Taking a Look in The Rear View Mirror
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I have a special article in store for you today. It’s been around 7 months since Marin and I started Charging Stack and I must say – it’s been a wild ride so far! So, I want to give you a look into how all this came to be.
We’ve published 100+ articles, filmed almost 30 podcast episodes, and wrote more than 30 newsletter editions. And posted a billion videos and social media posts. 🙂
Not yet on a global scale, but we stand proudly behind our work.
Here’s a sneak peek into our story, as transparent as we can be.
Why did we start Charging Stack?
This is the story we’ve told every single person we’ve talked with in our podcast. Honestly, it’s invigorating to see where we are today and where we started, it always fills us with some extra motivation.
In April 2025, Marin and I were discussing how to position our parent company, PROTOTYP, as a trusted partner for mobility companies. At PROTOTYP, we’ve already worked with many successful mobility startups and scaleups. Working with our biggest automotive client, MG Motor, helped us uncover some extremely specific issues and, for many of us, provided a deep insight into problems mobility companies are facing.
Our initial idea was a humble one.
“Let’s start a LinkedIn newsletter where we’ll post curated analysis content on different mobility-related topics. That could prove a great way for us to showcase our industry knowledge and expertise.”
It sounded great! But the moment we published our first newsletter, we knew this needs to go BIG. All of a sudden, we had a magic checklist show up:
- Design and build a website to serve as a home to our mobility analysis content
- Prepare a mobility startup directory
- Reorganize our newsletter via Kit (Convertkit)
- Establish a go-to format for all our articles
- Muster up some courage and film a podcast!!
- Open up all new social media accounts and prepare the designs
- And a thousand little touch-ups and mini-tasks
I must say – the support we got from our parent company is immeasurable! Our designers are really world-class, so every visual we’d publish went through a strict feedback loop – it needed to look and work perfect.
And a few weeks later, we had everything! It was time to get serious.
We weren’t chasing any “easy” or “quick” money, so we didn’t even give it a thought to charge someone for jumping on our podcast or spotlighting them in our newsletter or covering them in our articles.
We were after new people and connections, and you can’t put a price tag on a human-to-human connection.
Humble beginnings
Neither Marin nor I are journalists – and we’re not aiming at that kind of role at all. Our main idea was always to take the longer route and have a go at the mobility analysis. We studied different mobility industries, regulations, major players, technology, other analysts,…
All or nothing!
The start was very slow. At the time, we didn’t really have a good grasp on what niche we’re aiming for, or what kind of content we can create to make all our effort worth it. It looked really messy back then.
But still, we had our shtick. We were covering cool mobility companies that are solving some problems that we think are worth solving. This was always our main filter. If the company or their product didn’t seem cool to us, there’s a small chance we’d cover that company.
We’d reach out to a company and ask them to collaborate with us on a content piece – mostly social media carousels where we’d showcase our design expertise and pair it with company’s visuals to make learning more about mobility companies easy and interesting. We had a feeling there’s so many incredible people doing amazing work – but no one’s covering that.
I know how it feels to be months (and even years) deep in that “invisible work” without getting any spotlight nor recognition. And that’s exactly what we set out to change. Bring awareness to these small collectives that are driving the mobility innovation and battling with regulations on a daily basis.
Our first podcast episode
In April 2025, we’ve learned about a company with an amazing idea – TUGA Innovations. It caught our eye and we immediately wanted to get a chance to talk to the founders and find out what’s going on and how it works.
After a short call, we pitched filming a podcast episode – and it worked! Huge thanks to John Hagie and CĂ©sar Barbosa for being a part of Charging Stack’s fiery start!
We instantly knew what we want to do next. And that is – go video-first on all our platforms. The episode was a long one, around 70 minutes, and it took so much time to edit since it was my first time editing a podcast (a great and humbling learning experience!)
Once we published it, we turned to creating short-form video content that we could publish on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. And it worked! This gem of an episode helped us create dozens of short-form videos with some really catching the attention of a wider mobility industry audience.
We knew we were on the right track, we just needed to be more brave and scale it.
