Velo-city 2026 is widely recognised as the premier global summit for cycling mobility. Organised by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), this year’s edition took place from June 16th to 19th in Rimini, Italy, and Don Cicleto was there to make a significant impact.
Under the central claim “Delivering the Urban Dream”, the event brought together over 1.500 international delegates. The goal was clear yet challenging: to address global solutions for active mobility, connected infrastructure, and urban governance.
For Don Cicleto, attending this summit was a strategic milestone to accelerate its international expansion. “Our focus in Rimini was to strengthen alliances with current partners and lay the foundations for new international commercial relationships by showcasing our technology,” stated Pablo Rosa, CEO of Don Cicleto, at the event.
Consolidating Alliances with Strategic Partners
The four-day summit provided an ideal venue to reinforce operational ties and long-term visions with industry-leading companies that already collaborate with Don Cicleto globally, such as Cyclehoop, upandbike, and Bike facilities.
The meetings focused on digital infrastructure management, service interoperability, and long-term tech integration. These strategic discussions reaffirmed Don Cicleto’s role as a trusted global technology provider, enabling infrastructure manufacturers to scale up their businesses through integrated, user-friendly solutions.
“Don Cicleto has spent years refining robust hardware infrastructure and a highly advanced software ecosystem. In 100% of cases, we save time and capital investment for those working towards similar smart mobility goals”
New Commercial Frontiers in the European Market: The “Build vs. Buy” Dilemma
“Nothing beats face-to-face business,” summarized Pablo Rosa. Don Cicleto’s presence at Velo-city 2026 served to accelerate in-person negotiations with top-tier international infrastructure manufacturers looking to digitize their products.
For many hardware manufacturers, integrating digital access control has become a necessity to remain competitive. However, developing software in-house can turn into an expensive, time-consuming, and high-risk distraction from their core business.
Don Cicleto attended Velo-city to solve this specific pain point. “Our goal is to understand their needs and explore technical synergies. Don Cicleto has spent years refining robust hardware infrastructure and a highly advanced software ecosystem. In 100% of cases, we save time and capital investment for those working towards similar smart mobility goals,” explained Rosa.
A Community Driven by Digitalization and Collaboration
Walking through the networking hubs at the Palacongressi di Rimini made it clear that the micro-mobility community is becoming more integrated. Throughout the event, businesses, specialized media, and public administrations were actively setting up future technical collaborations.
Don Cicleto leveraged this collaborative environment to join forces with the Red de Ciudades por la Bicicleta, outline future media projects with Ciclosfera magazine—a leading voice in urban cycling—and sync strategies with the leadership of the European Cycling Federation (ECF).
Technical Takeaways: Scaling Mobility with Access-Control SaaS
With over 80 academic sessions and panel debates, Velo-city 2026 highlighted the critical technical trends shaping the industry. Don Cicleto’s core expertise aligns perfectly with the main takeaways of the summit:
1. Multimodality and Smart Bike Parking
True active mobility relies on seamless integration with public transport hubs. Don Cicleto has addressed this by deploying a solid network of secure bike parkings and bike hangars at train stations and transit hubs across Spain. This allows commuters to park securely while switching transit modes.
2. High-Performance Access and User Management SaaS
Rather than building software from scratch, the European market is moving towards adopting specialized access-control SaaS. Don Cicleto provides a powerful administration dashboard and management panels that allow operators to track real-time availability, handle bookings, manage payments, and analyze usage data seamlessly.
3. White-Label App Customization and Third-Party Integration
To help manufacturers maintain their brand identity, Don Cicleto offers a fully customizable white-label app. Thanks to its public APIs and seamless third-party integrations, infrastructure manufacturers can digitize their bicycle parking solutions and achieve a fast time-to-market without the hidden costs of internal software development.
4. Innovation in Micro-Logistics
The rise of urban cycle-logistics demands innovative spatial solutions, such as the Nano-hubs implemented in Brussels, a project where Don Cicleto’s technology has played a crucial role.
The outcomes achieved at Velo-city 2026 reaffirm Don Cicleto’s commitment to leading the development of connected cycling infrastructure and technology, making daily operations seamless for both end-users and global businesses.