“Thomas and his team combine technical expertise with a pragmatic approach. They delivered high-quality work quickly and were proactive at every stage of the project.”
Studio Dos Santos
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Sumura
A Smarter Way to Lock and Charge Your E-Bike in Urban Areas
Would you like to charge your e-bike without the hassle of loose cables, unsafe setups, or carrying a heavy charger? Then you’re talking about Sumura.
The idea behind Sumura came from a clear need in urban mobility.
Electric bikes are playing an increasingly important role in sustainable transport. Yet charging them is often inconvenient. Many users face a lack of proper infrastructure, unsafe home setups with scattered chargers, or the hassle of carrying heavy adapters during their commute.
Sumura addresses this with a practical solution.
It is a charging point that securely locks and charges e-bikes. The system is suitable for home use, workplaces, and public environments.
Sumura was developed within Studio Dos Santos, a Belgian design studio that creates smart products at the intersection of design, technology, and manufacturability.
The idea came from a common issue: charging e-bikes is often inconvenient or unsafe. There’s a lack of proper infrastructure, both at home and in urban areas. Sumura was created to address that need.
Studio Dos Santos translated the idea into a tangible product. They were responsible for the concept, industrial design, production-ready engineering, and user experience.
For the development of electronics and software, they partnered with VAEngineering. VAEngineering created the embedded hardware, firmware, and the link with a mobile app, developed together with Aaltra.
Both teams brought experience in scaling up prototypes for production, supported by a reliable network of manufacturing partners.
Sumura has been in use for nearly two years in pilot projects within the consumer market. With support from VLAIO and feedback from users, the system has been refined in terms of usability, durability, and connectivity.
In summer 2025, the first production run will begin. At the same time, a broader market launch is being prepared, including expansion into the B2B market. This includes companies, apartment buildings, and shared bike parking facilities.
To enable this growth, a €750,000 funding round is currently underway. Studio Dos Santos is seeking strategic partners for this next phase.
While Sumura includes a strong locking system, its main focus is on safe and user-friendly e-bike charging.
The system brings power access to street level, at home, or at the workplace. In addition, a network of public charging points is being developed. Through the app, users can share, reserve, or open up charge points to others.
Studio Dos Santos designs smart products where design, technology, and manufacturability come together.
Examples include:
With these and other projects, the studio continues to build its expertise in connected hardware and smart mobility solutions. From early idea validation to international production readiness, Studio Dos Santos brings together creativity, technical knowledge, and entrepreneurial thinking.
Studio Dos Santos designs smart products where design, technology, and manufacturability come together.
Examples include:
With these and other projects, the studio continues to build its expertise in connected hardware and smart mobility solutions. From early idea validation to international production readiness, Studio Dos Santos brings together creativity, technical knowledge, and entrepreneurial thinking.
The collaboration with VAEngineering is built on shared values: speed, technical depth, reliability, and a solution-oriented mindset.
VAEngineering contributed not only to the technical development, but also to the process of translating a prototype into a scalable, reproducible product.
“Thomas and his team combine technical expertise with a pragmatic approach. They delivered high-quality work quickly and were proactive at every stage of the project.”
Studio Dos Santos
Thanks to our experience in a wide variety of electronics projects, we have everything we need to turn your idea into a user-friendly and functional final product.