In the Pacific Northwest, an ambitious startup is revving up to disrupt the dirt bike market. Dust Moto, based in Oregon, is designing electric dirt bikes that promise to deliver the same adrenaline-fueled performance as their gas-powered counterparts, but with a twist — they’re leveraging electric technology to make the sport more accessible to a wider audience.

“We’re developing electric dirt bike that brings all of the passion and performance of a traditional gas bike, but uses the electric tech to lure the bear of entry for more riders,” explained Colin Godby, CEO and co-founder of Dust Moto. “So really hoping to be able to get more folks into the sport.”

Unique Path to Funding

While most hardware startups turn to Kickstarter or similar platforms for early funding, Dust Moto has taken an unconventional approach. The company launched a WeFunder campaign, opening an equity round as part of its pre-seed fundraising.

“We’ve been quite open on both sharing the development journey and story with our followers,” Godby said. “We elected to open up a WeFunder campaign as part of our pre-seed round. We really believe there’s a lot of value in creating those evangelists along the way.”

This decision wasn’t made lightly. Dust Moto’s founding team, experienced in mobility and hardware development, faced challenges raising traditional venture capital in a crowded electric vehicle (EV) market. Godby noted that many investors were hesitant due to the niche nature of dirt biking compared to broader mobility or utility-focused EV solutions.

“We thought one of the best ways to develop traction is actually to get the mission in front of customers and see if they would vote with their dollars,” he said. Early on, the company built a mailing list, shared designs, and even secured pre-orders from 50 customers based on 2D renders — a move that signaled significant traction to potential investors.

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