybrid vehicle drive system is one of the better solutions to propel an e-bike.This led us down the road of building such a system, patent-protecting the technology, and bringing it to market. We introduced our system, called the Orbit Drive, in Germany this June to great industry and press accolades. We believe this is the future of e-bike drive systems, designed and developed in Boulder, Colorado.What Problem are we Solving?Most e-bikes use old-school chains and derailleurs as their drive systems, coupled with a motor at the rear wheel or in-between the pedals. This technology is 100 years old and is ripe for disruption.Our goal is to provide the e-bike industry with a drive that isn’t exposed to the elements, uses modern gear technologies, and provides a better experience to the rider, all in one package. Our solution is an e-bike drive system that mimics hybrid electric vehicle technology from Toyota, Ford, and Stellantis (owners of Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Fiat).The e-bike Drive Market is Booming!The current e-bike drive market is at $32B globally. This market is growing at an astounding 14.6% compound annual growth rate. Projected growth puts the drive market at over $80B by 2030. (Fortune Business Insights, 2023)Our CFO talks about the e-bike market:Big Players are in the SpaceOur Solution to Old TechnologyBringing modern hybrid vehicle technology to e-bikesThe Orbit Drive uses an epicyclic gearset to combine two inputs, one from the pedals (the rider) and one from the electric motors, to form one seamless output of propulsion to the rear wheel. We then added a bevel to the gears, so they fit nicely inside the space between an e-bike’s pedals, traveling over the spindle. Technically, this is called a ‘variable speed bevel differential’ drive system.And finally, we enclose the drive in a fully sealed housing with the complete drive system delivered in one sleek package.The result? The drive system of the future for all of pedal-assist micromobility – but let’s stick with e-bikes for now. Our Director of Engineering, Ryan, explains the Orbit Drive using our Eurobike fixture:Ryan explains the benefits of a completely enclosed drive system:Patents1. A European patent office has sent us an ‘intent to grant’ letter from our ‘bevel differential’ patent application filed in August, 2022. We have applied for patents across all of Europe, Asia, and the United States. We believe this patent is valuable IP.2. As we are using two small motors, Driven is able to measure rider torque and cadence every few milliseconds, making adjustments on the fly to maintain constant rider-torque regardless of terrain (going up a hill? the motor adjusts accordingly so the rider can maintain preferred pace/torque). This patent is currently under review in the United States and will be under review in the Europe in January 2024. We believe this IP will also have great value in the e-bike space.3. We have an awarded patent in rocker-chain technology for a bicycle chain. We worked with CeramicSpeed to secure this patent and it may be used with the Orbit Drive in a chain configuration. 4. We have an awarded patent in roller-on-tooth gear technology in a bicycle application. This makes gears efficient. This IP would be effective should one of our partners like to use the Orbit Drive in an extreme-efficiency application.5. We have an awarded patent in specialized ‘face’ gear technologies coupled with a drive shaft. This IP allows options for future iterations of the Orbit Drive. CustomersWhat do e-bike manufacturers/fleet operators need today?Driven is a B2B company, with our drives available to e-bike manufacturers worldwide.We’ve been talking to several e-bike manufacturers for the past year. Most of them are very frustrated with cobbling together drive systems. A typical Bill of Materials (BOM) for an e-bike drive system looks like this:Motor (s) + Circuit Board + Control unit (to control the motors and drive) + Head unit (user interface module) + Chain or Belt + Chain or belt tensioners and covers + Cadence sensors + Torque sensors + Derailleur system + Wiring harnesses + Gears + Spindle (what the pedals are attached to) + Shifters + Battery (commodity).Driven can minimize this BOM for e-bike manufacturers as our system incorporates many of these parts. The Orbit Drive system includes the motors, circuit board, control unit, all power transfer to the back wheel, wiring between battery, drive system and head unit; gears and gear-shifting, cadence and torque sensing via software, the spindle and the enclosure. Driven is cutting out more than half of the drive system BOM for e-bike manufacturers.NOTE: we are agnostic to the batteries (a commodity) and the user interface/app (most brands have their own - we can simply plug-in via API). Rider needs – what do e-bike riders want? As with most products, people want something useful and fun, reliable and free of hassle. Think about your car – you don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck, you want to be moving! Same with e-bikes.Driven