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- September
2014
Alexander Zosel gives an update on the development of their electric Volocopter VC200
Ecosummit TV: Alexander Zosel gives an update on the development of their electric Volocopter VC200 at ECO13 London. E-volo was founded in 2011, was funded by the founders with €450K and raised €1.2M in an amazing crowdfunding round on Seedmatch in November 2013. Moreover, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy granted €2M to contribute to the multi-company project development budget. The first unmanned test flight of the 2-seater VC200 was carried out on 17 November 2013 in Karlsruhe. Currently, E-volo works on the temporary certification from the German aviation authority for their ultralight aircraft (maximum takeoff weight of 450 kg) to start manned test flights. Initially targeting the aerial sports market E-volo has the vision to become a global market leader for urban aviation in the next 10 years. Risk-friendly VCs that love high-tech made in Germany and electric aviation should get in touch with Alex. Full disclosure: Ecosummit is one of E-volo’s crowd investors.
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- December
2013
Smart green dealflow: E-volo crowdfunding, Lock8, Yetu, Thermondo and Zim Plant Technology exit
5 startups that pitched at Ecosummit conferences in the past celebrate new funding rounds. Within 3 days, 9 hours and 52 minutes electric aviation pioneer E-volo raised €1.2M in a record-breaking crowdfunding event on Seedmatch. Just in time, the Karlsruhe-based cleantech startup managed the first unmanned flight with the prototype of their green Volocopter VC 200 (see video below). Ecosummit contributed €1K and joined a group of 750 fearless crowd investors that agree that this worldwide innovation is ready for take off. With the help of E-volo Seedmatch established firmly as Germany’s leading crowdfunding platform for startups having raised over €10M for 50 projects since August 2011.
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- October
2013
Jan Michael Hess opens Ecosummit London 2013
Ecosummit TV: Jan Michael Hess opens Ecosummit London 2013. Our 6th cleantech conference took place on 15-16 October at the Crystal, the urban sustainability HQ of Siemens in the Docklands. 150 participants came together to discuss smart green cities and to pitch new solutions and investment opportunities. The Crystal is the perfect location for Ecosummit London. Moreover, the LEED Platinum building is a role model for other corporates that want to co-invent the urban future and invest in a long-term technology showcase and marketing tool. Our highlight was the Ecomobilité Ventures Flinc deal announced at ECO13 London. After the NRW Bank O-Flexx investment, this is already the second deal facilitated by Ecosummit.
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- August
2013
Electric aviation pioneer Alexander Zosel pitches E-volo
Ecosummit TV: Alexander Zosel pitches E-volo at ECO13 Berlin. The German cleantech startup develops an electric helicopter that will revolutionise urban aviation within the next 10 years. The Volocopter is developed by a consortium of companies and universities that received a €2M grant from the German government. Moreover, the German aviation authority defined a new class of aircraft specifically for the Volocopter. As of today, E-volo plans a slow market entry with a pre-series of 10 Volocopters in 2015. As the new electric helicopter category is a potential multi-billion market opportunity, E-volo will soon realise that they need to raise substantial amounts of venture capital to guarantee high-quality production on the ground as well as safety in the air. For now, they continue their startup rock’n’roll pioneering electric aviation and inventing new PR stunts.
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- August
2013
Aaron Best and Franka Birke present the European startup accelerator Climate-KIC
Ecosummit TV: At Ecosummit Berlin 2013, Aaron Best and Franka Birke present Climate-KIC, the European initiative to foster cleantech entrepreneurship and education. Climate-KIC runs a startup accelerator that provides up to €95K, office space and coaching to young startups in Germany, UK, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. They also organise master classes with famous startup gurus such as Steve Blank or Alexander Osterwalder. During the Climate-KIC session, Ingo Potthof (UnternehmerTUM Fund) interviewed Alexander Zosel (E-volo), Niels Beisinghoff (Bettertaxi), Philipp Pausder (Futurewatt), Philipp von Seherr-Thoss (Milk the Sun) and Martin Burkhardt (Boxtango). If you are an early stage startup or support startups with capital or industry expertise, you should definitely join the Climate-KIC network.
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- May
2013
Mobility 2.0 – E-volo, Carzapp, Flinc and Innovative Mobility discuss how to build profitable startups
Ecosummit TV: First the bad news: after burning $850M in 6 years Better Place files for bankruptcy. That’s not what you call a lean startup. The electric mobility operator had to accept that car makers don’t support a global startup standard for switchable batteries. Now the good news: peer-to-peer ride sharing startup Lyft raises $60M for global expansion from Andreessen Horowitz. To fight off the professional taxi and limo driver lobby, Lyft drivers get donations rather than payments from their riders. But VCs love transactions whatever they are called, especially if they smell like Airbnb on the road. Here in Europe, we eat humble pie. At ECO12 Düsseldorf, Fabienne Herlaut (Ecomobilité Ventures) discusses profitability with Alexander Zosel (E-volo), Oliver Lünstedt (Carzapp), Klaus Dibbern (Flinc) and Thomas delos Santos (Innovative Mobility). Some inspiration from the US may help.
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- March
2013
Alexander Zosel pitches electric helicopter startup E-volo
Ecosummit TV: Alexander Zosel pitches E-volo at Ecosummit Düsseldorf 2012. The German startup develops a new type of electric helicopter called Volocopter. While in the US you don’t need a special license to fly the 1-seater Volocopter, the German aviation authority plans to create a new class of aircraft specifically for the Volocopter. Personal electric aviation will be a totally new market and E-volo is a worldwide aviation pioneer. They celebrated the first manned flight with a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft on 21 October 2011. Backed by the 4 founders and a €2M grant from the German government, E-volo looks for adventurous VCs in Europe and the US.
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