Belgian startup Any bets on cargo space for its electric motorcycle

Belgian startup Any is trying to win over Europe’s car-loyal commuters by building a motorcycle designed to carry as much as a car trunk. The company’s first product, the LUV1, is a modular electric motorcycle with the cargo capacity of a cargo bike but a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). It can store up to 120 liters, and buyers can choose an open frame or various panel configurations depending on whether they’re hauling a pet, work equipment, or camping gear.

The LUV1’s design is the work of Lowie Vermeersch, the former Pininfarina design director who now leads creative direction at Any and is also one of its investors. His collaboration with the startup helped the prototype generate buzz when it was unveiled in May during Milan Design Week.

Any and Vermeersch are positioning the LUV1 as the first entry in a new category they call “life utility vehicles.” Starting at €7,000 (about $8,150), the bike undercuts most cars while landing closer to the price of higher-end electric cargo bikes; it should also only require an A1 license, which is easy to obtain in most places, opening it to riders beyond the traditional motorcycle crowd. Any has already drawn more than 600 reservations in its first 100 days, co-founder and CCO Erik de Winter said, each backed by a fully refundable €49 ($57) deposit credited toward the purchase price.

The startup, which enlisted former VC Pieter Van de Velde as CEO one year ago, has raised €2.75 million ($3.2 million) in venture funding so far — €1.5 million in November and a €1.25 million top-up in May. It has also added automotive expertise, hiring Alessandro Mangano, whose former employers include Aprilia, Ferrari, and Piaggio Group, as head of engineering.

With two swappable batteries giving the LUV1 a range of up to 87 miles per charge, Any is betting the extra cargo space will set it apart from the growing lineup of electric two-wheelers from Piaggio and Harley-Davidson, in a market the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers expects will be mostly electric by 2030. De Winter said last-mile delivery companies have approached the startup, and Any is considering a broader “portfolio of vehicles” that could include a third-wheeler.

Before it can chase that broader lineup, though, Any needs to ramp up LUV1 production ahead of its first customer deliveries. The startup is now seeking to raise some €10 million ($11.65 million) or more in a Series A round it hopes to close by the end of the year.

Why it matters

Any’s bet on modularity and cargo space gives it a niche in a two-wheeler market that Chinese and legacy manufacturers are racing to electrify, but scaling production and closing a Series A it hasn’t yet secured will determine whether the concept becomes more than a Milan Design Week prototype.