Today’s inner-city transport is increasingly shifting towards a cleaner, more convenient and more sustainable option. With constant innovation and technological advances shaping our future, a fundamental switch towards electric transportation, or ‘e-mobility’, seems inevitable.
It’s no surprise then that Barcelona, a leading smart city and a mecca for new trends and groundbreaking ideas, is at the fore of the e-mobility revolution. With a startup scene full to the brim with vibrant entrepreneurs and creative thinkers, the Catalan capital is a driving force of the e-mobility sector. The city’s e-mobility scene is thriving, particularly sharing services, and on any given day you can see for yourself how it’s already become a huge part of daily life for Barcelona residents.
Let’s take a look at some of the startups driving change and leading the charge towards a more sustainable transportation system. Here are 8 of the best e-mobility startups in Barcelona and the stories behind their burgeoning success.
Top 8 Barcelona E-Mobility Startups
Wallbox
Founded by Enric Asunción and Eduard Castañeda, Wallbox develops and manufactures chargers for electric vehicles. A former Tesla engineer, Asunción collaborated with Castañeda in 2015, with the shared ambition to develop the best EV (electric vehicle) charging products in the world. Last year, Wallbox completed a €15M financing round, led by energy supplier Iberdrola, strengthening its position in Europe, expanding globally and growing its workforce to over 180 people.
It’s been a dynamic start to the year for Wallbox – the company entered the US market and won four major awards at the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 in Las Vegas. Additionally, their innovative Quasar charger, the first two-way DC charger in the world designed for the home, has been one of the most talked-about products at the event.
Iomob
Iomob combines open source and blockchain technology to create the future of MaaS: Mobility Marketplaces. Any participant can interact and connect with any other. Their blockchain-based platform provides a comprehensive travel service, where users can search for the fastest, cleanest city travel, from scooters and kick-scooters to e-bikes and taxis, then book and pay, all within the same app.
Founded in November 2017 by Boyd Cohen, an urban and climate strategist and Dean of Research at EADA Business School, Iomob are in the seed round of crunchbase funding. A small, diverse team of smart city and technology experts, they have raised €700K to date and are making great waves in the e-mobility marketplace.
Silence
Dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of innovative two and three-wheeled electric vehicles, Silence was founded in 2011 by Carlos Sotelo. His aim was to create an electric vehicle that could break existing barriers of infrastructure and cost. In 2018 Silence closed a funding round of €8.6 million to develop and launch their S01 and the S03 scooter models.
The Silence team is made up of over 90 professionals from several sectors with extensive experience, including engineers, drivers, mechanics, designers and electronics experts, all working towards a future of sustainable urban mobility.
Reby
The leading electric kick-scooter sharing app operating in Barcelona, Reby was founded by entrepreneurial wunderkind Pep Gómez. After securing €34 million to found his first company Fever at the age of 20, Gómez’s ambition has driven him to attempt to revolutionize urban mobility.
Reby designs, manufactures and distributes electric vehicles for shared use. Their premier product is the Reby scooter, which is hailed as the first 100% recyclable electric vehicle, as well as being safer and more resistant than its competitors.
YEGO
A Vespa-style scooter sharing app, with services in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza, Yego provides urban transport that is convenient, fast, comfortable, sustainable and noiseless. Co-founded by Benjamin Viguier and Tim Ougeot in 2015, Yego’s mint green scooters are a familiar sight on the streets of Barcelona.
With a business model that has seen its company revenue grow from €100,000 in 2017 to more than €4 million last year, Yego is looking to build on its momentum by securing between €15 million and €20 million in investment this year. Meanwhile, its 50-strong team in Barcelona continues to expand.
eCooltra
Founded in 2006 by Timo Buetefisch, eCooltra was an early pioneer on the e-mobility scene. From the outset, it aimed to offer efficient and sustainable electric mobility, and it is now one of the leading e-mobility providers on the scene. Its integrated system means users only pay for the minutes they use. Everything else, including insurance, a full battery, helmets and maintenance, are all included.
With over €10 million in funding, the company currently operates in Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, and Czech Republic, with more than 17,000 scooters and over 1,000 employees. In 2018 its profits skyrocketed, with a 70% increase in turnover, an upward trend that has continued since.
GOMEEP
The new kid on the block, GOMEEP was founded last year by three IESE Business School alumni, Maximilian Czymoch, George Parker and Michael Sheehy. They’ve created Barcelona’s first monthly electric kick-scooter subscription service. GOMEEP’s target audience is urban professionals looking for a reliable, sustainable mode of transport for daily use.
For €39 a month users will receive their own private scooter delivered to their door, where all maintenance and replacements are included in the subscription. With an excellent repair and maintenance service and a subscription that can be canceled at any time, GOMEEP is catching plenty of attention in the Catalan capital. One to watch.
Bicing
While technically not a startup, Barcelona’s bicycle share service is widely used throughout the city and has recently gone electric. Last year saw the addition of 300 electric bicycles, made available throughout 414 on-street stations across the city, set to rise to 1,000 bicycles across 519 stations by the end of 2020. The power supply for the bikes is provided by Barcelona Energia, a 100% renewable power distributor that supplies power to nearly 4,000 locations throughout the city.
With a dedicated electrical assistance team and bicycles that feature assisted-pedalling technology, vibration-free propulsion and a battery offering 60km of autonomy with a single charge, Bicing’s electric bicycles are becoming an increasingly popular option for Barcelonians.
Conclusion
Barcelona is a vibrant city full of great e-mobility startups that are driving innovation and sustainability in Catalonia. This list includes just a few of our favourite startups in the e-mobility space. If you feel like we missed anyone out, just let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to check our related articles about:
