The brand was established in 1999 by Jon Whyte, who had previously helped to develop aerodynamics and suspension systems for
Benetton Formula, most notably the
1994 Formula One title winning
B194. He later joined ATB Sales Ltd as chief designer and helped to develop the
full suspension system for
Marin, ATB's then UK distributor. This helped
Paul Lasenby to win the national championship in 1996, the first for a full-suspension bike. The suspension system later became the
Whyte Integrated Fork System. By 2002, the company sold its 1000th bike. Whyte would leave after 11 years to set up his consultancy business in 2006; ATB retained the name rights to the Whyte brand. In 2019, Whyte won a court case against British drinks company
Rich Energy, regarding the potential theft of their stag logo. In November 2023, Whyte announced a rebranding along with the launch of a new range of electric bikes, including the E-Lyte lightweight mountain bike and a new line of hybrid bikes called the RHeO series. in February 2024 Whyte announced their new
CEO and chairman as Nikki Haywes, formally of
Cannondale bikes. On October 20, 2025, Cairngorm Capital announced that it had completed the sale of the UK firm to growth investor Causeway Capital Partners. == Products ==