New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Project category

Identify the award category for which this project is being submitted
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking

Email user
team@ridepetal.com

Basic information
Project title
Petal

Full Project Title
Petal, urban chic electric bike ownership & circular sharing community

Please provide a short, catchy description of your project to be used in communication towards the public.
Personalized. Eco-Friendly. Transportation and Leisure. We're Petal and we've created urban friendly electric bikes that help you arrive in style and on time. Our small frames are light and low maintenance but high on design, perfect for commuting, errands or making an entrance, with interchangeable accessories to meet your cargo needs. Whether you own, share or borrow your ride, you're welcome in our inclusive community driven by goodwill, ease of use and sustainability.

What was the geographical scope of your project?
Cross-border/international

Where was your project implemented?
Location 1
Spain

Location 2
Other

Which other country?
United States
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries
- Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Other
If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Valencia, Madrid, London, Washington, DC

Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

Does your project refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your project benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your project won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Is your project fully completed
Yes

Please indicate a date (mm/yy)
2023-01-15

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual in partnership with other persons
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project).
- First name: Daniel
  Last name: Bautista Blasco
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Spain
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: C/ Bélgica 32, PTA 29
  Town: Valencia
  Postal code: 46021
  Country: Spain
  Direct Tel: +34 647 545 550
  E-mail: team@ridepetal.com
  Website: https://ridepetal.com
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.instagram.com/ridepetal/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): @ridepetal
- URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/88165097/
In case my project is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my project in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the project
Please provide a summary of your project.
Personalized. Eco-Friendly. Transportation and Leisure. We're Petal and we've created urban friendly electric bikes that help you arrive in style and on time. Our small frames are light and low maintenance but high on design, perfect for commuting, errands or making an entrance, with interchangeable accessories to meet your cargo needs. Whether you own, share or borrow your ride, you're welcome in our inclusive community driven by goodwill, ease of use and sustainability.

Our product and business model offer the following key differentiators that make us accessible for all.

1. Light weight, small frames of our electric bicycles offer urban users ease of passage through elevators, doorways, hallways, maneuvering busy streets, and sidewalks and simple storage in a corner of their flat or office.

2. Simple charging by housing the battery inside the saddle so even in cases where you hook your Petal to a bike rack, you can remove the saddle and take it with you indoors to charge the battery.

3. Affordably priced making it accessible to purchase and offering other user options through our own, borrow or share community that allows riders to rent from owners (individuals and hotels) on an hourly basis which offsets the initial ownership investment.

4. Future ride incentives for returning the Petal fully charged and in good condition as well as referring other users. This creates a strong organic circular sharing economy and meets the urban transportation needs of many while reducing traffic, pollution and waste.

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words.
Sustainable

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Micro Transportation

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Electric Bikes

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Sharing Community

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Urban Transportation

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Petal electric bikes and sharing community supports sustainability as we offer a sustainable and environmentally friendly urban transportation option for short distance commutes, errands and activities. Our circular sharing community further extends sustainable transportation to all economic levels as Petals are priced moderately and can be shared to offset the investment expense of owners and allow others to use as riders on an hourly basis. The individual ownership of Petal eBikes and goodwill sharing community promotes a reduction of traffic on the streets, sidewalks and urban clutter often caused by abandoned shared scooters and bicycles. Additionally, our 2.0 models coming out in the spring of 2023 will have options for sustainably sourced "vegan leather" cork on the saddle, handles and cargo accessories.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Petal electric bikes combine streamlined, low maintenance, functional design of the classic "fixie" bicycle with retro styling that conjures nostalgia in riders and passers by, yet fully electric to help you get from point A to point B with ease. Not only are users excited to arrive in style to work or their daily errands but the ease of use of the Petal is much more simple than most other eBikes due to the urban friendly size and weight as well as our sharing community. While beta testing, 100% of the rides gave positive feedback on the chic aesthetics and received positive comments from onlookers. We expect at mass production to grow our sharing community quite rapidly due to the eye catching aesthetics of the Petal.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Petal electric bikes are priced affordably at the top of the lower 1/3 of the electric bicycle market, $1600 Euros, but our circular sharing community allows owners to offset investment expenses by earning money from renting their petal to riders on an hourly basis. Additionally, Petals are available for every community member to rent on an hourly basis from individual owners and hotels and we are a free community to join, based on goodwill, respect for others and sharing.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the project and civil society have been involved in the project and what has been the impact of this involvement on the project
We have worked with citizens through beta testing the Petal electric bikes and receiving their feedback on the circular sharing community. They find our bikes to be convenient for moving around their cities at short distances and especially in the most heavily trafficked areas as well as small indoor spaces. They are excited for our circular sharing community to grow so they can use Petals in more cities when traveling. Currently we've beta tested in Valencia and Madrid, Spain, London, UK and Washington, DC and look forward to growing our communities first in these markets then in all urban markets.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the project. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was.
Our Valencia, Spain HQ team members:
Founder & CEO: Daniel Bautista Blasco, 21 years of experience in R&D engineering and project management, quality assurance with lean manufacturing in the packaged goods industry
Product Design Advisor: Martin Abad, is from a multi generational bicycle family business and owns the top 2 bikes shops in Valencia, employing 3 top bicycle mechanics.
Head of Production & Assembly: Juan Castells Domenech, an accomplished mountain biker who for the past 12 years has owned and operated a bike shop, providing top-notch service and equipment to cycling enthusiasts. His passion for bikes and mechanics led him to pursue a degree in the field and he has a deep understanding of the intricacies of bike design and maintenance.
Software Engineer: Jose Antonio Bautista, 35 years experience as an iron and steel engineer at Arcelor - Mittal including IBM software production programing, integration and management.
Washington, DC based: CSO & CMO: Amy Jarczynski, 18 years of consumer tech startup experience growing and scaling The Knot globally then founding and scaling Kiss & Tell globally. Extensive biz dev, product and revenue management focus, following the lean startup method in successfully executing industry changing products and robust go to market strategies to generate hundreds of millions in revenue streams.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your project. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was.
As a team we have followed the Lean Startup Method, created by Eric Ries, which focuses on the pillars of strong market / competitive knowledge / and research, rapid production of a prototype and early user testing and iteration to get to an MVP (minimum viable product) and proof of product market fit. We are currently at concept market fit and validation phase of the demand and with our 2.0 product coming out in the Spring of 23 and we aim to reach product market fit.

