He pans the webcam across the room. It is morning in Nairobi and outside the office windows you can see the impressive factory. This is where the electric motorcycle they designed, Roam Air, is produced. It has been almost seven years since some LiU students from the Master of Science in Energy, Environment and Management (EMM) programme realised their plans and moved to Africa.
“We’ve gone from just a few people to now being more than 250 employees. Of course, we’re grateful to be able to do this, but we’re far from done. It’s a constant development and there’s a lot we want to do to improve efficiency,” says Filip Lövström.
Next target: 15 000
He smiles and scratches his big beard while pondering the question why they left LiU for something completely different.
“It’s probably a combination of no instinct of self-preservation whatsoever and our goal to drive the development of electric vehicles in this region.”
When they moved, their focus was on converting diesel-powered safari vehicles into electric vehicles; a business that did well and the company, then called Opibus, got a lot of attention. But even then, the strategy was to go for motorcycles and buses.
“In the beginning, when we said that we were working on electric vehicles in Kenya, people more or less laughed at us. But after a couple of years, when the company gained traction, we got more money. We are now building an opportunity to bring electric vehicles to the market that are manufactured, repaired and handled locally,” says Filip Lövström.
Unlike electric motorcycles in Southeast Asia, for example, which are more about personal commuting, the Roam model is built for commercial operations such as taxis or deliveries. This year, 3,000–4,000 motorcycles will be produced. The target for next year is 15,000.
“We want to grow three or four times a year. Right now, we are focusing on Kenya and Nairobi specifically. In a couple of years, we will sell in neighbouring countries and eventually the goal is to cater to the entire African market. We want everyone to ride our motorcycles!”
Roam also invests in electric buses that are currently in a commercial pilot.
“We’ve developed the motorcycles ourselves, but when it comes to buses we’re more the spider in the web. We’ve designed the bus and have several different partners who put it together.”
Spirit of ambition
Seven years can be seen as a long time. Filip Lövström says that realising what is involved in running a business has been a humbling experience. He and sales manager Mikael Gånge, also a LiU alum who has entered the conversation, both testify to a vibrant everyday life.
“I love running a business here. When I wake up in Sweden, I know exactly what the day will be like, nothing surprises me. In Kenya, something new happens every day. A new solution to a new problem is always needed. It’s super interesting and an entrepreneurial school I don’t think you can get in Sweden,” says Mikael Gånge.
Filip Lövström adds:
“There’s a spirit of ambition, both in the company and in the country as a whole. We moved from Sweden because we wanted to work with electric vehicles, but at home the debate was mostly about how that wasn’t going to work in the inland of northern Sweden. There’s an attitude here that can be likened to Sweden in the 1950s and 60s; that now we’re building the country. This permeates everything, from our employees to the entire community where things are being built and developed everywhere.”
What is Nairobi like?
“A very big city. It has an international vibe with food from all corners of the world. Green and lovely. Quieter than you think, but more hectic than it looks…” says Filip Lövström.
Mikael Gånge:
“Yes, there are islands of calmness. But everything in between can be chaos. What’s awesome about Kenya is that you have beaches an hour away by plane, there are deserts, you can hike in the mountains… the country is very diversified.”
You left LiU about a year before graduation. But what has the programme meant to you?
“EMM is very good at providing a holistic perspective and a holistic approach. The programme is very much about application, and we got a good overview of what problem solving is like,” says Filip Lövström.
“Yes, we’re presented with so many questions and problems, concerning everything from battery charging to solar power, and we can quickly get into the matter and decide whether it’s reasonable or not. That muscle, to quickly understand and be able to make calculations in your head so as to avoid any pitfalls, I think we got that at LiU and it has helped us as entrepreneurs,” says Mikael Gånge.