solves the ‘fun’ and ‘useful’ issues by providing riders with a continuously variable gearset. This means that the rider won’t ‘feel’ the shifting of gears, as gear-shifting goes up and down on a smooth ramp of power, depending on terrain and effort from the rider. If you’ve ever driven a Tesla, a Polestar, or even a Prius, you know what we mean – you can’t feel gear shifts!Driven then solves e-bike reliability issues in several ways. First, we do something that seems a bit basic but makes all the difference in the world; we put the drive system in an enclosure. The Orbit Drive contains steel and ceramic components surrounded by a lightweight enclosure. No more fragile gears and shifting mechanisms exposed to the elements; this is akin to a hybrid car transmission, in a bike. We are also confident in the longevity of the system. Our drive system is similar to those used in hybrid vehicles for over 25 years and is battle-hardened and tested by Toyota, Ford, and the Stellantis brands. By design, our drive also has fewer parts than most gearing systems on e-bikes (fewer failure points), and once installed requires no adjustments. Cool flyover video of the Orbit Drive:A founder’s journey leads to a Eureka moment2018 – 2020 Jason Smith, our founder and CTO, was working on advanced gearing systems for CeramicSpeed, a bike-component company out of Denmark. Their first ‘Driven’ drive system wins the Eurobike innovation award and rocked the community!Late 2020: Driven becomes its own company located in Boulder, Colorado, the epicenter of the United States bicycling community. CeramicSpeed is the majority shareholder.Early 2021: Driven runs an equity crowdfunding campaign and raises 1 million dollars in 36 hours! Jason hires engineers to support advanced gear development. Summer 2022: The bevel differential gearset is identified as having a bright future in e-bikes. Summer 2022: A new CEO (Brian) and a new CFO (Wolf) join Driven. The company immediately goes into stealth-mode to start building prototypes and filing patents around their new drive system. CeramicSpeed supports this development with further investment.Summer 2023: After 10 months of continuous development and prototyping, Driven unveils their new drive system at Eurobike 2023 to great fanfare and industry validation.Today: A return to equity fundraising (Wefunder!) to bring our patented Orbit Drive to e-bike manufacturers the world over. What's Next for Driven?We are super excited by our response from Eurobike!We have eight hot leads from the show, with another five in the wings. We are still in the early stages with these companies, but we can say that each produces hundreds of thousands of e-bikes or components every year and they represent the leadership of the industry. Big companies like this command a long sales cycle, but our next steps with them are clear: provide drive systems on bikes that they can test on roads and trails. This is our most pressing task, creating these hardened test-bikes, and are a necessary part of the process. After that, we will be working with these partners to secure purchase orders or joint-development agreements. How far away are we from delivering drives? Depending on a myriad of factors, we expect to be in the drive-selling business by the Summer of '24. And, if one of our current soft-orders becomes a reality, maybe even sooner. Our management team has great experience in dealing with this sort of deal-flow AND with building product at scale. Jason Smith has invented several products currently for sale in the bicycle market. B. Baker has pioneered several products for sale worldwide in consumer tech, and Jason Wolf has secured M/A transactions worth billions of dollars. We are extremely optimistic about potential partners and we know the ins and outs of big business; we believe this is a winning combination.Forward-looking projections are not guaranteed.Exit OpportunitiesWhile we feel confident we can provide the Orbit Drive to OEM’s and build this company, there may be situations where an exit will more than satisfy our shareholders and must be considered. We are open to all ideas that bring returns to our shareholders!Licensing agreement with leading OEM e-bike manufacturer. Currently seeking partnerships with eight OEM’s.IPO – 3 to 7 years, we feel a .4% market share of providing drives to e-bikes would provide a growth-path that is attractiveAcquisition – The Orbit Drive is a leapfrog technology. Potential purchasers, for example, would include companies like Bosch, Yamaha, Specialized, SRAM, Trek, Porsche, Giant, et al. We are open to acquisition at any time should it greatly benefit shareholders.Joint Development Agreement (leading to a purchase order or company sale) – A potential strategic partner may want to engage with Driven to further develop the orbit drive and have an exclusive arrangement to utilize the orbit drive in order to differentiate their product from the rest of the field. Exit is not guaranteed.Save the world. Move better.Thank you for reading! - team