Uslar – The Bikeleasing Group has announced a significant strategic investment in Workride, the leading company for bike leasing as an employee benefit in New Zealand. This investment marks the Bikeleasing Group’s next step in its international expansion and growth plan.
Workride was founded in 2022 by entrepreneurs Connor Read and Aidan Smith and has quickly become the top player in New Zealand’s market. With a mission to promote bike commuting, the founders created the country’s first pre-tax salary sacrifice program for bikes, e-bikes, and scooters. To make the program efficient and scalable, Workride developed its own software platform, streamlining administration and connecting employers and employees directly with its network of retailers.
For the Bikeleasing Group, this strategic investment in Workride is a crucial move in its global expansion strategy. In October 2025, the Group had already invested in the US-based company Ridepanda.
Othmane Khelil, Co-CEO at the Bikeleasing Group, explains, “What Workride has accomplished in New Zealand in such a short time is impressive. We invest in promising markets, but above all, in innovative and compelling teams. From our first conversation, Connor and Aidan’s passion and entrepreneurial spirit convinced us that this is a team we want to partner with.”
Co-founder of Workride, Connor Read, says, “We are incredibly excited to join the Bikeleasing Group and become part of a larger ecosystem dedicated to getting more people on bikes. Combining Bikeleasing’s international scale, operational experience, and proven products with Workride’s local knowledge will allow us to accelerate, strengthen our offerings, and create new opportunities for workplaces and cyclists throughout New Zealand.”
With its strong local presence, Workride has already gained significant traction, thanks to its entrepreneurial drive, swift execution, and network of over 250 bike dealers nationwide. The Bikeleasing Group brings strategic and operational expertise, with a deep understanding of company bike leasing and a robust industry network, providing an ideal foundation to accelerate Workride’s growth in the next phase. Together, they form a powerful team to expand bike leasing in New Zealand.
The Bikeleasing Group is a leading provider of sustainable bicycle mobility and modern employee benefits in the German-speaking market. Since 2015, the Group has been developing digital platform solutions for company bike leasing, insurance services, and a wide range of employee benefit offerings. Currently, more than 80,000 corporate clients, with over 4 million employees, rely on its services. The Group’s brands include Bikeleasing-Service (Germany and Austria), Probonio (Germany and Austria), BIKE2FUTURE, and Lesora. For more news, visit www.bikeleasing.de.
Workride is the top provider of employee bike benefit programs in New Zealand. Established with a goal to make daily commuting healthier, more affordable, and effortless, Workride offers a free digital platform that enables employers to provide bikes and e-bikes as a seamless, pre-tax benefit. Today, over 2,000 corporate and government employers throughout New Zealand trust Workride, positioning the company for rapid growth in the coming years.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Bikeleasing Group:
Linda Volkmann
Group Head of Communications
Email: press@bikeleasing.de
https://bikeleasing.de/en/press
Workride:
Aidan Smith
Co-Founder
Email: aidan@workride.co.nz
https://www.workride.co.nz
