Most people know Mate Rimac as the founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili and Greyp Bikes. However, Rimac’s brilliant side is still unknown to many. His life story is nothing short of an exciting tale, and he is seen by many as a prodigy of modern times. This young innovator was born in Bosnia in 1988 and started showing signs of brilliance from a very young age. His story, passion, and humble beginnings make him a role model for many. In 2011, after achieving many incredible feats, he started his company and made several bold claims, and challenged electric car giants like Tesla to make better cars than Rimac Automobili.
The journey of how Mate Rimac paved his way to the top and became one of the most influential personalities in the world is indeed a definition of his character.
The Rise Of A Genius
Rimac’s childhood was not the easiest time of his life. His family shifted to Germany when he was three years old and later to Croatia. When he found his mentor Ivan Vlainić who recognized his talent and motivated him to participate in the various innovation contests. Mate ended up winning his first competition, which was only the beginning of his innovations and intelligent ideas. He invented several gadgets that solved problems and enhanced processes.
Rimac had won numerous awards in international innovation competitions in countries like South Korea, Germany, and Croatia before turning 18. He then attended the VERN University of Applied Science in 2007 and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurial Management in 2010.
Being fascinated by cars all his life, Rimac wanted to enter racing and bought a 1984 BMW E30 323i 2006. After the car’s combustion engine exploded during a race, he decided to turn the car into an all-electric. This proved to be one of his biggest successes that defined his life after that point. The converted BMW then went on to compete in motorsport events and won against the conventional machines. For a time, it was the world's fastest electric vehicle. Seeing the potential in electric performance, Mate decided to start a company to build electric cars.
Initially called VST Conversions, the company offered conversions of traditional vehicles to EVs. The company that would eventually turn out as Rimac Automobili was founded in September 2009, when Mate was 21.
The Foundation Of Rimac Automobili
While the company was founded in 2009, Rimac had no employees until 2011. In 2010, Rimac met Adriano Mudri, who was a designer at General Motors at the time. Rimac had proposed to Mudri to develop an electric supercar together, which he accepted. This, combined with his famous BMW innovation, garnered a lot of attention from the international media, and both of them were invited by the royal family of the UAE.
The royals funded the company and asked them to build a high-performance EV at the earliest, which Rimac and Mudri undertook. The company hired its small and inexperienced set of first few employees and started its hustle to build Concept One. By the end of 2011, Rimac presented this car at the Frankfurt Motor Show and signed Mudri as the director of design. This is when Mate blew up in the EV industry and drew comparisons with Tesla’s Elon Musk while being featured on the Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30’ list.
Apart from working on its build, the company makes modifications and components for the likes of Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, and Koenigsegg, among other leading carmakers. From its many innovations, the future of Rimac Automobili seems as bright and innovative as its present.
The Groundbreaking Innovations Of Rimac
Rimac first proved his brilliance when he modified his BMW, also called the ‘Green Monster’, which became the world’s fastest EV for a limited, yet significant amount of time. The first official build of Rimac Automobili was the Concept One, which had some astonishing metrics for an EV. Concept One had a top speed of 220 mph. Only eight of these were ever made, and one was famously destroyed when the TV presenter Richard Hammond steered it off the road during a competition in Switzerland. Its successor, the C_two, is even more extreme with a claimed top speed of 258 mph and could accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 1.85 seconds. Hitting markets in 2021, the C_two is expected to have a price tag of around $2.4 million.
Though by all means, the cars are extraordinary, they form only one part of Rimac's business model. Increasingly the company is also setting itself up as a technology supplier to other manufacturers. The money collected from the clients helps the automaker build their own high-performance electric cars. One of these cars is called the Nevera and is currently under the design and prototyping phase. The innovative mind of Mate Rimac, however, isn’t confined to 4-wheelers. In 2015, the Croatian genius started another company called Greyp Bikes.
Greyp currently sells a range of electric bicycles and has won a Design Innovation Award for its technology. All e-bikes with Greyp technology can virtually communicate with each other, linking real-life cycling experiences with the virtual world. The Greyp range currently includes the G6 & G5 mountain bikes are expected to grow, including a range of eTrekking bikes in 2021 and eCity bikes in 2022.
All of this acts as a testimony to Rimac’s excellence and serves as an inspiration for inventors worldwide. In his journey, Rimac has integrated his skill with his passion for achieving what can be termed as the start of his success.