SunVessel

SunVessel sells "smart” charging stations for electric and robotic personal mobility devices.

The stations, which come equipped with personal transportation devices called segways, lock and charge the devices, and teach users how to ride them.

SunVessel is led by Founder Sebastian Puerto. He formerly co-founded Cafe X, a “robotic coffee bar” whose investors include Peter Thiel, Khosla Ventures, and Social Capital.

Assisting Puerto is a team of designers and engineers with experience at Ford, GE, Motorola, Microsoft, Sony, and Samsung.

This team is targeting the rapidly-growing “micro-mobility” market. Micro-mobility is a term used to describe compact forms of transportation like bikes and scooters.

In 2018, there were 80 million micro-mobility “trips” taken in the U.S. And according to McKinsey, a global consulting firm, the micro-mobility market is projected to reach $300 billion by 2030.

This growth has attracted the attention of professional investors. For example, since 2018, venture firms have invested $8 billion into the micro-mobility market.

SunVessel’s stations are installed in hotels, offices, and apartment buildings located in urban areas.

As for its segways, each device travels up to 9 miles per hour, and can travel 14 miles on a single charge. This may not seem like a wide travel range, but roughly 60% of all micro-mobility trips in the U.S. are five miles or less.

SunVessel stations and devices are available via purchase or lease.

Stations cost $3,480 to purchase, and are leased for $165 per month for 24 months. In addition. SunVessel offers an “amenity pack” for $49 per month. This includes insurance, maintenance, and data reports.

The company has been featured on CNN, and its product helped earn the company the "keys" to Miami-Dade County in Florida in 2018.

Team Background

David Fast - Lead Designer

David has more than 12 years of experience leading design for global brands and startups.

Most recently, he was a lead design instructor for Ironhack, one of the leading “bootcamps” for designers and web developers.

Prior to that, he ran his own design consulting business, during which time he represented companies like Adobe.

For two years, he was an instructor and mentor at the Miami Ad School, where he taught students to solve problems for global brands. Before that, he was Creative Director for Monaco Media International, a design company.

David studied Architecture and Art History at Kansas State University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Tabor College.

Sebastian Gomez Puerto - Founder & CEO

Prior to starting SunVessel, Sebastian co-founded Café X, a “robotic coffee bar” whose investors include Peter Thiel, Khosla Ventures, and Social Capital.

Before that, he was a mobile apps marketer for Watsco Ventures, an investment division of Watsco (NYSE: WSO), the largest independent distributor of HVAC equipment and supplies.

He spent two years as a marketing specialist for Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), and worked in the marketing and distribution department at Procter and Gamble (NYSE: PG).

Sebastian earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business and an MBA from Babson College.

Christopher Scull - Fabrication Lead

Before joining the team at SunVessel, Christopher worked with Ali at Delta-Design, serving as the company’s Business Development Manager.

Prior to that, he spent four years as a project manager with MODIS Architects, and was previously an architectural assistant for LaRosa Architects.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Florida International University.

Henry Williams - Software Engineer

Most recently, Henry served as a senior software engineer with GE Digital, and before that he was a software engineer for Watsco and Carnival Cruise Line.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of South Florida.

Ali Qureshi - Head of Industrial Design

Ali brings an extensive design background to SunVessel.

Notably, he graduated at the top of his class from Florida International University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. He then earned his Master’s in Architecture from MIT.

He began his design career with Monad Studio, where he worked with renowned architect Eric Goldemberg.

From there, Ali worked as a junior architect with Perkins & Will, an architecture firm, before moving on to serve as CEO of his own company, Delta-Design.

Co-Investors