CAKE recognized as one of the most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company
The second time around for the Swedish innovator of electric motorcycles.
CAKE, the Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles, has yet again been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies in the world. This is the second time that CAKE is featured on the coveted list, which highlights companies across the globe that have had a profound impact on both industry and culture.
“We’re honored to be recognized by Fast Company as one of the world's most innovative companies. Being an inspiration to others is part of CAKE’s purpose – not only in terms of sustainable engineering and product design, but in the whole concept of our vehicles addressing new types of markets and users. Subsequently, our products are platforms for further innovation, solving real problems and offering opportunities that have not been available before,” says Stefan Ytterborn, Founder and CEO of CAKE.
From its inception in 2016, CAKE has been committed to innovate the fields of both urban and off-road transportation, seeking to inspire towards a zero-emission society by combining excitement and responsibility in its development of light, quiet, and clean high-performance electric motorcycles. 2021 was a busy year for the company who, among other things, unveiled a third offering to the market - the convenient urban shuttle Makka. Catering to a new set of users, this powerful yet approachable electric moped features class-leading performance in a sleek, stylized package. The initial batch sold out within a week, further underscoring the market’s appetite for trail-blazing innovation.
Fast Company on Cake:
For engineering silent, streamlined electric bikes that combat real problems
The six-year-old Swedish electric bike manufacturer had a turbocharged 2021. In addition to launching a showroom in Stockholm and a factory in Sweden, and raising $60 million in funding, the company unveiled several noteworthy new vehicles: a city bike, which sold out within about a week of its September release; a durable electric utility bike for delivery drivers, craftspeople, and other service providers; a Polestar-compatible vehicle that can be mounted on the back of a Polestar EV and charged by the car while it’s being transported—on a highway, for instance—then used for last-mile commuting. And then there’s the Kalk AP, which offers sustainability on a whole different level. Conservationists in Africa have traditionally used motor bikes to patrol savannas in an attempt to thwart and catch poachers. However, those bikes require fuel—scarce in some regions of Africa—and their loud engines alert poachers to their approach. Cake’s quiet, solar-powered Kalk AP nullifies these two drawbacks. In October, Cake’s first Kalk AP models were delivered to rangers with the Southern African Wildlife College in South Africa, who are helping to refine the vehicle for optimal use in the bush. A limited charity arrangement with Salt Lake City-based solar power company Goal Zero will let people donate to the effort by buying a bundle—a bike, a solar power station, and solar panels—enabling rangers to charge their bikes off the grid.
A record year for innovation
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy. Ahead of the 2022 edition, Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries, evaluating a record number of applications spanning 52 categories in the process. This year, CAKE ranks as number 9 in the category Most Innovative Company Europe, Middle East, and Africa on Fast Company’s 2022 World’s Most Innovative Companies list.
“The world’s most innovative companies play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues facing society, whether they’re fighting climate change by spurring decarbonization efforts, ameliorating the strain on supply chains, or helping us reconnect with one another over shared passions,” ends Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky.
Further information:
Media inquiries: christian.lundgren@ridecake.com
Cake pressroom: ridecake.com/en/pressroom
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
About Cake
Cake is a Swedish company with a clear mission to inspire towards a zero-emission society, by combining excitement and responsibility in its development of light, quiet, and clean high-performance electric motorcycles and mopeds. Its first model, the Kalk, debuted in January 2018 and received numerous accolades, including the 2019 and 2020 Red Dot Design Award, IF Design Award, Automotive Brand Contest Award, and “Best in Show” designation by several outdoor industry publications. In 2019, Cake launched the Ösa, a utility platform with an integrated power station and off-road capabilities, which extended their award-winning streak. Cake expanded into the race scene in November 2020, launching the Kalk OR Race and Kalk INK Race. In September 2021, Cake released a convenient and light city moped, the Makka, expanding the user matrix further. Building on Cake’s existing platforms, the :work series of bikes optimized for professional use, including last-mile delivery and service applications, was launched in November 2021.
Learn more about Cake at: www.ridecake.com