On a roll — after the low point
9 months ago
– Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 12:39:46 AM
Hey everyone,
Straight to the point:
We passed Varefakta.
And that’s a huge milestone.
Why Varefakta matters (a lot)
We are the first smart bike lock to pass all Varefakta tests.
Varefakta is the insurance companies’ testing and the gateway to the Danish bicycle lock market
(no approval = no reimbursement for stolen bikes).
It’s widely considered the toughest bicycle lock test you can find — in Europe, and arguably anywhere.
This isn’t a lab machine pulling in a straight line.
It’s real tools. Real attack patterns.
It’s how a real thief actually tries to break a lock.
That’s why passing it matters so much.
For Danish backers, it means insurance approval, which is essential.
For everyone else, it proves the lock you’re getting has gone from the beautiful but naïve product we sold you three years ago
to a world-class, real-world product built for abuse.
In the process of upgrading the locking mechanism, we had to scrap 3,000 shackles.That’s a small price to pay not to launch a lock that can be opened with a hammer.
What remains now is documentation and formal listing, which will be completed and published after Christmas.
Tracking certification
The mandatory tracking-related certification remaining.
Until this is passed, we can’t code the locks at the factory.
Best case: it’s cleared without further action.
Worst case: we tweak the firmware slightly.
Either way, this is now process cleanup, not product uncertainty, and it’s 100% software-related.
Real-world use
As many of you know, we recruited some of you backers as testers at Transparency Day.
Now, about six months later, around 20% of those testers had their bike lost or stolen have already gotten it back, thanks to the tracking.
You will love it!
Shipping expectations
Christmas is obviously not happening.
We now expect to start shipping in January, before Chinese New Year.
After that, we scale shipping after Chinese New Year.
As soon as the last certification is cleared, you’ll receive the survey.
Marcus
Founder & Chief Problem-Solver
LAAS
The low point before it all turns
11 months ago
– Sat, Nov 08, 2025 at 07:45:39 PM
Hey everyone,
Yeah… it’s been too long since my last update — but that’s nothing compared to our three-year Kickstarter launch.
Lame, I know. I was waiting to have “good news” to share.
But that’s not what transparency is about.
So here it is: this is the low point.
I’m in China. Eleven days in, two to go.
We failed two certifications — one firmware based, one insurance — and that’s what brought me here.
We’ve hit that part of the startup journey where the team’s tired, I’m tired, and we’re broke — but the only way out is forward.
Exactly the moment I’m looking forward to talking about one day — in that emotional Instagram podcast with a big mic — when we’ve shipped a shitload of locks.
Compliance test
We failed our third round of a very picky test.
It’s not that the lock doesn’t work — it’s timing down to tiny fractions of a second.
I can’t go into details yet, but I’ll tell you all about it once we’ve passed.
We’ve already figured out how to correct it, and the firmware team is implementing the fix now.
Morale took a hit after three failed rounds, so a big part of my job is keeping the team’s energy up.
We’re not allowed to ship locks until we pass this test — that’s why 3,000 locks are currently waiting at the factory, ready but unassembled.
Varefakta (Danish insurance certification)
We’d already passed every single test months ago and were basically ready for approval — then Varefakta decided to restart the whole process “just to be sure.” (We didn’t agree with it — and we’ve already spent a fortune on this.)
Their testing is brutal and incredibly thorough. They don’t just glance at a lock — they dissect it. Imagine seven engineers around a table marking likely attack points, then giving each tool three full minutes to go at it. Three minutes per tool — hammering, sawing, bending — right there on the street. It’s the kind of endurance test that pushes gear far beyond what it would ever face in real life.
During that phase, they found a weak point we hadn’t stressed enough internally. Fair play — we missed it, and we’re fixing it.
That’s why I’m in China — to make sure we fix it properly and permanently.
The Varefakta certification isn’t mandatory, but it’s key for the Danish market.
And regardless, we wouldn’t want to ship locks that don’t pass this test to any of you, wherever you are.
Where we stand
The issue is inside the lock — a small but critical part that needs to handle extreme demands while fitting our minimalist design.
We’re refining it now with the factory team, aiming for a fix that’s strong, clean, and reliable under any condition.
Every change affects something else, so we’re moving surgically — fixing what matters without disturbing what already works.
And since we have 3,000 locks waiting to be reworked, every millimeter counts.
Everything else, though? Solid.
Build quality: spot-on.
App: works beautifully.
Internal ART2 tests: passed.
