Oruga: we feel backing that we can trust
Latvian start-up Oruga has created the world’s only single-track caterpillar motorcycle, the Oruga Unitrack, which combines the manoeuvrability of a motorcycle with the power of a tank. It can travel over sand, mud, rocks, and snow, crawling out of places where even all-terrain vehicles would get stuck. This is a dual-purpose technology: suitable for both off-road adventure riders and professional and military applications.
Founded in 2023, the company became a member of the business incubator set up by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) in Riga last year, using various state support instruments. “Observing what is happening in the industry and reviewing our own experience, we can see progress in state support programs: the industry professionals who organize them are clearly trying to understand the needs of start-ups. We feel noticed, listened to, guided; we have a strong backing, but there are still issues that need systematic improvement,” company co-founder Liene Vītola emphasises.
One of the challenges she mentions is the procedure for receiving co-financing for companies that have not yet launched their product on the market and are still looking for investors to start production. In some cases, either due to the amount of investment required for the development of the product itself or the stage of development of the company, this procedure can be challenging, as it is initially necessary to make investments, which are then partially compensated by the state. “Another unresolved problem is the various support instruments for innovation and development, which are intended solely for companies that, in parallel with research and innovation development, are also engaged in the sale of other products or services. This effectively closes the door to market newcomers such as Oruga, which does not engage in any other activities alongside the development of innovative products. It is understandable that this procedure has been introduced as a risk-mitigating measure, but such a strategy is not suitable for the targeted increase of production, export and innovation capacity. Moreover, the technological risks of innovation development are equally high for companies that are indirectly involved in innovation and for companies for which it is a priority. In some cases, the latter, having taken a big risk themselves, will be much more focused and productive on the way to their goal,” she explains.
At the same time, state support has helped in gaining foreign experience and finding investors. This fall, the company’s team returned from Washington, D.C., where a trade mission for Latvian entrepreneurs, jointly organised by LIAA and the Ministry of Economics of Latvia, took place from October 13 to 17. “It was a high-level event: all meetings, seminars, and individual consultations were carefully evaluated and selected to make our development path shorter and more effective. In one week, we met more people and gained more contacts than we would have been able to in a year,” Ms Vītola recalls.
“The opportunity to go on such trips and use state support instruments allows us to focus our efforts on technological development rather than organisational work. This is a huge relief for a start-up that does everything on its own,” she adds.
Information material prepared with the support of the European Regional Development Fund
