After 2,5 years of R&D, 3 successfully assembled prototypes and 200 hours of tests in real conditions, MoonBikes carried out a feasibility study to (1) validate the technical feasibility of the final product, (2) refine the manufacturing process and validate the product’s price, (3) complete the market research and business feasibility to assess the market traction in the targeted market segment, and elaborate a preliminary Business Plan. The underlying objective of this study was to prepare for the next phase of development, the industrialisation and launch of the product on the B2B and B2C market.
On the technical side, the technical feasibility study enabled us to qualify all the parts and assemble a final pilot with a new “in-wheel” propulsion system, and secure our designs with a new patent. This pilot will be deployed at 7 ski resorts partners in France in December & January 2019, to first of all gain further user feedbacks in order to prepare the specifications for the final product.
On the industrialisation side, the study allowed us to set our supply chain and seal partnerships with trusted partners to supply key elements of the machine. This part of the study, critical for the next phase, demonstrated the simplicity of our industrialisation process and validated the final price of the product well within our initial price target (a key factor for successfully penetrate our market target).
On the business side, the feasibility study allowed us to deepen our target market expertise on both B2B and B2C markets (particularly regarding the new B2C market segment currently not addressed by the current snowmobile industry), further demonstrating the potential for an entry level, easy to handle and fun machine, and finally start elaborating a preliminary commercialisation plan to reach these targeted users.
