Vapaus has expanded its employee bike benefit service into France with the integration of Azfalte.
Azfalte is a Lille-based corporate cycling provider working with 250 employers including Crédit Agricole, Orange and Valeo.
The deal gives Vapaus its first foothold in a large European market beyond Finland and Sweden. Azfalte will keep its brand identity but add Vapaus’s automated technology platform, which handles payroll, financing, logistics and insurance for employee bike schemes.
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Chief executive Mikko Ampuja described France as “a key market” for growth, pointing to heavy investment in cycling infrastructure and rising employer demand to support “health and sustainability”.
“Market size opportunity is similar to Germany where they have gone beyond a million bikes already,” he told Zag Daily.
While adoption still lags behind Finland and Sweden, Ampuja believes the partnership with Azfalte will accelerate uptake. He highlighted the benefit of working with Azfalte’s “driven and talented people” who know the local market and share the mission of getting more people on bikes.
Jean-Francois Dhinaux, Azfalte Founder and CEO, told Zag Daily: “For us at Azfalte, joining forces with Vapaus is not just about size or geography, it’s about impact. France is Europe’s second-largest economy and a country where commuting habits are changing fast. Over 60% of urban trips under 5 km are still made by car, so the potential for cycling is massive.”
France’s potential, he explained, is underpinned by the fact that 60% of urban car trips are under five kilometres, combined with favourable tax policy and growing employer interest in sustainable mobility.
The transaction is supported by French impact fund Shift4Good, which focuses on decarbonising transport. Vapaus and Azfalte first came into contact through the European Startup Prize for Mobility, won by Vapaus in 2023, and have since built close ties.
Ampuja said Vapaus’ long-term goal is to create “a million new cyclists”, with France seen as “fundamental” to this mission. Rather than a rapid merger, the two firms intend to align gradually by combining complementary skills, models and technologies.