[CP] Chango: the startup raises €2 million from Via ID and 321

Launch of Chango.fr, the 1st French marketplace dedicated to urban electric mobility.
The startup raises €2 million from Via ID and 321.

• The marketplace raises €2 million in seed from Via ID, an investment fund and accelerator for new mobility startups, Mobivia and the Corporate Startup Studio 321.
• Its offer goes beyond the simple sale of micromobility vehicles by offering a range of additional services that support consumers before, during and after the purchase.
• In a context of strong regulatory pressure for the greening of our cities, Chango.fr is positioned as the reference purchasing platform for clean, everyday means of transport.

Paris, March 14, 2023 - In France, the electric mobility market, estimated at €2 billion, is experiencing sustained growth, thanks to public investments in urban development, purchase subsidies and environmental awareness. However, the potential of the French online market is underexploited, where only 3% ¹ of e-bike sales are made online, compared to 25% in Germany.

Despite this potential, the transition to electric mobility (bicycle, scooter, scooter, but also carts) can be difficult for consumers. The market is very vast and heterogeneous, the after-sales service network is still under construction, prices remain high and the customer journey is long and complex. All of these elements can discourage some buyers.

Finally, a specialized consulting marketplace for consumers

Through a carefully composed offer, Chango.fr offers consumers a selection of vehicles chosen for their quality, ease of maintenance and fair price. Bikes (Gaya, Voltaire, Elwing..), scooters (Silence...), scooters (Silence...), scooters (Ninebot..), quadricycles (La Bagnole..), exclusively electric, as well as accessories, for all uses and all budgets.

The marketplace offers a range of services to make life easier for users throughout the life cycle of their vehicle. The platform provides multiple purchase decision aids, to reassure and help consumers find their way around. Comparisons, guides, vehicle tests, video exchanges with a mobility expert are offered, as well as assistance with financing and collecting subsidies. The buyer also benefits from maintenance services and support in choosing insurance.

Chango.fr is aimed in particular at first-time buyers, with the desire to help them make the right choice according to their needs and budget, on a very vast and heterogeneous market, both in terms of price and product quality.

“Chango.fr wants to position itself as the leading online player in electric micromobility products and services. With the marketplace, we wanted to provide a new approach to help first-time buyers switch to electric mobility that is more reassuring, more visual and more service-oriented. ”

explains Grégory Hachin, CEO of Chango.

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“We make the experience of electric mobility as easy and comfortable as possible, with support from A to Z. ”

For brands, a rewarding and differentiated online showcase

While marketplaces are very successful with consumers looking for a variety of products at competitive prices, brands on these platforms have difficulty distinguishing themselves and asserting their identity and strengths. Chango.fr for its part provides manufacturers with an online window (shops in shop), a dedicated space through which they present their values and products comprehensively and explicitly using video content, detailed product sheets or even 3D visualization of the vehicle.

Brands such as Shiftbikes, Brumaire, Biro or Segway already trust the platform where they are already referenced.

A first round to quickly establish itself in France

After a first test phase initiated in September 2022, this first round of funding will allow Chango to accelerate its commercial development and expand its product offering.

The company also plans to invest in marketing and strengthen its team.

The startup is already planning to enrich its service offer as early as 2023, in particular with: access to a local after-sales network, a long-term rental offer and, in the longer term, an offer of second-hand products and the return of end-of-life vehicles.

“Via ID is delighted to announce the launch of Chango.fr: in this context of ecological, energy and social changes, with the arrival of Low Emission Zones, we must support citizens in their transition. Beyond electric mobility products, the concept of service is essential to guide choices, support use and post-purchase so that everyday electric mobility is within everyone's reach.”

‍explains Bruno Lebrun, Innovation and Partnerships Director at Via ID. Chango is the result of the new entrepreneurial model imagined by 321, the first Corporate Startup Studio in France. It is characterized by a triple shareholding that combines the strengths of a corporate with the entrepreneurial agility of a startup studio and the skills of a CEO.

¹The Union Sport and Cycle Organization's Cycle Observatory