intelligent

For up to 80 % of cyclists , the trigger for buying insurance is the purchase of a new bike , driven by the desire to protect their new , gleaming investments from theft or damage , especially during overly ambitious descents . Bikmo recognised the importance of integrating its services into the bike buying process .

Becoming Apiable

In 2020 , during a virtual FinTech conference , Dave George , the CEO of Bikmo , and Allan Knabe , the CEO of Apiable , met for the first time . Bonding over their shared passion for cycling , their discussion quickly pivoted to how Bikmo could expand its digital capabilities .

George envisioned leveraging API technology to integrate Bikmo ’ s bike insurance directly into partner platforms , a move that promised to shift its growth from linear to exponential . However , the challenge was the limited development resources to build the necessary infrastructure . The development team was fully committed to enhancing the core product and couldn ’ t prioritise time for an API program , leading to bespoke , non-scalable solutions for each new partner .

Jorj Ives , CTO at Bikmo , said : “ Apiable showed us the path to a scalable solution that required minimal development effort , allowing us to focus on our core product without needing to hire specialised resources and saving us months in development time .”

This insight led to a complete overhaul of Bikmo ’ s backend , moving away from a system designed solely for direct channels to a more flexible , API-led approach .

Apiable . io was instrumental in this transformation , offering a platform to productise Bikmo ’ s APIs and provide a secure API portal for partners . This marked Bikmo ’ s transition to an API-first strategy , facilitating smoother integration with third party services and internal development .

To simplify partner integration , Bikmo utilised Apiable for comprehensive API documentation and management , making the system accessible and straightforward . It chose Amazon API Gateway for its compatibility with its existing AWS infrastructure , enhanced by Apiable ’ s seamless connectivity .

Julian Reitter , Head of Partnerships for Germany and Austria at Bikmo , noted the change in how they presented their API products , moving from technical jargon to a more relatable , businessoriented language . This approach made the APIs more understandable to non-technical stakeholders and significantly improved their reusability across partners .

Recognising the need for a tangible demonstration of its APIs ’ capabilities , Bikmo requested a demo app from Apiable , simulating an e-commerce flow with embedded insurance . This tool proved to be a turning point , facilitating clear communication with both technical and business leaders during partner discussions .

With the new API portal and demo app , Bikmo began efficiently onboarding partners , streamlining the sign-up and integration process . However , due to the sensitive nature of the data , Bikmo required a more secure authorisation method than the standard API key . Apiable provided a solution with its Authorisation Service , ensuring customer data was handled securely , aligning with Bikmo ’ s data protection and privacy priorities .

This strategic partnership with Apiable and the shift to an API-led model have streamlined Bikmo ’ s operations and set a new standard in how bike insurance is integrated and offered .

Getting traction with buycycle

One of the first to embrace Bikmo ’ s API product was buycycle , a leading global marketplace for pre-owned bikes . buycycle has enhanced its customer offering by integrating insurance options , providing a more complete shopping experience . Buyers of high value bicycles seek assurance against theft , damage or accidents , and buycycle ’ s incorporation of insurance directly into the checkout process addresses this need effectively .

buycycle recognised the value in alleviating customer concerns associated with purchasing second-hand bikes . Before this seamless API integration , customers interested in insuring

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APIABLE SHOWED US THE PATH TO A SCALABLE SOLUTION THAT REQUIRED MINIMAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORT , ALLOWING US TO FOCUS ON OUR CORE PRODUCT WITHOUT NEEDING TO HIRE SPECIALISED RESOURCES AND SAVING US MONTHS IN DEVELOPMENT TIME .