Our team members display a vast array of engineering, mechanical and bicycle industry expertise as well as leadership with a strong track record of success in the US / global consumer tech startup space.

Please give information on the results, outcomes and impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for. This includes also benefits from the project for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Through beta testing of users in Valencia, Spain and Washington, DC, our 1.0 product has gone through multiple rounds of iterations to reach positive feedback on functionality, accessibility, design and aesthetics based on the price point. Furthermore, having brought the Petal to multiple DC Startup Week event and engaged with other founders, startup community members and bicycle enthusiasts, there is a high demand for the sharing community to accompany the Petal eBike product.

Please provide documents showing the results, outcomes and impacts of your project
Web link
Web link
- https://www.dropbox.com/s/1tnnxbqxs8qwpii/ridepetal.mov?dl=0
Please highlight the innovative character of the project, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the project
Petal is innovative in the electric bicycle space not just due to the urban / small space friendly nature of the bike's size and weight, the fashionable retro styling, convenience factors such as the easily chargeable battery in the saddle, the flexibility of interchangeable cargo options and accessibility of use via ownership or sharing community. All combined with memorable branding and an affordable price point, Petal has the right mix to revolutionize urban transportation for the next generation.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your project.
As a team we have followed the Lean Startup Method, created by Eric Ries, which focuses on the pillars of strong market / competitive knowledge / and research, rapid production of a prototype and early user testing and iteration to get to an MVP (minimum viable product) and proof of product market fit. We are currently at concept market fit and validation phase of the demand and with our 2.0 product coming out in the Spring of 23 and we aim to reach product market fit.

Please describe which elements of your project could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and context. This may involve for example aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings etc.
Our entire project can be scaled up to all urban markets globally, as long as their climate and citizens are bike friendly. We aim for Petal long term to become an AirBnB of electric bikes and urban micro transportation and in the future we aim to roll out solar powered charging stations at cafes, restaurants, offices and other public spaces to further increase accessibility. A major part of our scaling strategy are strategic partnerships with hotel groups globally where we give each of their properties 2 Petal bikes, for use by guests and also as potential rental points for members. We expect this to be key to our supply side scale and an incentivized referral program for consumer traction.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addresses by providing local solutions
Climate change, air pollution and traffic / urban congestion and affordable transportation are the obvious global challenges that Petal addresses, however the mix of physical activity and fresh air can also deliver mental health, stress relief and physical health benefits that all improve quality of life. It is also a great conversation starter, which was experienced by every user in our beta testing phase, so it can contribute to a social life, meeting others and alleviating loneliness and our circular sharing community takes the sense of community and belonging a step further. We forsee not only Petals being used by locals but eventually travelers and potentially long term offering meet ups and itineraries of where to ride your Petal, which can further encourage social wellbeing.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images (or other types of visual representations, if images are not possible) to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed project has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the project and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary.
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their projects, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted project, is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes