Farplas

FROM A CORPORATE VENTURE TO A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP: DUCKT’S INPIRING STORY

“Valuable ideas do not appear out of nowhere, nor do they originate spontaneously in unusual settings. You must put up your best effort and enthusiasm, as well as bring your previous experiences and conduct extensive research. ” Cagri Selcuklu, DUCKT CEO

MEET DUCKT’S CO-FOUNDERS

DUCKT’s co-founders, Ahmet Cagri Selcuklu, Ender Goksen Atalay, and Evren Yazici, have dedicated their lives to mobility solutions. Cagri, the CEO of DUCKT, has 15 years of automotive experience working for OEMs, suppliers, and noteworthy R&D projects. He began working at FIAT after receiving a Koc Foundation scholarship to complete his Master’s degree in Transportation Design in Italy. CTO Goksen, a Galatasaray University graduate, is a seasoned engineer with eight years of Renault experience. Goksen has 16 years of experience in supply management, manufacturing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Evren, Head of Design, graduated with honors from Mimar Sinan University and has spent the previous five years focusing on mobility solutions. He has already received nine design prizes in such a short period.

Cagri, Goksen, and Evren met at Fark Labs in 2018, and after collaborating on many projects, they started working on DUCKT in 2019. DUCKT quickly became their passion project, with weekends spent working on it. They also received Fark Labs’ support after proving themselves and showcasing what they intend to do. 

A DISRUPTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARD FOR A DISRUPTIVE INDUSTRY

Born in Fark Labs, DUCKT provides a smart infrastructure standard compatible with all components of this rapidly growing industry. 

Despite the pandemic, DUCKT began mass manufacturing in just one year. During this time, they received awards from municipalities such as Lisbon, Tallinn, and Paris. In addition, they began selling their product globally and launched a collaboration with the Istanbul Municipality and Ispark. They completed their funding rounds and continued their journey with well-known investors including Ahu Buyukkusoglu Serter, Omer Burhanoglu, and EIT InnoEnergy.

DUCKT, which closed its first investment round with a € 4 million value, has gone from idea to mass production with three founders in just one year. DUCKT has begun to distribute its products to clients globally, thanks to its internationally patented technology and various awards such as the EU Startup Prize, TechCrunch, and StartupGRIND Google.

We are all familiar with the story of Edison and Tesla. At the end of the story, they set a worldwide standard. Today, the micromobility industry has the same opportunity. The main purpose of DUCKT is not to establish charging stations, but to define micromobility infrastructure standards.

There will be 30 million new micromobility vehicles on the road by 2030. That equates to one-quarter of the current automotive industry. These diverse and new vehicles will all coexist on our streets, requiring the implementation of parking, security, and charging solutions.

This rapidly expanding industry, however, is not without its challenges. Regulations, reactions, and control mechanisms are being introduced, but a solution is urgently needed. Operating firms, on the other hand, spend more than half of their earnings on services such as collecting, maintaining, securing, and charging the entire fleet many times per day. It is always the end-users who pay the price.

Micromobility, like any other sector, requires an innovative and environmentally friendly infrastructure that solves all adaption issues. To use the system, simply leave your vehicle equipped with smart adapters at the DUCKT station. DUCKT detects the vehicle, locks it, stops your journey, and charges it. You manage all of this in a single second and are already moving on with your life.

DUCKT’s business model enables environmentally friendly and sustainable operations that meet the needs of cities while also creating new revenue streams.

Listen to the DUCKT founders share their story and how they got started.

This article was originally published in the October 2020 issue of Fast Company Turkiye.