Driven","location":"Boulder, CO","website":"https://madebydriven.com/","total_amount_raised":145200,"total_investors":115,"is_funded":true,"is_active":true,"quality_score":3,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN","https://madebydriven.com/"]},"media":{"share_image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/132406/xxl_blob.jpg","logo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/logo/132406/large_Driven_logo_1692037012318.jpeg","header_media_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/132406/standard_blob.jpg","cover_photo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/132406/standard_blob.jpg"},"links":{"company_url":"https://madebydriven.com/","linkedin_url":"https://linkedin.com/company/drivendrivesystem","twitter_url":"https://twitter.com/drivendrives","facebook_url":"https://facebook.com/drivendrivesystem","instagram_url":"https://instagram.com/drivendrivesystem/","blog_url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@drivendrivesystem"},"highlights":[],"quick_facts":[{"index":1,"claim_id":"claim-fact-1","value":"Advanced and innovative e-bike drive system."},{"index":2,"claim_id":"claim-fact-2","value":"Three patents awarded, 2 provisional patents. The Driven system is truly novel to micromobility."},{"index":3,"claim_id":"claim-fact-3","value":"Extended battery range of 10 – 19% - more efficiency is better for riders and the environment."},{"index":4,"claim_id":"claim-fact-4","value":"Extremely low maintenance (every 10,000 miles)."},{"index":5,"claim_id":"claim-fact-5","value":"A single, bolt-on solution – no more cobbling together of chains/derailleurs/motors."},{"index":6,"claim_id":"claim-fact-6","value":"The e-bike market is experiencing hyper growth. Now a $30B + market with almost a 15% CAGR."},{"index":7,"claim_id":"claim-fact-7","value":"Led by seasoned bike industry professionals with dozens of successful products in the market."},{"index":8,"claim_id":"claim-fact-8","value":"Spun out of CeramicSpeed. Already raised ~$2M from bike industry and crowd funding investors."}],"team":[{"id":3451250,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:3451250","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:4154987","role":"founder","name":"Jason Smith","title":"Founder and CTO","bio":"20-year Mechanical Engineer, Several bike inventions at market","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/3451250/square_blob.jpg?1709233793","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/jason.smith.44","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-smith-28613b50/","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/jason.smith.44"]},{"id":3439432,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:3439432","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:3092980","role":"employee","name":"Jason Wolf","title":"CFO","bio":"27 years of finance and strategy experience within large Fortune 500 companies","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/3439432/square_blob.jpg?1697069522","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/jason.wolf","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wolf-5a732a1b/","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/jason.wolf"]},{"id":3841530,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:3841530","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:4109355","role":"employee","name":"Jacob Csizmadia","title":"Board Member","bio":"Founder of CeramicSpeed","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/3841530/square_blob.jpg?1697069522","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/jacob.csizmadia","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/jacob.csizmadia"]},{"id":3841532,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:3841532","role":"employee","name":"Martin S. Banke","title":"Board Member","bio":"EVP at CeramicSpeed","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/3841532/square_blob.jpg?1697069522","related_urls":[]}],"featured_investors":[{"id":1794,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:1794","investor_profile_id":3633920,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:3633920","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:notable_investor:7419","name":"CeramicSpeed","bio":"Crafting the fastest bearing products for cycling and industry since 2004.","avatar_url":"https://wefunder.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzE5NTIsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--cceeb9e4c8dba17091c3aaf8c25c9868eec58e72/101548.webp","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/ceramicspeed","is_lead_investor":false,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/ceramicspeed"]},{"id":1795,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:1795","investor_profile_id":3633921,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:3633921","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:notable_investor:4900","name":"SeedInvest","bio":"SeedInvest is a leading equity crowdfunding platform that provides investors access to vetted startup investments.","avatar_url":"https://wefunder.