BMW Motorrad invests in Venna – heading off-road on electric power.

Rather than building its own electric motocrosser, BMW Motorrad is buying into a young specialist. With Venna, Munich gains know-how in a segment where BMW has no offering yet: high-performance electric off-road motorcycles for a young, sporty audience.

What happened

On 29 October 2026, BMW Motorrad announced in Munich that it has taken a stake in the e-mobility start-up Venna. Venna develops high-performance electric motorcycles and aims to cover all riding categories in the long run. The focus of the partnership, however, is clearly on electric off-road motorcycles, a segment BMW describes as growing strongly.

The press release does not disclose the size of the investment, the stake or a timeline for first products. No model names have been announced either.

Who brings what?

• BMW Motorrad contributes development and industrialisation expertise as well as its global presence.

• Venna brings innovative strength and speed, exactly what a large group often lacks in a new segment.

The target group is younger, performance-oriented riders who see motorcycling primarily as a sporty leisure experience, a group BMW has so far reached only at the margins with the GS, R 12 or S 1000 RR.

What they say

BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch emphasises that both companies share a passion for technical excellence. In his view, the partnership opens up new perspectives and should win new audiences for motorcycling.

Venna CEO Marko Ukota sees the investment as confirmation of the company's technological approach and as a boost for technology development and industrialisation.

Who is behind Venna?

Marko Ukota is no stranger to the electric off-road scene. The Slovenian is a former Slovenian and Italian supermoto champion and co-founded the start-up Flux Performance in 2021. Flux develops electric off-road motorcycles with an in-house powertrain and a battery that can be swapped in under a minute.

The Flux Primo prototype shows how serious the team is:

• 85 hp peak output

• 200 Nm at the gearbox output shaft, around 750 Nm at the rear wheel

• 450-volt, 7 kWh battery, removable from the side

BMW's announcement leaves open whether Venna is Flux's new brand or a separate follow-up project. The same CEO and the same focus on electric off-road, however, point to a direct connection.

Context: a change of course at BMW Motorrad?

The move is especially interesting given earlier statements. In interviews, Markus Flasch had said BMW saw too little demand to develop full-fledged electric motorcycles. In the city, BMW has long relied on electric power with the CE 04 and CE 02, but combustion engines remain the choice for touring, adventure and performance bikes.

The Venna stake still fits the picture. Instead of launching its own electric off-road project, BMW invests in a specialist: the risk stays manageable while access to technology and young customers is secured. BMW follows a similar approach with TVS in India, jointly developing platforms and future technologies.

Electric dirt bikes have real advantages: hardly any noise, no oil changes and instant torque. Where noise regulations increasingly restrict off-road riding, that can be decisive. At the same time, the market is fiercely competitive, with players such as Stark Future and KTM.

BMW Motorrad stays true to itself: no rushed electric GS, but a targeted entry where electric drive already makes the most sense today. If Venna turns the strengths of the Flux Primo into a production-ready product and BMW adds its industrialisation experience, this could become more than a footnote. A blue-and-white electric motocross bike? No longer out of the question.

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Quellen: BMW Press Group, Google, Instagram, Erfahrungen aus dem Auto Gewerbe

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