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Ruben Burga
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Otinga created a versatile backpack that easily transforms from an ordinary backpack into a bike bag (Otinga, n.d.). Their design enhances comfort, is dirt repellant and promotes an active lifestyle. Through using mostly recycled materials, the innovation is actively reducing the negative environmental impact and promoting sustainability.
They created a patented innovation through which a backpack can easily be converted into a bike bag. This innovation was used in their first backpack, the “FlipV2” (Otinga, n.d.). When converting the bag, the cyclist folds up the lower part of the bag to tuck away the shoulder straps. This allows for the shoulder straps to be protected during the bike ride so they remain dry and clean when it is raining or when the road is dirty. Furthermore, after folding away the straps an attachment appears which enables the bag to be attached to the bike rack. This transformation allows the bag to be utilized when walking and when biking in the most comfortable way.
Otinga is focusing on making biking more attractive for anyone while promoting a sustainable and healthy lifestyle to their customers. The innovation is targeted to different types of people. On one hand, Karl explained “[it is] for people who want to go on a little adventure” and on the other for commuters who travel back and forth to university or work frequently.
Additionally, they have other innovations such as the Shopper V2 (Otinga, n.d.). This smaller version of the bike bag is, “more like [a] tote bag, which you can fold away in your backpack,” Karl explained. Otinga highlights that their company has a backpack for everyone (Otinga, n.d.).
Otinga especially works towards SDG number 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities where Otinga is promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle where bikes are the preferred mode of transportation (United Nations, n.d.). This ties into SDG 13, Climate Action, by reducing CO2 emissions both in the bike bag manufacturing process and by encouraging biking as a low-emission alternative (United Nations, n.d.).
The idea for their first and consistently best-selling product originated three years prior to founding their company. The idea came about during a six-month exchange in New Zealand. During that time, they discovered their inspiration for their innovation. Karl explained that they “rode [their] bike a lot” during their exchange in New Zealand, however “a backpack [was] not the best solution”. This is due to the fact that one gets very sweaty when riding a bike with a backpack and Karl explained, “it’s just uncomfortable”. Additionally, they wanted a bag that would be able to get dirty and be cleaned quickly. However, they did not find a backpack that worked, so they decided to create their own.
Their big breakthrough came about four months later when they appeared on the German show “Die Höhle der Löwen” (similar to “Shark Tank” in the US). Karl and Leander secured Nils Glagau as an investor, whose connections paired with the show’s publicity drove over 100,000 visitors to their website. Through this great opportunity the investor was another inspiration to continue forward with their innovation. However, Karl and Leander came across a trademark conflict, leading to them changing their brand name, giving rise to “Otinga," a Maori word meaning “solution”. This aligned perfectly with Karl and Leander’s vision of creating a simple, elegant solution to a real-world problem.
The overall impact of the innovation was, as Karl explained, “to make the day-to-day life with your bike more attractive, making it easier to transport your things, and therefore encouraging more people to ride their bike to work because now there is a better solution to tuck away a laptop”. He also explained that the direct impact is that their clients make the active decision of use their bike instead of their car, taking a step towards a cleaner environment.
Karl highlights that their company does not know the exact figures as to how many people started biking instead of taking the car after purchasing their innovation, however he expressed how it’s the mentality of making these small changes in your daily life that make the big overall difference in the end.
Additionally, Otinga only uses recycled materials. The CO2 emissions of the bags during the entire manufacturing process are calculated and compensated. This is achieved through a company called Wilderness International (Otinga, n.d.). Thie company is “an international company which buys forests, for example, in Brazil and protects them from being harvested down, or burnt down, for commercial use.” This is how Otinga is trying to “compensate for the CO2 emissions which are emitted during the whole production process of one backpack”.
Another impact that Otinga has created is working towards the SDG Goal 1 which is No Poverty (United Nations, n.d.).
Otinga is working together with fair trade to enable fair loans to their employees to make a mark in reducing poverty and improving living conditions in Vietnam. When Otinga purchases a backpack from their manufacturer, 1% is added on top which is paid into an employee fund. This money is paid out quarterly, Karl explained, and this year approximately 7,000-10,000 USD will be paid into the employee fund. This additional salary can be used to strengthen the financial situation of the employees and additionally finance any community projects they want to engage in.
The innovation is benefitting the business tremendously, as it is the reason why Otinga was founded in the first place.
A year and a half after Karl and Leander started working on their business idea, they sought support to bring their innovation to life. In order to scale up their business activity they found help with “Deuter,” a leading backpack manufacturer, and together they refined their design for mass production (Otinga, n.d.). The subsequent crowdfunding campaign was a success, allowing them to pre-sell 450 products and raise €61,000. This money enabled the innovation to grow.
As Karl explained in the interview their business model is selling their backpacks through their website and through distribution channels like Amazon or small bike stores. To make their business grow, they “advertise on Instagram, Facebook and Google,” creating a close customer relationship.
Over the years from 2021 to 2024, their revenue was continuously increasing:
2021: 0€
2022: 840,000€
2023: 1,140,000€
2024: estimated ca. 2,200,000€
These numbers show that the demand for their backpacks is rising. With the expansion of the company, sales are also growing enabling them to continuously invest into their business innovation and continue having a positive impact on the environment and society.
Furthermore, the company is consistently innovating and finding new products to add to their portfolio. Currently, they have six products in their product portfolio and are working on three to four more products planned for release in the next two years. Additionally, they are constantly improving their current portfolio to adjust to their customer needs.
Otinga benefits the society and the environment in a multi-dimensional manner.
Firstly, it addresses the SDG 13 Climate Action by acknowledging that rainforests are one of the most important elements in fighting against climate change and preserving biodiversity in the world (United Nations, n.d.). They work together with Wilderness International, who buys the last ecologically valuable and extremely endangered wilderness areas in a legally secure manner to protect the rainforests in the future (Otinga, n.d.). Using their profits, they ensure long-term protection of the rainforests and research on production measures and strategies. Through aerial photographs, the impact of Otinga can be observed.
Otinga is also committed to achieving SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production (United Nations, n.d.). All of the fabrics used for the bike bags are made from recycled materials (Otinga, n.d.). Additionally, they calculate the CO2 emissions, which are emitted during the whole process and transport of the bags. These carbon emissions are then compensated with a company called Wilderness International. It’s an international company which buys forests, for example, in Brazil and protects those from being harvested or burnt down (Otinga, n.d.). The bags are additionally made of high quality and long-lasting materials. This helps to promote sustainable and responsible consumption instead of fast fashion.
Furthermore, Otinga is working towards SDG 17, which is Partnerships for the Goals through partnering with Fair Trade to obtain a Fair Trade certificate (United Nations, n.d.). The high social and environmental standards that are set by Fair Trade are reviewed annually in the Otinga factories. They prioritize their focus on high quality products and the well-being of the workers along the production chain. Karl explained that, “there are fair wages [and] no overtime hours” within the factories in Vietnam. Moreover, the additional salary paid into the employee fund can be “used to support local projects, or [the employees] can take the money for themselves to have a little bonus at the end of the year,” Karl explained. This shows how Otinga is giving back to the people working in their company to improve their quality of life.
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Karl Fischer, CEO
2bag, now known as Otinga, was founded by Karl and Leander when they were just 18 in 2021 (Otinga, n.d.). Their overall business aim is to make the life of cyclists easier through innovative backpacks, which can be converted to bike bags. They lay a strong emphasis on ensuring that their products have no negative impact on the environment nor their employees.