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzE5NDcsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--2d5fdfd1f67cc921c28f7f817d341bc5fc5bf904/Screenshot%202023-10-13%20at%2011.52.35%20AM.png","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/seedinvest","is_lead_investor":false,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/seedinvest"]},{"id":6095,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:6095","investor_profile_id":3127264,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:3127264","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:user:3664803","name":"CeramicSpeed Sport","avatar_url":"http://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/user/avatar/3664803/medium_cropped__cs.jpg","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/heidijenniferflychristensen","endorsement_quote":"There are many reasons why CeramicSpeed believes this company has a high probability of success. Driven has created an e-bike drive system that is destined to disrupt the e-bike industry. Their drive system eliminates the complexity and maintenance of a chain and derailleur configuration. This beveled gear system is surprisingly simple, reducing the gear-count, making it light weight and accommodating both manual and continuously variable shifting modes. The system is also one of the most efficient configurations on the market. This direct drive configuration is up to 20% more efficient than other e-bike drive systems - this translates to better battery range and a high sustainability factor. Another differential advantage is that since it is a sealed unit, the drive system is virtually maintenance free and will need lubrication only after thousands of miles. The Driven drive system is based on road tested technology that is currently in use in many hybrid automobiles and is protected by Driven through a patent portfolio specifically tailored for e-bike/cycling applications. The simplicity of the drive system also makes it cost effective to manufacture. We believe that Driven can offer a superior product that competes with high-end e-bikes resulting in a high margin business model and quicker timeline to profitability. Furthermore, this system is OEM-friendly with a single bolt on solution. The e-bike market is exploding, with sustained growth of over 12% year-over-year. And finally, the management team at Driven has met all its deadlines and has already produced three rideable prototypes. This system is proven and ready to launch. Bringing on Brian Baker and Jason Wolf to augment the founder and inventor Jason Smith has been a boon to the company. Mr. Baker has great startup and manufacturing experience, Mr. Wolf brings Fortune 500 experience and M\u0026amp;A to the mix, and founder Jason Smith is bike industry veteran with several of his inventions at market today - this is his latest brainchild and we believe it to be a winner. For all of these reasons, we feel that Driven can positively transform the e-bike and mobility markets, and that’s why we have decided to be lead investor. Note: Driven was spun out of CeramicSpeed in 2020. CeramicSpeed is the majority stockholder in Driven.","investment_total":750000,"investment_info":"Invested $50,000 this round \u0026 $700,000 previously","is_lead_investor":true,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/heidijenniferflychristensen"]}],"investor_memos":[],"tab_counts":{"posts":0,"ask_questions":12,"featured_investors":3,"faq_entries":5},"active_fundraises":[{"id":82298,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:82298","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"convertible_note","security_type":"debt","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":false,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":618000.0,"minimum_target":"50000.0","maximum_target":"618000.0","funding_started_at":"2023-08-08T21:32:09Z","funding_closed_at":"2024-01-12T00:03:14Z","auto_close_at":"2024-01-11T04:59:59Z"},{"id":82299,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:82299","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"ttw","security_type":"","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":true,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":618000.0,"minimum_target":"50000.0","maximum_target":"618000.0","funding_started_at":"2023-03-06T08:17:14Z"}],"latest_fundraise":{"id":82298,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:82298","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","structure":"convertible_note","testing_the_waters":false,"can_invest_now":false,"funding_started_at":"2023-08-08T21:32:09Z","funding_closed_at":"2024-01-12T00:03:14Z","terms":{"eb":"$12M","nb":"$15M","txt":"valuation cap"}},"recent_posts":[],"q_and_a":[{"id":302906,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:302906","question":"Any update on current status of Driven? Thanks.","author_name":"Felix Herlihy","votes":2,"created_at":"2025-02-25T01:59:57Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-302906","answers":[]},{"id":301621,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:301621","question":"Can