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Image credit: Carver (Facebook)

Carver, a Netherlands-based company that provides mobility solutions to travel smarter, faster and sustainably in congested cities, announced that it has raised €1.8M from BNR Capital. The funding gives BNR Capital a minority interest in Carver.

The urban mobility solution

Led by CEO Anton Rosier, Carver is a producer of electric 3-wheel (city) vehicles. The Light EV Carver combines the safety and comfort of a car with the maneuverability and convenience of a scooter. Carver claims its uniqueness is the active tilting when cornering. This monitors the drivers’ balance and delivers a “spectacular” driving experience.

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“Why do we need 2 tons of steel to transport 1 person from A to B?” – The company claims this question started the development of the Carver in the 1990s. In 2000, this led to the Carver One – a motorised tricycle – which gained international fame.

The current Carvers are electric, and fill the gap between the electric bicycle and electric cars. However, due to a lack of space in cities, the car is increasingly banned. Carver is located in Netherlands’ ‘s-Gravendeel (R&D) and in Leeuwarden (Carver Europe). In addition, the company also has a production facility in Busan in South Korea and its own purchasing office in China.

Why did BNR Capital invest in Carver?

BNR Capital is a new investment vehicle from Richard and Bryan Meester, founded in 2021. The firm’s mission is to help companies that are in between startup and scaleup with hands-on experience without sitting in the seat of the entrepreneurs. 

BNR’s network (technique, manufacturing, engineering and innovation) as well as knowledge in various fields such as automation, financing, quality control and ICT come in handy here. “We believe it is important to make an active contribution to growth and to act as a sparring partner on a strategic level,” says the company.

Richard Meester says, “Sustainability, Innovation & Technology, and Leisure are three pillars of our strategy. We are extremely excited about the Carver product. It is cheap electric and covered transport for in and around the city, but also in less populated areas. This market will grow rapidly in the coming years. That makes it very interesting for us as an investor.”

Capital utilisation

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, container prices are high and that has put pressure on Carver’s growth and margin. However, the company’s sales showed significant growth over the past year.

The company says it has worked hard to build up the international distribution network and Carvers have now been delivered in nine European countries, as well as distributors active in Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore. In the past year, the product range was also expanded with a Carver Cargo, as an ideal last-mile solution and a faster version (80 km/h) of the Carver.

These developments give BNR Capital confidence that growth will accelerate in 2022. And with the raised capital, Carver expects to not only have the financial space to grow further, but also have a very experienced and successful entrepreneur on board as a shareholder who will join a newly established advisory board.