Our rise to fame (600 followers on LinkedIn)
The first podcast recorded was truly a stepping stone to something much bigger.
Our articles, newsletters, and directory listings were being regularly published, but we knew video is the way to go. People love video (including Marin and I). When you see a founder of a company talking passionately about the problem his product is solving, it sticks. Especially if the problem is super important and the product is super cool.
Every new podcast recorded meant at least 10+ short videos we can cross-publish on all our platforms.
I’ll admit, it all went really slow in the beginning. Not too many impressions, not too many engagement on our posts and articles, and that kind of thing makes you question everything.
The most painful stings were when some companies would say that we’re too small and insignificant to record a podcast with them! That one hurt!
But hey, the day before you quit looks the same as the day before your breakthrough.
Some time passed and we went on to record more podcasts with awesome people from AiDEN, UbiRider, DriveX, FleetFox,… And after our 8th recorded episode with Ben Seidl from Autolane, things started changing and it seemed like the gods of the LinkedIn algorithm smiled upon us.
All of a sudden, we had a track record of dozens of published articles, directory listings, newsletter editions, and recorded podcast episodes.
Each time we reached out to new companies we wanted to know more about, they were glad to be recognized and wanted to share their story with us. Some of them even knew about us and were already following us either via our newsletter, our website articles, or our LinkedIn page.
This is, my dear readers, what brought us some real joy. Having your work recognized by leaders of the industry. A great signal we’re on the right track.
New direction for Charging Stack
Up until October, we aimed for a specific content publishing pattern. Every day, we wanted to relay 3-5 short news from the mobility industry and have 1-2 highly-researched deep-dive articles per week on a specific topic, trend, or a company.
Besides all the podcast recordings, video editing, publishing, adding new directory listings, outreach, and client work, we actually managed to squeeze in a bit more time to keep up this tempo. But as it is with everything, you simply cannot stretch yourself too thin.
That’s when we decided on a final format that we think perfectly illustrates what Charging Stack is.
We’ll aim to publish 2-3 deep-dive articles on mobility companies we think are cool. That’s it!
Also, we’ll aim to publish 3-5 new mobility companies on our directory every week.
And if possible, we’ll record 2-3 podcast episodes every week. As for our LinkedIn, I think we did a great job – it gets hectic as it’s really hard to plan all the social media posts. Frankly, it almost always turns out better when you have a loose plan which often gets rearranged, than having a strict, tight plan you 100% must adhere to.
This is our experience.
For the last 2 months, this tempo is working well and we’ve find our groove. But I feel things are going to change in 2026 with many more content formats you’ll love to see (I really hope this is the case haha).
We’re so grateful to all the companies that collaborated with us, it means the world to us!
I can’t stress this enough. People from the mobility industry are the coolest!
They have such creative ideas, their energy is almost always incredibly positive and electrifying, and the way they communicate ideas with passion is so cool. I’d say that in 97%+ cases, they really do love their work – and it shows.
I’ll just go ahead and give everyone some thanks. This part will be a bit longer, but everyone on this list deserves it.
For TUGA Innovations – they were the first to say “yes” when we suggested a podcast episode. What an awesome power duo John and CĂ©sar are! I urge you to check their project, it’s truly something next-level.
AiDEN is one the most ambitious connected car projects we’ve stumbled upon. Niclas is a world-class engineer and his vision is something truly remarkable! A privacy-first platform that puts the driver in control, gives power to OEMs to innovate, and makes in-car services work like they always should have. This episode is a must-watch!
UbiRider is the MaaS app of our choice – they’ve connected all the transportation modes in a single app – and it’s both passenger-facing and business-facing! Great platform with such high-level features. We’ve even done some work with them, and personally, they are such nice people. Paulo is a great CEO! Now watch him talk with us for 48 minutes!
Rauno Sigur from DriveX is a cool guy! We really liked his business approach and transparency – and the product is really innovative! Imagine your windshield gets damaged, but you can get it inspected and sent to the repair shop in just minutes with their AI platform. Such a great episode filled with so many insights.
