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Auto-parts manufacturer buys Toronto smart commuter bike designer Vanhawks

Warren Industries and the bike brand embrace the use of innovation and technology in improving experiences on the road

Vanhawks Valour
Vanhawks Valour

Earlier this week automotive-parts manufacturer Warren Industries acquired the Toronto-based Vanhawks, developer of the smart commuter bike Valour.

Vanhawks, founded in 2011 by Sohaib and Ali Zahid, came out with the Valour in 2014. The bike features include turn-by-turn, Bluetooth-enabled smartphone navigation, integrated head and tail lights, as well as ride metrics that track a rider’s performance in the saddle. The bike caught the attention of the auto-parts manufacturer.

“Innovation by design and working to create a safer ride for our passengers are two of the cornerstones of Warren Industries’ operations,” said David Freeman, the company’s president and CEO, “and we have found an ideological equal in Vanhawks. This partnership will allow both Warren Industries and Vanhawks to play a bigger role in driving new trends in urban transportation and development in the right direction.”

Warren Industries is a privately-owned corporation based in Vaughan, Ont., with facilities in Mexico and China. It makes transmission components and holds patents for mechanical devices, including a vehicle door control system. The company’s Innovation and Technology Centre has been working in products connected with vehicle connectivity and safety.

Vanhawks has sold 1,000 bike in more than 42 countries.

“The resources, insights and technologies that Warren Industries holds in the automotive industry,” Zahid said, “will be invaluable as we prepare to enter the next stage of Vanhawks’ already explosive growth. Their strengths perfectly complement our business needs and we look forward to what we can accomplish with such a strong partner.”