One of the highlights from the Autonomy Mobility World Expo (AMWE) in Paris this week has been the startup village, which was packed with innovative companies looking to steer the future of mobility.
Zag Daily has selected three such companies that are making our industry safer, smarter and more accessible.
Circle
What: Paris-based Circle has unveiled an all-electric two-seater quadricycle prototype on a free floating model that can be unlocked via your smartphone.
Founded by Eric Boullier, Ex-CEO McLaren F1 Racing Team & Renault F1 Team, the vehicle is designed for B2B micromobility players and can be easily integrated into any multi-modal fleet.
Why it matters: It features swappable batteries so is not reliant on fast chargers dotted around a city. Six battery modules can run up to 140 kms which takes three hours to charge.
Alain Diduca, Founder and VP of Business Development, told Zag: “Our solution allows our fleet managers to be immediately profitable because we have a battery swap system that allows the vehicle to be available 24/7; the vehicle takes 10 minutes to clean so we can reduce the labour cost of vehicle cleaning which does add up; we monitor and control the use of the vehicle by the driver which is key because we can detect any incidents if the vehicle were to be damaged; and lastly the total cost of ownership as our vehicle will last 10 years so we can ensure the best value for money.”
Funding: Raised €5.5 million made up of mainly business angels and is looking to raise a further €3 million.
Bruntor
What: Latvian startup Bruntor has designed a four-wheeled stand-up cargo e-scooter. With a maximum load capacity of 850 litres, the e-scooter can run up to 100 kms at a cost of just €1.
After participating and winning in the Latvian Business Idea Competition ‘Ideju kauss 2021’, Bruntor bagged its first client – the Latvian government’s postal service known as Latvijas Pasts.
Why it matters: “Bruntor is the smallest size vehicle to carry up to 850 litres of cargo for last mile deliveries like postal, parcel or grocery deliveries,” said Raimonds Jurgelis, Bruntor CEO and Founder.
“Our stand-up solution is around 40% faster than a normal bike to deliver goods. You can hop on our e-scooter and ride off straight away whereas with a bike it can take around 30 seconds to prepare yourself for your next journey. When you’re doing 100 deliveries in a day, which we can achieve, that’s a 50 minute time saving. Also compared to a regular e-van, it saves about 10 times the energy.”
Funding: Bruntor is self funded to date and is now trying to raise half a million euros through pitch competitions and by speaking with potential investors.
On Bord Helmet
What: Lyon-based OBH’s one-size-fits-all helmet is specifically designed for shared use. A patented mounting base to fit the helmet to the vehicle can be quickly installed and is connected via bluetooth or wired connection, so it can detect the return of the helmet, avoiding theft.
Why it matters: Elies Hamzaoui, CEO and Founder of OBH, told Zag: “We have a circular economy approach where the helmet is made from just one material which makes it very easy to recycle and reproduce in Europe. Our offer is to recall all the worn helmets so we can manage the recycling process. It can also be cleaned in less than 10 seconds and uses antimicrobial tech that allows the helmet to naturally kill surface microbes and bacteria.”
Funding: In 2022, OBH raised around €500,000 from a private investor and BPI France, a French bank, to industrialise its solution. OBH is offering operators an early bird discount to experiment with the solution with minimal financial risk.