Martin from FleetFox opened up to us on how hard it is to pivot a company. And how hard it is to maintain a fleet. Could you even imagine what kind of service work goes into managing fleets across numerous cities and countries? A great episode, you should watch that one.
Bruntor is one of the funkiest micromobility cargo transport solutions we’ve seen! And it all started at a hackathon where Raimonds started with an electric skateboard and suddenly created a micromobility utility platform. Talk about expecting the unexpected!
3MERA episode was so fun to record. Schuyler showed us how his platform can help communicate and sell complex products through configurators. They’ve created a DeLorean demo configurator on their website, you should absolutely check it out and give them a call if you need help communicating complex configurable products.
Ben Seidl from Autolane had one of the coolest ideas (IMHO)! Why go shopping when your car can do it for you? Could you imagine saying that exact sentence 10 years ago? And Autolane has made it possible with their curb-side AV commerce. And they recently got funded! Let’s go Autolane!
BrightDrive episode was a great one to learn about autonomous fleets and what L4 autonomy really means today. Mahmoud is an incredibly talented engineer and the mind behind BrightDrive’s AV technology – and they already have some projects in their portfolio. You don’t want to miss that if you’re interested in AVs!
MicroFleet is turning out to be a go-to company for cities that want a universal micromobility charging solution. Just imagine – you leave your e-bike at their OneDock and it just starts charging. Seems so great for fleets. Al Reid is the man! Here’s the episode.
Steven Rossi from Worksport talked with us about the SOLIS and COR, the new products behind this company that’s creating truck bed covers since 2011! This was the first company listed on NASDAQ we had a chance of exploring via podcast. SOLIS and COR are such innovative products – in essence, you get a transportable generator you can use for any appliance – and it gets charged via sun, the entire bed cover is like a solar panel! Find the episode here.
Candela was the first naval transportation company we had on our podcast. Mikael, their head of PR, joined us for a 40-minute episode on their “flying EV boat”. Jokes aside, it really looks like it’s flying! They’re building the most advanced electric hydrofoil boats that will be for everything between a leisure craft and a water taxi. So cool! Don’t miss the episode.
Annick from LEVA-EU gave us some priceless insights on light EV regulations in Europe and what it really takes to make a successful push for new regulations. Annick is a powerhouse and she’s speaking for all the LEV manufacturers. If you’re building a light EV, get in touch with Annick and see how your opinion can be represented in EU. Or watch this episode before you do.
Charging bikes with the floor?! Luis from Solum thinks this is the way to go – and we think that’s exactly what our cities need! It’s such an innovative approach and I highly urge you to go watch this episode and see how this micromobility charging solution works.
Now, I’ll have to place a bet. I bet you’ve never seen a bike like one from SOL Motors! Such interesting and unique design – the Pocket Rocket is a minimalist noped (noped is the category they created!) that is sure to capture every single eyeball on the road. Manuel made a bold move with the Pocket Rocket and we’re rooting for them! Here’s our SOL Motors episode.
Standab is building a micromobility charging solution, and it’s looking very minimalist, sleek, and modern. Imagine a universal, operator-agnostic charging and parking hub for micromobility fleets! Sure sounds 100 times better than the e-scooter and e-bike parking mess we live in today. Marcus is a real force of nature and his perseverance and genius product design just help lock in a huge investment round for Standab! Let’s go Standab!
Greenroads.ai was the first project where I immediately said “I want this being used in my city instantly”. CEO Claire Ciancio told us everything about how AI traffic analytics works and how they use existing traffic cameras to understand what’s really happening in the streets and how to better optimize traffic in a city. If you’re working in city traffic planning and management, Greenroads is the product you should definitely check out.
Markus Scholten from Trinova EV showed us just how far can grit and perseverance get you. He was so fed up with being stuck in traffic that he went on to build an electric three-wheeler that leans through corners like a motorcycle, fits two passengers, accelerates 0-60mph in 3.5s, and is the perfect fit for those people who want to feel the thrill of a high-speed bike ride, but still have the protection today’s motorcycles don’t really have. Building a hardware company is super hard, but if anyone can push through all the obstacles and still manage to nail it – it’s Markus. Here’s the full episode.
