BikeKit is our last-mile delivery equipment brand, built to bring new ideas to a category that had changed little. Over seven to eight years we developed products that did not exist before, working with factories in China that were willing to start with us before anyone knew the volumes. The lessons: get the design clear, prototype before you pay for tooling, and protect what is yours.
The idea
As a founder, I wanted to innovate in last-mile delivery: the boxes, bags and equipment riders use every day. That meant designing products from scratch, not choosing them from a catalogue. Most of the engineering was ours; the moulds, parts and production came from China.
A folding delivery box, from drawing to production
Our first big project was a delivery box that could be shipped flat, then assembled by the customer and fitted to a motorbike. It was a complicated product: many parts, and a box that had to stay completely stable on the bike, because anything that is not roadworthy is not a product. Nobody had made one like it, and this was 2018–2019, long before AI tools could help with design.
- Design. We had the box engineered with an engineering company in India.
- Prototype before tooling. The mould alone would cost about USD 6,000, so before committing we had the design 3D-printed to make sure it would come out the way we imagined.
- Mould and production in China. We were not confident the mould making and sampling could be done well in India, so we found a factory in China that could make the mould and the production prototype. We gave them complete drawings and every requirement they asked for, and coordination was smooth.
- Production. From there the box went into production. Idea to finished product took about four to five months.
A custom LED panel, made only for us
In Dubai, delivery boxes must carry lights for safety. Most boxes used LED strips. We designed a backlit LED panel instead, the first we knew of in the market, sized for a motorbike: 12 V, drawing just 1 A. A factory in China custom-made it for us, and we signed an NNN agreement (non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention) that bound them not to make the panel for anyone else.
The same panel then went into our delivery bags, which we shipped to customers in the UK and Europe. Many deliveries there are made by bicycle, with no battery to power a light, so we added a custom 12 V power bank to run the panel.
Prototypes for other organisations
BikeKit also developed solutions for outside organisations, including a government organisation and a large delivery company in India. We cannot name them because of the confidentiality agreements we signed.
- Rider safety. A delivery box fitted with multiple cameras and real-time analytics, to see whether riders were riding safely and how they behaved on the road. Much of the hardware was sourced from China, and the development was done by our own team.
- Cakes that arrive intact. For the delivery company in India, cakes and pastries were getting damaged on the way from restaurant to customer. We prototyped a simple way to lock the cake box inside the delivery box, with trays, a handling process and some shock absorption, so the cake no longer moved over road humps or got smudged when it was taken out.
What didn't work
Not every project reached the market. We spent a lot of time developing a cooling delivery box, but powering it reliably on the road, with batteries and everything that comes with them, proved too complicated to execute, and we stopped. Knowing when to stop is part of development too.
What it taught us
- Be clear before you start. A confused brief confuses everyone after it.
- Prototype before tooling. A 3D print costs little compared with a mould you have to remake.
- Collaborative factories exist. China has factories willing to develop a new product with you before the volumes are known, if you come prepared.
- Protect what is yours. An NNN agreement for a custom part helps keep it yours.
- Design for real use. Safety, power and handling on the road decided every product, not how it looked on paper.
How it shapes the Studio
BikeKit is where we learned product development the hard way: from a drawing, through prototypes and tooling, to something people use every day. The Studio brings the same process to premium wellness founders: a clear brief, prototypes before investment, the right collaborative factory, and protection for your design.
Questions founders ask
How can I test a new product design before paying for a mould?
Make a 3D-printed prototype first. It lets you check shape, fit and function for a fraction of the cost of tooling, so the mould is only made once you are confident the design works.
Will factories in China develop a new product when volumes are uncertain?
Some will. They tend to be smaller, collaborative factories that value a long-term relationship. A clear brief, complete drawings and a realistic plan for the first order make them far more willing to start.
Can I stop a factory from making my custom part for other buyers?
You can sign an agreement with the factory that bars it from making or selling your custom design to anyone else, ideally drafted for enforcement in China. It reduces the risk; no agreement can guarantee it.
How long does it take to develop a new product in China?
It depends on complexity. Our folding delivery box, a new multi-part design with a custom mould, went from final drawings to finished product in about four to five months. Simpler products, or a custom finish on an existing shape, can be much faster.
Planning a premium wellness product?
Global Wellness Brand Studio develops and produces premium wellness products in China, with a team on the ground and our own brands as proof.
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