Breaking records and exceeding expectations. This is how Alhambra Venture celebrated its tenth anniversary. Among the 38 finalist startups, the winner of this tenth edition was Velca, led by Galician entrepreneur Emilio Froján. This is a zero-emission, zero-noise moped and bicycle project. A brand of two-wheeled electric vehicles that seeks to «revolutionize» the way we move around cities.
Velca currently has a range of 12 models of motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles, covering the full range of contracting, from B2B and B2C purchasing to leasing and subscription modalities.
Although it was the main winner, Velca was not the only startup awarded in this tenth edition of Alhambra Venture. There have been six other awards in different verticals:
1. The award for the best startup in the Agrofood and water technology sector, sponsored by Puleva, went to SensActive.
2. The award for the best Energy Transition and circular economy startup, presented by Antonio Calvo, Sustainability Director of Redeia, went to Verso.
3. The award for the best tourism startup, presented by the delegate of Tourism and Sports, went to Tipsi.
4. The award for the best healthcare startup, presented by the PTS organization, went to VAXDYN.
5. The award for best technology startup, presented by Curro Abad de Queraltó, went to Bildia.
6, The award for best Fintech startup sponsored by CaixaBank, presented by Pedro Navarro, director of DayOne banking in Eastern Andalusia, went to Stemdo.
It is worth mentioning that, thanks to Sherry Venture, the 7 winners will travel to the United States, specifically to the cradle of entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley.
A record edition
More than 1,300 attendees have walked the halls and rooms of the Palacio de Congresos de Granada where entrepreneurs, investors and other agents of the ecosystem have gathered.
The closing ceremony began with the intervention of Carolina España Reina, Minister of Economy, Finance and European Funds of the Regional Government of Andalusia, who highlighted how the initiative has been gaining strength, consolidating itself as one of the most important meetings in Spain: «More than 20% of the startups that pass through here get funding. What we want in Andalusia is that talent stays and brings good ideas that make the region great».
Finally, before the awards ceremony, the 3 new Alhambra Venture viziers were recognized for their collaboration. They were Stephan Mathesius of IDEA Agency and international investor Tom Horsey.
Electric scooters to tackle traffic and pollution
Solving the environmental problem of fossil fuels and city traffic in one fell swoop. It seems somewhat utopian, but this 2×1 resolute is Velca, a startup finalist of Alhambra Venture 2023, which has revolutionized the motor world with its 100% electric mopeds, motorcycles and e-bikes.
Its mopeds have removable batteries that can be recharged at any domestic socket, and can reach a range of up to 100 kilometers and a speed of 90 kilometers per hour.
The startup was born after observing a market niche, with the purpose of curbing city pollution and traffic jams thanks to these zero-emission urban vehicles.
Its founder and CEO, Emilio Froján, worked in Germany as production manager of VOI, a Swedish electric scooter unicorn. Froján thought about the market for the motorcycle and started working nights to develop his own project. When he had already landed the first ideas, he presented the project to his team, who joined the adventure, founding Velca together.
That happened in 2019 and, despite running into a pandemic when they were about to be launched on the market, in 2021 the company became the Spanish brand with the highest number of electric moped registrations.
The key to success? They understand that there are several factors, but without a doubt they are committed to the convenience provided by the removable battery, the ease of payment, as well as an after-sales service throughout the Spanish market. In addition to this, there is a great marketing strategy in social networks with influencers as brand ambassadors, as well as major collaboration agreements with companies such as Burger King, Estrella Galicia, Michelin, KFC or Domino’s.