HĂĄkan from Luvly really opened our eyes regarding LUV platforms. Instead of positioning themselves as traditional carmakers, they’re providing the tech, structure, and components that allows partners to build their own micro-vehicles. That means – passenger models, cargo models, last-mile delivery vehicles, and other city-focused formats. Give this episode a watch and you’ll be surprised with some claims and numbers. Luvly is crushing it!
We love ÆMOTION! Alexandre Lagrange has managed to build something I’d switch my car for in an instant. A 79-cm-wide tilting electric two-seater built for city traffic. Imagine the agility of a motorcycle and the comfort and protection of a small car. Leaning 35°, featuring elytra doors, a rigid safety call, crash boxes,… This episode was awesome! I can’t wait to test drive ÆMOTION and tell you all about the experience.
PATTERN Project is one of the boldest ideas we’ve encountered on Charging Stack. Manos and Ivana are aiming to create digital twins of Malta, Greece, and Croatia (for now), which will help us improve traffic planning and manage road infrastructure in a much smarter way. This means, authorities can get a live view of the roads, combining traffic data, sensors, weather, and maintenance insights. Such a huge undertaking. We’re cheering on! Here’s the full episode.
Microlino episode was the biggest one for Charging Stack and it was such a pleasure to talk with Wim about Microlino’s production and the upcoming models. Wim’s stance on electric mobility and environmental footprint are something EU hasn’t caught up with, but there’s hope we’ll get there. ICYMI, Microlino is moving a large portion of its production to China. I won’t reveal more, you’ll have to watch the episode to find out how and why.
Matteo Forte from SWITCH has created something truly remarkable, an AI operations teammate for fleets, logistics, and cities. It can forecast demand, rebalance fleets, simulate new deployments (with incredible level of accuracy), and optimize day-to-day operations across mobility and logistics. If you’re a fleet manager, keep your eyes on SWITCH and give them a call! Or watch this episode before you do!
The next episode was with Martin Lefrancq, new mobility policy advisor at Brussels Mobility and one of the key people behind Brussels’ shift from early micromobility chaos to one of Europe’s most structured, data-driven urban mobility systems. I felt this episode could have gone on for hours, but we had to make a stop at 65 minutes haha. We’ve covered so many topics in this one – and there are some lessons everyone should pay attention to. Give it a watch!
The latest episode we published was with Jean Philippe from E-roe, a really cool-looking, affordable, and light cargo bike that owns the 0-15km range. They’re still in early stages, but already proving that Europe can build micro vehicles that are affordable, stylish, and really fun to drive. I’ll test drive it too and give you all the details about the driving experience. Can’t wait! Until then, here’s our podcast episode.
You can’t even imagine what Charging Stack did for Marin and I. We’ve met such great people and got to learn about the future of mobility first-hand. This endeavour we have set on has proven to play a big role in our lives and is something we’ll keep working on even harder 2026.
Quo vadis, Charging Stack?
So, what’s next?
As always, you can expect many more deep dives and podcast episodes with mobility leaders and pioneers of tomorrow’s transport solutions. In 2026, we’re doubling down and the next chapter that awaits us is “boots on the ground”.
You’ll find us at several European mobility conferences and trade shows where we’ll do our best to tell the stories of these great companies as true as they can be.
The first one is the Salon du 2 roues 2026. I’m so excited to visit Lyon in February and to meet so many people from the list above!
And, as you may have noticed, we have a lot of test drives ahead of us! We’re incredibly grateful to get an opportunity to experience these remarkable vehicles first-hand and give you an insights into what the truth is and how cool they really are.
A big thank you to you, dear reader
This one’s for you! A big thanks from Marin and I. We’re so glad to have you onboard, following our posts and articles, and watching us on our podcast.
Every like, comment, repost, and message we get is a signal we’re doing something right.
This year has been a transformative one and we’re glad to be on this road, trying to find out how mobility will function tomorrow and who are the people making it all possible.
And if you’re still reading, you’re a certified legend!
Merry Christmas to you and may you spend these holidays surrounded with your loved ones and with a big smile on your face. 🎄
