Two UPF alumni, Àlex García(graduate in Business Management and Administration, 2014) and Robert Ponjoan (graduate en Economics, 2016) are behind the VOLT project (@voltcharging), a universal wireless charger for mobile phones, winner of the UPF Emprèn 2017 award in the Enterprise category.

Indeed, last 14 December, VOLT was presented in public at an event held in SOHO the Club in Barcelona. It saw the launch of a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter, with the aim of funding the mass production of their products and to be able to deliver them by mid-2018.

The UPF Emprèn Awards, organized by Pompeu Fabra University’s Board of Trustees have this year reached their tenth edition, with a well-established track record of promoting initiative and entrepreneurial capacity. They consist of two modalities; Idea, with the collaboration of the Banc Sabadell Foundation, and Enterprise, both endowed with 10,000 euros.  

—What has winning the UPF Emprèn award meant to you?

(Àlex García) Apart from the financial support, winning the UPF Emprèn award has greatly boosted the brand that we are building and has helped us to gain greater presence in respect of future customers and investors.

—How did the idea come up for this project and how long have you been developing it?

(Robert Ponjoan) Àlex and I met working at Deloitte when I was doing an internship. We left our jobs a year ago and are developing VOLT. The idea arose while we were chatting in a restaurant, because more than once my phone has run out of battery and I have had to ask the waiter if to charge it for a while. We had been toying with the idea for some time and the few solutions on the market for restaurants were poor, so we decided to think about how to solve it. We quickly saw that the idea for restaurants could also be useful for other businesses and for the home. So we began to develop two products to offer an integral wireless solution.

—At what stage is your company at the moment?

(AG) In recent months, we have been developing the product, testing the consumer experience in the home, in restaurants, hotels... until we get the final version. These last few weeks we have been preparing the crowdfunding campaign that we are launching on 14 December on the platform Kickstarter.

—What is your aim for the crowdfunding campaign?

(RP) We aim to fund the mass production and carry out the first market test, as this platform is ideal for interacting with people who support us (backers[P1] ). You can pre-purchase the product via this link. The products will be delivered in May 2018, approximately.

—What are your product’s distinguishing features?

(AG) For the first time the user experience is totally wireless and universal, compatible with 99% of smartphones on the market. Our chargers, designed in Barcelona and inspired by minimalistic lines, with high quality compact structures and metallic finishes, make us change the way we charge our smartphone.

—Are you targeting both households and business environments?

(RP) Yes, at the moment with the Kickstarter campaign we need to focus more on domestic environments, because businesses do not buy easily via a crowdfunding campaign. Our business model focuses on working hard on the business environment once we have the products as it is where we have detected the greatest demand.

—What competition is there on the market?

(AG) Our competitors are still offering products in which the cable is the central element, with low-quality finishing and even advertising. We at VOLT are striving to change all of that, improving the experience of users and professionals.

—To which sectors do you wish to introduce it and in what area will you concentrate?

(RP) In the beginning we will concentrate on covering national demand  in the hotel and catering industry (restaurants & hotels), which is where we have detected the greatest business opportunities.

—In which direction do you think mobile phone charging technology is headed?

(AG) The big manufacturers of mobiles are clearly committed to wireless charging. The present is to find a solution whereby charging with and without wires can coexist. Looking to the future we see no cables in our daily lives.

—How would you appraise your time spent at UPF?

(RP) I have never been a good student, but I have to say that, in terms of both quality of teaching and of the level of the teaching staff, Pompeu Fabra University has helped me a lot in my professional life.

—Is entrepreneurship a good option for all young people or do you need certain skills and abilities?

(AG) Absolutely, everyone can be an entrepreneur! We have seen and can see many examples of people from different countries of the world, of different ages and with different knowledge, that undertake exciting projects that can change the way things work today.