you provide an updated status of the company? I just subscribed to your newsletter however this link is aged. Thanks. Mike","author_name":"Michael J Rozdolski","votes":2,"created_at":"2025-02-05T16:58:47Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-301621","answers":[]},{"id":265319,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:265319","question":"Jason - Thanks for the response. I look forward to connecting as I think you'll be excited to get involved with us. Rick","author_name":"Richard Mager","votes":2,"created_at":"2023-10-12T00:00:39Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-265319","answers":[{"id":265326,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:265326","answer":"Thank you Rick, we are looking forward to it! - Jason","author_name":"Jason Smith","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-10-12T00:21:42Z"}]},{"id":261102,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:261102","question":"What is the highest and lowest gear this device can achieve? For more context, an issue I've observed with ebike drivetrains (especially on the higher end class 3 bikes that can go 28mph, but also mass market bikes like those from Rad) is that the highest gear provided is not high enough for the rider to be able to meaningfully contribute via pedalling when the bike is going fast. For EBikes to actually function as pedal-assisted bikes with the rider getting some exercise, we are going to need drive trains that go higher than existing technologies. Sure, they could ride slowly but few prefer that. If you could solve this problem, this would be a meaningful source of differentiation.","author_name":"Timothy Rowe","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-09-04T07:55:54Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-261102","answers":[{"id":261210,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:261210","answer":"Thanks for the question Tim. The Orbit Drive outputs 2:1 at the lowest gear, and 4:1 at the highest. And the drive does solve for your use-case. The bevel differential gearing allows the rider to choose a cadence (just get on and pedal) AND an assist level (how much you want to work). So you decide. Want to ride with little effort? Just press UP the assistance. Want to get some exercise? Press DOWN the assistance. Infinite gears accommodate your desired assistance at all speeds (per your locale). We don't provide a throttle-bike feel (like the Rads).","author_name":"Brian Baker","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-09-05T20:43:23Z"}]},{"id":260846,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:260846","question":"Can you comment on competitors, in terms of efficiency, reliability and cost, please?","author_name":"Enrico Varano","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-08-31T12:29:54Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-260846","answers":[{"id":260953,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:260953","answer":"Thanks for the question Enrico, I’ll hit your questions in order: Efficiency - our drive system is performing at over 80% efficient. Most e-bikes sit between 65 - 75% efficient, meaning if you put a single watt of power IN, you get about .65 watts OUT to the back wheel. Reliability - The bevel differential drive has been used for 25 years in hybrid vehicles and we expect our drives to be as reliable as a Toyota, Ford, or Stellantis hybrid vehicle with the same drive system. We expect maintenance intervals (an oil bath) will be necessary only every 10,000 miles. Cost - we are a B-to-B play, so we will be selling to e-bike manufacturers. The cost for a complete drive system varies widely in the e-bike space. If you are a fleet-bike operator, you might pay as little as $700 for your drive system (motors, gears, chains, derailleurs, etc.). If you are riding a Specialized Levo worth $12,000, you might be riding a $2500 drive system. We will be somewhere between those two extremes. Sorry I can’t say more, but we are in talks now with some of those OEMs and things are fluid. :)","author_name":"Brian Baker","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-09-01T15:32:16Z"}]},{"id":260008,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:260008","question":"What interest rate is associated with this round of Convertible Notes?","author_name":"Dave A-W","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-08-24T00:57:15Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-260008","answers":[{"id":260020,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:260020","answer":"Hi Dave. The interest rate is 5% compounding over two years with a 25% discount. Thanks for your question!","author_name":"Brian Baker","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-08-24T02:01:33Z"}]},{"id":258407,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:258407","question":"Curios why there hasn't been any income for the last 3 months?","author_name":"Wade