The verdict in three sentences
A corporate bike leasing SaaS MVP fits into 12 to 16 weeks if it sticks to contracts, servicing and benefit tracking, with only three roles: HR, employee and mechanic. Development usually lands in the mid tier of the Kolonell grid, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), and moves to the complex tier as soon as multi-entity recurring billing and payroll integrations come in. The real saving is a ruthlessly trimmed scope: every screen that does not serve the first customer signature pushes revenue back by weeks.
What the MVP must do, and what can wait
In the Netherlands, employers can offer a leased bike as a taxable benefit at a 7 % addition on the list price, and the market is crowded with lease providers. In the UK, the Cycle to Work scheme lets employees save roughly 26 % to 42 % on a bike through salary sacrifice, with many employers now going above the old 1,000 GBP reference. Either way, your SaaS must make the benefit painless for HR, or the employer will not sign.
| Module | Role | Needed for MVP | Estimated effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bike catalogue and ordering | Employee, HR | Yes | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Lease contract and e-signature | HR | Yes | 2 weeks |
| Benefit tracking per employee | HR | Yes | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Servicing schedule and repair tickets | Mechanic, employee | Yes | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Recurring billing to employers | Founders | Simple version | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Native mobile app | Employee | No, a PWA is enough | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Payroll software connectors | HR | No, CSV export | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Carbon and mileage dashboard | HR, management | No, phase 2 | 2 weeks |
The rule of thumb: a responsive PWA lets employees report a breakdown with a photo, and a monthly CSV export covers payroll. Payroll connectors come when ten customers ask for them.
What the MVP costs in 2026
The figures below compare common options for an Amsterdam or London startup. Non Kolonell prices are 2026 market estimates.
| Option | Development budget | Timeline | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo freelancer in Amsterdam (650 to 850 EUR per day) | 35,000 to 60,000 EUR | 4 to 6 months | Single point of failure |
| London agency (700 to 1,000 GBP per day) | 70,000 to 140,000 GBP | 4 to 6 months | Burns most of the seed round |
| No-code (Bubble, Softr) | 10,000 to 25,000 EUR plus subscriptions | 6 to 10 weeks | Technical ceiling around 50 customers |
| Kolonell, simple application | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) | 8 to 10 weeks | Very tight scope |
| Kolonell, mid-size application | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | 12 to 16 weeks | Scope trade-offs to hold |
| Kolonell, complex application | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | 4 to 6 months | Longer before first revenue |
EU or UK hosting is non negotiable: employee data (home address, bank details for reimbursements, trip history) falls under GDPR or UK GDPR, and HR directors ask where servers sit in the first meeting. Hosting cost is set in the quote. After launch, Kolonell maintenance runs 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on the support level.
A realistic 14-week schedule
| Weeks | Deliverable | Founder sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Workshops, journeys for the 3 roles, mockups | Clickable mockups tested with 3 HR managers |
| 3 to 5 | Accounts, roles, catalogue, ordering | Internal demo |
| 6 to 8 | Contracts, e-signature, benefit tracking | Test with a pilot customer |
| 9 to 11 | Servicing, mechanic tickets, notifications | Field test with a workshop |
| 12 to 13 | Billing, exports, acceptance testing | Full acceptance |
| 14 | EU production launch, training | First customer invoiced |
The pilot customer is decisive: an 80-person company in Amsterdam Zuidas or Shoreditch that tests for free for three months will teach you more than six months of specifications.
Mini case study
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Sophie and Daan, cofounders of a young Amsterdam company, raised 300,000 EUR and target 25 employer customers within 12 months. Their model: 85 EUR per bike per month, of which 15 EUR is software and service margin. With an average of 20 bikes per customer, 25 customers mean 500 bikes, or 7,500 EUR of monthly margin tied to the SaaS.
They choose the mid tier, with a 9,000 EUR MVP budget and 114 EUR per month of standard maintenance. Development pays back in under 2 months of margin once the 25 customers are signed. Against a local agency quoting 80,000 EUR, the 71,000 EUR difference funds almost a year of field sales. The real bet is commercial, not technical: the software simply must never slow down a deal.
FAQ
Do we need a native mobile app at launch?
No in 90 % of cases. An installable PWA handles breakdown reports, photos and notifications, and saves 4 to 6 weeks of extra development.
How does the SaaS handle the employee benefit?
The MVP tracks the amount used per employee over the year, alerts HR at 80 % of the employer's chosen cap and produces a monthly payroll export. Country rules (Dutch 7 % addition, UK salary sacrifice) are configured per customer.
Where is the data hosted?
In a data centre inside the EU or the UK, with daily backups and access logs. The provider and hosting cost are specified in the quote.
Can the MVP grow into a full platform?
Yes, if the architecture plans for multiple employers and roles from day one. Typical additions, such as payroll connectors or a carbon dashboard, ship in 2 to 5 week increments.
Who owns the source code?
The founders, fully, on delivery. Any investor will check this during due diligence for the next round.
Let's scope your project. Send us your three user roles and your pilot customer, and we will scope an MVP deliverable in 12 to 16 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
