Best Technology news & reviews
Latest
AI
Amazon
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Google
Government & Policy
Hardware
Instagram
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Newsletters
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
A year after Onyx Motorbikes owner James Khatiblou died suddenly, leaving customers with unfulfilled orders and millions in unpaid debts, the brand has been revived by its original founder.
“I’m excited to announce I have resurrected my original brand Onyx with incredible backers!” founder Tim Seward wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. “Onyx is literally back to the future now!”
The company is selling only about 100 RCRs electric dirt bikes to start. It’s not clear if those are newly produced units, or if these are part of the batch of e-bikes made earlier this year by Onyx’s Chinese supplier that were being held in limbo after Khatiblou’s death.
Seward did not respond in time to TechCrunch to provide information on the company’s resurrection and which investors he secured to back the company.
Seward, who has designed e-bikes for Bird and Ubco, built what would be the first Onyx e-bike, the RCR, in 2016. After launching the company with an Indiegogo campaign two years later, that design became a hit among a cult following of customers who loved the made-in-the-USA feel, the 1980s appeal of the design complete with a wooden body, and the powerful capabilities of the bike.
In 2019, Seward offloaded his stake in Onyx to his friend and former co-worker, Khatiblou, who stumbled as a first-time owner as he tried to scale the company. Many of the decisions he made created a web of legal and financial troubles that still hasn’t been untangled. Khatiblou died with no will and no succession plan, a complication that ground all operations, including customer deliveries and payments to suppliers and creditors, to a halt.
Oxygen Funding, an Orange County-based creditor, has claimed it is owed $2.2 million in debt. In May, Oxygen attempted to petition the Los Angeles County probate court to become the administrator of Khatiblou’s estate, which would allow it to control Onyx’s remaining assets and, ostensibly, sell those assets to repay itself.
Oxygen CEO Adam Lomax told TechCrunch on Tuesday he had no knowledge of Onyx’s revival under Seward. He also noted that Oxygen’s petition to control Khatiblou’s estate is still in limbo, pending an as-yet unassigned court date, and that his company still has not been paid back.
Oxygen wasn’t the only creditor fighting for a piece of Onyx. Per a 2019 operating agreement, Kenneth Ames, a former engineering and sourcing executive in the LED lighting business based in Simi Valley, and Troy Smith, a self-employed accountant based in Carlsbad, hold a 37.5% percentage interest in Onyx LLC. Onyx LLC is also the entity that owns Onyx’s branding, according to a trademark assignment agreement.
It’s not clear whether Ames and Smith are involved in Onyx’s revival. TechCrunch has reached out to Ames, Troy, and their counsel to learn more. TechCrunch will update the article if they respond.
Topics
Rebecca Bellan covers transportation for TechCrunch. She’s interested in all things micromobility, EVs, AVs, smart cities, AI, sustainability and more. Previously, she covered social media for Forbes.com, and her work has appeared in Bloomberg CityLab, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, i-D (Vice) and more. Rebecca studied journalism and history at Boston University. She has invested in Ethereum.
Google is using Anthropic’s Claude to improve its Gemini AI
OpenAI’s o3 suggests AI models are scaling in new ways — but so are the costs
Elon Musk’s xAI lands $6B in new cash to fuel AI ambitions
Nvidia’s CES 2025 keynote: How to watch
Eero’s Outdoor 7 long-distance mesh unit solved our yearslong Wi-Fi quandary in 10 minutes
Yoast’s former CEO calls for a ‘federated’ approach to WordPress repository
Electric aircraft startup Lilium ceases operations, 1,000 workers laid off
Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news
Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.
TechCrunch's AI experts cover the latest news in the fast-moving field.
Every Monday, gets you up to speed on the latest advances in aerospace.
Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice.
© 2024 Yahoo.