Warner","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-08-15T07:47:26Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-258407","answers":[{"id":258483,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:258483","answer":"Thanks for your question Wade - we are pre-revenue, as we've just introduced our drive. Wefunder investors will help support our entrance into the market.","author_name":"Brian Baker","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-08-15T20:23:15Z"}]},{"id":328932,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:328932","question":"Is this company missing? No news since very long time ago, Thx.","author_name":"Carlos Jordá Laporta","votes":0,"created_at":"2026-03-25T15:32:06Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-328932","answers":[]},{"id":269192,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:269192","question":"Hi, how does the Orbit Drive compare to the Enviolo CVT Drive and the Revonte ONE Drive? Thanks","author_name":"Felix Vayssieres","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-11-16T00:20:57Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-269192","answers":[{"id":269369,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:269369","answer":"Felix, The Orbit Drive is an all-in-one (contains gearing and assist) e-drive unit. It uses the patented variable speed bevel differential as the technology foundation. To compare- Enviolo rear hub provides just the gearing. It does not provide assist. The enviolo replaces the rear derailleur and rear cassette, but a mid-drive motor is still needed to provide the \"e\" assist. The Revonte drive unit is actually the closest competitive product to the Orbit drive as far as function and capabilities. Revonte and Orbit both are considered an all-in-one stepless e-drive solution. However, one big different between the two exists. Revonte uses what's called a \"variable speed flat planetary\" gearset for their gearing. The Orbit uses a \"variable speed bevel differential\" gearset for gearing. The bevel diff is much smaller, and has a more desirable form factor and lower torque requirements. This means a smaller and lighter drive unit.","author_name":"Jason Smith","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-11-17T17:22:14Z"}]},{"id":265103,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:265103","question":"Brian - I've tried sending you and the Jasons emails through the contact information on your website but all I get are bounce back notifications. I've sent you a request to connect on LinkedIn as well as a private message there with my contact information as I would like to discuss using your product in a new line of e-bikes I'm intending to launch. I hope you'll contact me either by cell or email, both of which are in the LinkedIn message I sent you. Thanks. Best, Rick","author_name":"Richard Mager","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-10-10T21:33:20Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-265103","answers":[{"id":265286,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:265286","answer":"Hi Rick, I received your email today and will be responding by tomorrow October 12th at the latest. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, we are moving fast over here at Driven developing our new drive and meeting with OEM's and other potential customers. I look forward to meeting with you soon!","author_name":"Jason Smith","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-10-11T21:49:41Z"}]},{"id":263374,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:263374","question":"Can you provide accurate comparisons in weight of your chain and shaft drives to traditional system? As my bicycling friends say, weight is everything.","author_name":"Brad Martone","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-09-26T13:57:54Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-263374","answers":[{"id":263704,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:263704","answer":"Hello Brad, thanks for your question. The Orbit Drive system (with assist and gearing, chain or belt drive) tips the scales at 4-4.5kg. When this is compared to assist-only motor drives, weighing in at 3kg-4kg, the orbit drive adds about 1-1.5kg. Another way of saying this is the Orbit Drive adds about 1-1.5kg for the gearing feature. This addition is much less weight than what a traditional gearbox and rear hub gearing adds. The weight of the Orbit Drive is on par with traditional rear derailleur e-drive systems, and lighter than e-drives with mid drive gearboxes and rear geared hubs; but also has many other advantages not found in these traditional systems.","author_name":"Jason Smith","votes":1,"created_at":"2023-09-29T15:44:41Z"}]},{"id":261579,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:261579","question":"Hello, 1) Shaft-driven bicycles where first introduced in the 1880s but are very rare. You do see shaft-driven motorcycles but they are less common than chain-driven motorcycles. Why aren't shaft drives popular and