Brussels-based electric bike company, Cowboy SA, has announced the appointment of Pola Karolczyk – a former senior associate at Sidley Austin and regional legal counsel at Apple Inc. in Brussels – as its first general counsel. This announcement comes as several e-bike companies find themselves financially struggling.
Karolczyk, who has spent the previous five years at Apple, will now take charge of overseeing Cowboy’s legal and investor relations as well as partaking in the strategic development of the company. While at Apple, she worked in Brussels, which serves as a, legal hub for the European Union.
Initially found in 2017, Cowboy SA quickly surfaced as a top e-bike manufacturer in the fast-growing urban mobility market. The company received $80 million in financing two years ago as part of an initiative to expand into the US market. Furthermore, in early 2023, Cowboy secured an additional $14 million in new funding.
While e-bike companies like Bird Global Inc. and VanMoof BV face challenging financial circumstances following the end of pandemic-related business booms, Jones Day, serving as Cowboy’s outside counsel, has been pivotal in helping the company expand its operations. A list of unsecured creditors in Bird’s Chapter 11 case shows it owes over $4.2 million to several law firms.
In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Karolczyk expressed her excitement about her new role. She noted that she looks forward to using her expertise to magnify Cowboy’s influence in the ever-evolving cycling industry.