VivaTech helps an electric scooter startup plug into the French market
Unu is a German startup founded in 2013 by three young entrepreneurs, Elias Atahi, Pascal Blum und Mathieu Caudal. A year later the company released its first product in Germany – a game-changing electric scooter with a portable battery you can charge whenever and wherever. Unu made a splash in the highly competitive Dutch market in 2016, offering a relatively cheap (under 2000 euros) scooter with seven color options and a 50cc motor. The following year the company was showcased at Viva Technology, coinciding with Unu’s entry into the French market.
“[VivaTech 2017] was like our debutante ball,” says Mathilde Monge, Unu’s End to End Service & Experience Manager. “It was really the first time we got to meet so many potential customers and partners face-to-face.” Unu shared a booth alongside several other companies selected by German startup incubator Berlin Partner. Riding the wave of interest in Unu, the company opened a pop-up store for six weeks in Paris, parked some demo models outside a Paris café, and became a French media sensation (mentioned as a “coup de coeur” in Le Parisien).
In 2018 Unu was back at VivaTech, with a presence on the Berlin Partner booth and in the Lab hosted by RATP, the French public transport operator: ‘”Meeting with RATP and with the French Ministry of Transport was a big deal [for Unu], because we see ourselves as aligning our missions, helping people embrace the full potential of urban life.” Another highlight: French president Emmanuel Macron stopped by for a visit.
“We're really looking forward to our third year,” adds Mathilde Monge. “I definitely recommend VivaTech for any company looking for ways to grow in France, and also in Europe and throughout the world.”