what are you doing differently that is going to make them catch on? 2) Who would you say are your most simular or most advanced competitors? How do you compare to the Honbike HF01 and the Alcmax Chainless Electric Bike? How do you compare to the Pinion Motor.Gearbox.Unit? How do you compare to digital drive ebikes? Could producers of the type of electric hybrid vehicle drive systems you were inspired by copy your idea and produce small ebike drives? Thanks","author_name":"Felix Vayssieres","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-09-09T03:16:20Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/DRIVEN#question-261579","answers":[{"id":261789,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:261789","answer":"Hi Felix, thanks for the questions. Our drive system works with a chain, belt, or shaft drive. The shaft drive is a premium product and has a few benefits over the chain and belt; it is slightly more efficient and it allows the complete drive system to be enclosed. Why aren’t there more shaft drives? They are more difficult to manufacture and have only recently been made with materials that makes their weight competitive. We expect OEM bike manufacturers to gravitate more toward chains and belts. Our most advanced competitors? We do indeed put Pinion on that list as they provide a complete solution like the Orbit Drive, meaning they have motors, all gearing, and power-to-wheel included. Our drive differs from the Pinion drive by using the continuously variable bevel differential rather than discreet gears. So while Pinion has created something of an engineering marvel, we believe that continuously variable gear sets are the future of e-bikes. ‘Digital bikes,’ or ‘generator bikes’ are quite inefficient, as the rider is simply charging the generator, not directly powering the rear wheel. This may find applications in heavy delivery vehicles where weight and efficiencies are less important, but we don’t see them catching on in consumer, fleet, or ride-share markets. Why don’t people copy us? They will. The Orbit Drive is a leap forward for e-bikes (and hybrid automobiles). That said, the Orbit Drive is well protected with worldwide patents and we are prepared for infringements. We have top legal council in the US, Europe, and Asia.","author_name":"Brian Baker","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-09-11T19:05:37Z"}]}],"faq":[{"question":"Curios why there hasn't been any income for the last 3 months?","answer":"Thanks for your question Wade - we are pre-revenue, as we've just introduced our drive. Wefunder investors will help support our entrance into the market."},{"question":"What interest rate is associated with this round of Convertible Notes?","answer":"Hi Dave. The interest rate is 5% compounding over two years with a 25% discount. Thanks for your question!"},{"question":"Can you comment on competitors, in terms of efficiency, reliability and cost, please?","answer":"Thanks for the question Enrico, I’ll hit your questions in order: Efficiency - our drive system is performing at over 80% efficient. Most e-bikes sit between 65 - 75% efficient, meaning if you put a single watt of power IN, you get about .65 watts OUT to the back wheel. Reliability - The bevel differential drive has been used for 25 years in hybrid vehicles and we expect our drives to be as reliable as a Toyota, Ford, or Stellantis hybrid vehicle with the same drive system. We expect maintena..."},{"question":"What is the highest and lowest gear this device can achieve? For more context, an issue I've observed with ebike drivetrains (especially on the higher end class 3 bikes that can go 28mph, but also mass market bikes like those from Rad) is that the highest gear provided is not ...","answer":"Thanks for the question Tim. The Orbit Drive outputs 2:1 at the lowest gear, and 4:1 at the highest. And the drive does solve for your use-case. The bevel differential gearing allows the rider to choose a cadence (just get on and pedal) AND an assist level (how much you want to work). So you decide. Want to ride with little effort? Just press UP the assistance. Want to get some exercise? Press DOWN the assistance. Infinite gears accommodate your desired assistance at all speeds (per your loca..."},{"question":"Hello, 1) Shaft-driven bicycles where first introduced in the 1880s but are very rare. You do see shaft-driven motorcycles but they are less common than chain-driven motorcycles. Why aren't shaft drives popular and what are you doing differently that is going to make them catc...","answer":"Hi Felix, thanks for the questions. Our drive system works with a chain, belt, or shaft drive. The shaft drive is a premium product and has a few benefits over the chain and belt; it is slightly more efficient and it allows the complete drive system to be enclosed. Why aren’t there more shaft drives? They are more difficult to manufacture and have only recently been made with materials that makes their weight competitive. We expect OEM bike manufacturers to gravitate more toward chains and be..."}]}}}