My name is Dries, a Belgian who came to Rotterdam to study six years ago. I quickly fell in love with this city of “niet lullen, maar poetsen” — and here I stay. Rotterdam has become my home, and I want to make impact in this dynamic and no-nonsense city.

Like many others, I started with a Swapfiets. But when I decided I would stay here, I bought my own bike. I secured the bike with a sturdy lock and sprayed it red  to make it recognisable.

One month later, at 7 a.m. one morning, I stepped out of my house, ready to go to the gym. But when I wanted to get my bike, all I saw was my lock on the ground, right under a security camera. The police? They made no effort to view the footage.

Frustrated, I delved deeper into the dark world of bike theft. What I found was shocking. There is hardly any data available, despite the fact that at least 120 bicycles per day are stolen in Rotterdam and up to 210 per day in Amsterdam. Nationally, this amounts to 1 million stolen bicycles per year. What was even more surprising is that bicycle theft often remains local. The stolen bikes are being resold quickly, and the stories about vans that drive to Eastern Europe? They are rarely correct. And by the way, 85% of the stolen bicycles are not even electric.

I spoke to insurers, leasing companies, the police and the municipality. What I heard was disheartening: they simply told me to accept it, like everyone else does now. Bicycle theft is seen as a given, something that little can be done about. As long as the revenue models remain profitable, there is little motivation to tackle the problem. And the police? It does not have enough capacity to take it seriously.

This only made me more determined. Everyone I spoke to had experienced bicycle theft. It affects everyone. So I kept going.

After a lot of tests and discussions, I came to a solution. I developed the idea, inspired by successful initiatives in the United Kingdom, the United States and Belgium.

The great thing about my approach is that I am not only selling a product, but also setting up a movement. The SafeTag is more than just a sticker; it's a prevention tool and a data-generating machine. This finally gives us insight into the problem: hotspots, times, demographic data. Large institutions such as municipalities and insurers can benefit enormously from this.

Now I've formed a team that I'm immensely proud of, with Robbert and Marko — two driven and passionate partners who are just as determined to tackle this problem.

Now it's time to make impact. One sticker can make a big difference. Join the movement and help us reduce bike theft for good.