Shipping: ready — drop-shipping worldwide from China, Europe from our German hub.
Accessories: Chain, Flex Mount, and V-Brake Mount — finished and ready to ship.
This product is real. The system works.
This is the last mechanical hurdle before we floor it.
What’s next
We still expect to start fulfillment before Christmas — believe it or not.
As soon as certification clears, you’ll all get the long-awaited backer survey to:
Confirm your shipping address
Choose your color
And decide how many more you want to buy at your original backer price
Make sure you’ve got the right mounting accessories for your bike — don’t worry, we’ll guide you when the time comes.
The climb’s been brutal, but the view from here — even at the bottom — still looks worth it.
We’re close. Really close.
Marcus
Founder & Chief Problem-Solver
Still Here. Still Grinding. Still Bad at Updates...
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 11:09:33 PM
Some of you probably saw my video a couple of weeks ago about the failed certification test. For the rest of you—here’s the scoop:
The real deal:
Luckily, the test lab caught a tiny hiccup that saved us from forcing you—our beloved backers—to read six extra, mind-numbingly boring characters in your Bluetooth name. Seriously… close call. 😂
Now, if you’re one of those people rolling your eyes at pink velvet packaging updates and just thinking, “Just send me my damn lock,”—we get you.
If it were just about boxes, we’d mail them out in shoeboxes tomorrow.
But this one’s about certification. And we need it right.
The good news?
Fresh test locks are heading back to the lab today.
Wish us luck—and if all goes well, we’ll have those LAAS locks in your hands very soon.
Thanks for sticking with us. 💚
And hey—
If you wanna be 100% sure you don’t miss the next update (in case I get a bit too focused on factory chaos again)…
Follow along here:
instagram.com/laaslocks
Jewelry boxes, pink silk, and your survey on the way…
about 1 year ago
– Sat, Aug 16, 2025 at 11:12:00 AM
Packaging
Obviously we made a jewelry box — for your bike bling. Pink silk inside.
(And yes, we’re still thinking about all those great — and not-so-great — taglines you sent us. We’ll get back to that…)
China & Certification
I spent two weeks in China at the end of July to make sure everything is on track — and it is. We worked on packaging, even pulling in the packaging company’s Disney department to nail this jewelry-box look. Production is moving.
One certification is still dragging out. It’s the last hurdle, but everything is submitted. Once it’s cleared, we move. Fast.
Eurobike
I went to Eurobike. People loved the design — and the simplicity. A real confidence boost.
Backer Fulfilment
Within weeks we’ll send out the long-awaited survey. In it you’ll:
✅ Confirm your updated shipping details
🎨 Choose your lock color
🔒 And — as our loyal, battle-tested backers — you’ll have the chance to grab more locks at the Kickstarter price before we go retail.
Something many of you asked for: we’ll also include a guide to the accessories you might need. Depending on your bike, you can choose between the FlexMount (from the campaign) or a new V-brake mount inspired by the Japanese way of installing. Whatever your setup, we’ll make sure you’ve got the right gear before shipping.
Thanks for sticking with us. We’re almost there.
Transparency Day happened. What’s next?
about 1 year ago
– Sat, Jul 05, 2025 at 02:36:06 PM
Hey everyone
A few weeks ago, we opened the doors in Copenhagen for Transparency Day.
It wasn’t fancy. No presentations. No stage. Just real people, real bikes, and locks.
About 50–60 people came — backers, friends, investors.
10 of you installed locks and took them home for testing.
I made notes. I made adjustments.
(Also discovered our chairman of the board is suspiciously good at installing locks. Noted.)
Since then, it’s been full throttle.
I made a last-minute decision to load two LAAS-wrapped cargo bikes on the back of my pickup and drive to Eurobike — the biggest bike fair in the world.
Three days. Dozens of conversations. Lots of reactions that started with “Whoa” and ended with “When can we get this?”
More on that soon.
Also: the tagline poll.
A lot of you voted — amazing. The responses were wild. Some of you clearly spent time thinking. Some of you clearly did not.😂 We loved all the effort.
A few suggestions were honestly brilliant. We’ll share the top picks soon. (The good ones — we’re keeping it positive.)
Next stop: China.
I’m heading over to make sure everything is 100% on track for production, certification, packaging — we’re checking it all, in person.
Because yes — we’re still doing everything we can to ship you the best keyless lock on the market.
Thanks for sticking with us.
More soon.
— Marcus
