From Pitch to Funding (March – June 2023)

From a Sketch to a Funded Idea – the moment TOURELLY stood on a stage for the first time.

After the first concepts, one thing was clear: the round pedal works. But an idea remains just an idea as long as it never leaves the room.

So we submitted our concept to the aws First Program – a funding camp for start-ups and students in Austria. In the months leading up to the application, between September 2022 and April 2023, we kept developing the idea further and further.

Until then, TOURELLY had been an MTB/Gravel-oriented project – but now we made it compatible for both worlds: off-road and road.
The pedal itself would stay the same, only the cleat – the part mounted to the shoe – would be different. A solution that brings both cycling cultures together.

In April 2023, we received the invitation to the aws First Camp – a weekend full of pitches, workshops, and conversations with jurors, mentors, and other founders. It was the first time we presented TOURELLY in front of an audience – equipped only with 3D-printed prototypes and our very first mountain bike version.

The pitch went better than expected:
We achieved 2nd place in the main pitch and 1st place in the team challenge. But more importantly, it was the first time we felt real resonance.
People understood the frustration – and they saw the potential.

Soon after, the message arrived: funding approved.
Starting in June 2023, we officially entered the aws First Program, which accompanied us for a full year – with workshops, mentoring, business coaching, and the first financial support to turn the idea into a brand.

During this time, we developed not only the product but also our identity. We built a website, launched a pre-registration page, and formed many of the connections that still support us today.

The idea of dual functionality – a pedal system suitable for both road and gravel – was still future music at that time. But it became the driving vision behind everything that followed.