To reduce costs and the ecological footprint of its customers, Batconnect designs smart batteries for light vehicles.

Fact sheet
Date of creation: 2019
Workforce: 4 employees
2021 turnover: €200,000
R&D/Commercial Headquarters: Portet-sur-Garonne
Head office: Pins-Justaret (Haute-Garonne)
Website: https://batconnect.fr

Specialising in smart lithium-ion batteries for light electric vehicles, Batconnect has designed a predictive maintenance module to increase their lifespan, limit vehicle downtime and reduce the cost and ecological footprint for users.

« Our batteries enable us to make savings of between 40% and 80% on the total cost of ownership – purchase cost and operating cost during the useful life of the battery – and to have a life cycle that is twice as long as that of traditional lead acid batteries », explains Jérémy Dulout, Managing Director of the company based in Pins-Justaret (Haute-Garonne).

Its main customers are golf course buggy and handling equipment rental companies. Batconnect offers them comprehensive smart management of their fleet. « We can anticipate breakdowns, make a diagnosis and send data, all remotely », says Jérémy Dulout.

Its smart module can find both battery and vehicle faults, giving the customer a complete overview of the vehicle. « Our management algorithms, as well as performance estimations, provide a real competitive advantage », emphasises Jérémy Dulout.

Battery performance is evaluated in real time, allowing the customer to be alerted when a battery is running low or performing poorly. To give the batteries a second lease of life, Batconnect collects them for other customers who do not need batteries with as much power or charge. « By using them again elsewhere, we can extend the life of the battery to 15 years », he adds.

Today, Batconnect is getting its batteries lined up for success. The company hopes to raise €1.5m to develop an assembly line in Toulouse, market its batteries in Europe and step up R&D efforts on its predictive maintenance algorithms. « We are targeting the handling market (forklift trucks, pallet trucks, automatons in warehouses), where we are currently prospecting and starting to market our products », explains Jérémy Dulout, whose company then hopes to conquer the United States, where « the light vehicle market is twice as big as in Europe ».

Batconnect has recently put together an application to fund its commercial efforts through the regional Start’Oc Process scheme. The company is also supported by Nubbo, a Toulouse-based incubator, to accelerate the marketing of its products, refine its business model and submit funding applications to AD’OCC and Bpifrance in particular.