Electric transport pioneer
The ELS programme is designed to help its participants dream big. One alumnus used his funding to help make his entrepreneurial ambitions a reality before graduating. Dmitro’s aim of making electric transport accessible to everybody has been a success, with 20,000 people snapping up his company’s eBike kit around the world.
Self-starter
Dmitro’s entrepreneurial spirit first emerged in sixth form when he started a company selling waffles and bagels during lunchtime to other students. He then went on to study Engineering Design and the
University of Bristol, where he established the EngDes society for his course. “I realised that not only did I enjoy building products, but organisations too,” he says.
Before graduating, Dmitro spent a year interning at Cambridge Consultants. “That’s where I really found my feet as an engineer and put things I knew theoretically into practice,” he says. Dmitro gained hands-on experience in robotics, software and electronics and met his future business partner in the process. “He was very interested in eBikes and sustainable products and I was very interested in building a company and manufacturing something.”
Dreaming bigger
Dmitro joined the ELS scheme to build his network. At first, he wasn’t sure how to make the best of the opportunity, but the scheme helped him ‘dream bigger’ and meet future collaborators. “Halfway through I started Swytch with Oliver Montague, which is the company I’m now working at.” Swytch Technology first product is an eBike conversion kit that turns any bike into an electric bike.
He originally planned to help with the initial crowdfunding video and assemble prototypes, but Dmitro found he could apply what he was learning in his degree to progress the ‘rough idea’ to manufacturing the first product.
How the ELS helped
Network: Dmitro met his head of manufacturing through the ELS programme. “It’s funny because you don’t really anticipate things might happen like that. He complements my skillset so much, in that I’m passionate about design whereas his expertise is manufacturing, so it’s been a really good turn of events.”
A new way of thinking: Dmitro says the weekends away, which form part of the programme
– gave him an insight into the way he thinks and how he interacts with others. “I always think back to those days and, knowing what I know about myself now, question how I should act, change and approach a new challenge.”
Confidence: Dmitro says the ELS scheme gave him confidence as an engineer and leader. “It was a really good push and driver for me to think I could dream bigger than I did before. The scale of my ambitions went higher.
Pedalling bike kits
“I used basically all the money to support myself really early on before the company started to make any revenue,” he says. The funds paid for a trip to China where he was able to start a supply chain and figure out the manufacturing needed to make his eBike kit a reality. “We launched a product and part of the initial funding was through ELS,” he says.
The Indiegogo campaign was a success, raising more than £1 million. Swytch has now launched a new version of its eBike kit. “We have about 20,000 customers around the world in 40 different countries and over a million miles has been ridden on our kits.
Accelerating with the ELS
We’re a fully fledged operational and profitable company and we’ve got around 20 employees at this stage, and we’re growing fast,” Dmitro says. He is now CTO and head of People and Talent at Swytch. His technical role involves overseeing all parts of the product development lifecycle from conceptual design to mass manufacture. More recently he’s turned his design skills towards the company organisation, heading up the recruitment drive and developing the internal leadership team as Swytch grows.
“I think there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have wound up starting Swytch if it wasn’t for the ELS programme,” Dmitro says. He credits the scheme with giving him confidence and a network. “The thing that stays with me is that I’m part of a community that will always be able to support me in some way. I feel there’s always something to fall back on. It’s a very strong support.”
We launched a product and part of the initial funding was through ELS.
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