Ambition as a Driving Force

RoBe: Tomi, when you look at VIIALA, you immediately sense a mix of innovation, courage, and a whole lot of ambition. When did you personally realize that you didn’t just want to run a company, but that you wanted to build something completely new?

Tomi Viiala: In 2024, after 11 years at Stromer, I decided to take a break. Then I got a call from François Bennahmias, the former CEO of Audemars Piguet (and now co-founder of VIIALA), who was also a client. He simply asked, “What are you doing now?” A few months later, I was in Dubai. Discussions with the Dubai Future Lab opened up a new perspective: What is really missing in mobility today? We flipped the process. We didn’t start with the price, but with the ideal product. The result was clear: around CHF 30,000. And the real question behind it: Are there people who want this? Our answer: yes. In other industries – whether cars, yachts, or airplanes, this segment has existed for a long time. It’s just that no one has addressed it in the bicycle sector yet. That’s exactly where Viiala comes in: in a new segment with clear added value. That’s how it all began.

RoBe: Why was Dubai the right place for the launch?

Tomi: The idea originated there. So, it only made sense to launch there as well. But we weren’t aiming for a traditional launch. It was a test. At the Museum of the Future – deliberately in a small group – we wanted to understand: Does this concept really work? Six months, three models. Direct feedback from investors and potential customers. Dubai is ideal for this: international, open to technology, fast. A place where new mobility isn’t just discussed but actually tried out. Europe is now the next step, especially in production. Short distances, more control.

RoBe: In an article, you mention that a bicycle can be more than just a means of transportation. What exactly is your vision behind this, and what do you hope VIIALA will ideally mean to people?

We don’t think in terms of products, but in terms of possibilities. That’s why we’ve defined three models that address different needs:

• The Hyperbike represents what is still beyond our imagination today. The idea: The unimaginable becomes everyday. Perhaps that means riding a Tour de France stage at age 60 and tackling the climbs at the speed of a pro – supported by technology, without having to worry about limits. Performance, comfort, safety – custom-built.
• The Commuter is the car replacement: everyday life, efficiency, simplicity.
• The Urban Commuter is for the city: short, direct, uncompromising.

What connects them all: We think about technology first and design second, though the design will be distinctive and appealing.

RoBe: At first glance, the bicycle industry appears to be well-established. In which areas could it benefit from new approaches?

Tomi: It will probably take until 2028 to see a clear answer. However, three issues are already evident today:

• Safety: Too many accidents. Too many uncertainties. In the U.S. alone, approximately 49,000 cyclists are injured each year in collisions with cars. A similar situation exists in Europe. Overall, we’re talking about well over 100,000 accidents per year involving cars. This raises a fundamental question for us: How does my sense of safety change when I get on a bike?
• Design: Many bikes are functionally optimized but interchangeable. We want the opposite: a unique design that stands out.
• Production: Forecast instead of reality. We’re moving toward on-demand manufacturing. This means we combine new technologies with flexible production methods to manufacture products faster and more efficiently, closer to actual demand.

RoBe: As a CEO, you’re constantly faced with making decisions based on incomplete information. Do you make those decisions more intuitively or analytically?

 Tomi: Both. I often trust my instincts, especially when it comes to the product. However, when it comes to numbers, production, or margins, I take a clearly analytical approach. The Rochester-Bern EMBA program, with its motto “We’ll change the way you think,” had a significant impact on me. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. I thought I was just going back to school for a little while. Many people also told me that I didn’t need an EMBA. In retrospect, it was precisely during that time that I learned to make structured, quick analytical decisions, even with incomplete information. What really stuck with me is this: Not deciding is often worse than making the wrong decision.

RoBe: Which aspect of the EMBA program had the greatest impact on you? Is there an idea, framework, or discussion that still resonates with you today?

 Tomi: For me, it was the capstone project we developed at the end of the program (today this can be pursued within the EMBA thesis framework) we developed at the end of the program. We had to think through an entire business in a short amount of time, from concept to implementation. Above all, it was structuring it in a way that holds up at the VR level. That mindset has stayed with me.

RoBe: Many young entrepreneurs today have big ideas but also many options. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to build a business?

 Tomi: Entrepreneurship doesn’t start with an idea, but with a decision. The key question isn’t, “Is the idea good enough?” Rather, it’s: Am I ready to deal with uncertainty and persevere? This more American mindset, shaped through the Rochester-Bern Executive Program, has influenced me: “Let’s go. I’ll give it a try.” This is in contrast to the often very cautious attitude we see here: “What if it doesn’t work?”

RoBe: Did your athletic career lead you to where you are today?

 Tomi: My drive stems from sports. I knew I was ambitious very early on. When I was six, I told my parents, “I want to go to the Olympics.” By the time I was ten, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in elite sports. It wasn’t so much a specific goal that drove me as it was a recurring question: How far can I go? That mindset has never changed—only the playing field has.

RoBe: If we were to meet again in five years, how would you know that Viiala had truly succeeded?

 Tomi: If our customers say, “Once you drive a Viiala, you’ll never want to go back.”