From Capstone to Real-World Impact: How Quantic Students Helped FLIT Secure Funding and Scale Internationally

For startups, securing funding and expanding into international markets are major milestones, but achieving them demands strategic planning, in-depth market analysis, and data-driven decision-making. That’s exactly what three Quantic MBA students set out to accomplish in their Capstone strategy project for FLIT, a UK-based startup revolutionizing the folding electric bike industry.

Operations Manager at FLIT, Angus Wyllie, Medicinal Chemist Shaun O’Hare, and Senior Associate of Project Management and Strategy at ShopeePay, Ian Phillip, took on the challenge of crafting a comprehensive international expansion strategy. What started as an academic project quickly became a real-world growth blueprint, directly influencing FLIT’s approach to scaling in Europe. And in a moment of perfect timing, just as the team submitted their final project, FLIT secured £1.2 million in funding from institutional investors, validating their strategic recommendations in the best way possible.

Applying Strategy to Real-World Growth

With demand for FLIT’s folding e-bikes outpacing supply, the company needed a strategic approach for international expansion. Angus saw an opportunity to apply his Quantic coursework to a tangible business challenge. Alongside his peers, Shaun and Ian, the team leveraged their MBA learnings to develop a market entry strategy focused on e-bike leasing partnerships.

“Quantic’s Strategy module was invaluable in shaping our approach,” says Angus. “We quickly identified e-bike leasing in Germany as the optimal target and used Quantic’s frameworks to rigorously test our hypothesis. Applying these insights helped us refine our proposals and ensure all critical factors were carefully considered.”

The team’s comprehensive expansion plan included:

• A €229,700 budget allocation for strategic initiatives
• Market indicators such as e-bike adoption rates, regulatory ease, and pricing trends
• A roadmap for securing German leasing partners
• Supply chain and production scaling recommendations

By utilizing Quantic’s strategy frameworks as hypothesis testers, the team de-risked FLIT’s expansion plan. By using Quantic’s strategy frameworks to test each hypothesis, the team de-risked FLIT’s expansion plan and their final Capstone project and recommendation was included as part of the due diligence process for the round of funding.

“The funding was raised primarily to perfect the manufacturing process,” explains Alex Murray, FLIT Co-Founder and Managing Director. “Part of that process paying off in the long run includes scaling with larger manufacturing partners and selling in bigger markets, both of which were supported by the work of these MBA students.”

Lessons in Collaboration: Bridging Time Zones and Industries

With team members spread across different industries and time zones, collaboration was essential. The trio aligned efforts through strategic calls, ensuring their work was structured, adaptable, and actionable.

One key takeaway? Early and clear delegation. Life events, including career transitions, bereavement, and surgery, meant the team had to remain flexible while maintaining momentum on their project.

“We coordinated across three time zones through video calls, collaborating closely with FLIT’s founders to identify key challenges where we could apply our MBA insights,” explains Angus. “The biggest lesson we learned was ensuring work was allocated and agreed upon early. Planning was paramount for the success of the project.”

Beyond the Capstone itself, the experience underscored the power of Quantic’s network, enabling students to connect across industries and apply diverse perspectives to real-world challenges.

“The ability to network within the cohort has already been beneficial in exchanging ideas and meeting new people,” says Angus. “Reaching out to alumni on LinkedIn for advice on time management during the course was especially helpful.”

By working across disciplines and geographies, the team leveraged Quantic’s collaborative model to refine their strategic thinking and produce actionable insights, proving that when diverse perspectives come together, innovation flourishes.

From Capstone to Career: A Lasting Impact

Beyond helping FLIT refine its expansion strategy, this project left a lasting impact on the team’s professional development. For Angus, the experience translated directly into his career progression, as he advanced from Operations Engineer to Operations Manager at FLIT in a short span of time.

“Angus quickly transitioned from execution to strategy,” says FLIT Co-Founder and Managing Director, Alex Murray. “His role evolved into one that requires independent decision-making and leadership. He’s driven key initiatives from investment targeting and due diligence to optimizing workshop operations. Now coordinating our facility move, Angus has successfully transitioned from a technical mechanical engineer to a well-rounded generalist, with his Quantic education enhancing his impact.”

For Shaun and Ian, the project reinforced their passion for high-growth startups and strategic problem-solving, proving that joining a scaling company can be just as rewarding as launching one.

Their biggest takeaway? The power of a generalist mindset. By applying cross-functional business thinking, they developed a structured approach to tackling complex challenges, an invaluable skill for future business leaders.

Looking Ahead: The Power of Applied Learning at Quantic

This Capstone project exemplifies how Quantic’s MBA program equips students with the tools, insights, network, and confidence to drive meaningful impact before they even graduate. By leveraging their Quantic coursework, network, and cross-industry collaboration skills, Angus, Shaun, and Ian played a pivotal role in shaping FLIT’s expansion strategy.Current 2023 CONEBI data shows a value of roughly £400 million for the folding e bike market in Europe + UK, then the projections from CONEBI and Mckinsey the ebike market is expected to roughly triple by 2030. Assuming the folding bike market share stays consistent that would imply a £1.2billion market, and at current exchange rates that would be $1.5billion. Global market data has been inconsistent and unreliable over the last 10 years. So, this is just the beginning of FLIT’s growth story, one that was steered, in part, by the strategic insights of three Quantic MBA students.