Spirii
From Nordic winner to the world’s best GreenTech startup to a European exit.
- /Positioning
- //Brand and exhibition film
- ///Award and winner content
The content that travelled with Spirii on the way, 2022 to 2023.
The Challenge.
How does a startup in a crowded EV charging market say what it has built in the six seconds a visitor gives an exhibition screen, and carry that story from a Nordic prize to the world stage?
The journey.
Startup. Spirii was founded in Copenhagen in 2019 by Tore Harritshøj and Torben Fog, both from E.ON, where they had been regional CEO and Head of eMobility. The idea was a platform that lets companies, municipalities, real estate developers and facility owners build and run an EV charging business, and Spirii Go, the app that gives EV drivers one way to charge and pay across networks and borders. In March 2021 Nordic Alpha Partners, the Danish greentech growth fund, led the seed round and became the growth partner for the years that followed.
Scaleup. In 2022 Spirii was named Best Green Tech Startup at the Nordic Startup Awards, at the regional grand finale in Reykjavik. In March 2023 it went one further: Best GreenTech Startup in the world at the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale in Copenhagen, chosen from nominees in 120 countries by a jury of seven industry experts, and handed over by Morten Bødskov, the Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. Spirii joined earlier winners such as Pleo. By then it was live in 14 countries.
Exit. On 27 February 2024 Edenred, the CAC 40 listed world leader in B2B mobility solutions, signed to acquire Spirii, and the deal closed on 28 May. At signing Spirii had about 100 employees, customers in 18 countries, a network of 250 platform partners and expected revenue of 25 to 30 million euros for the year. The external shareholders sold their full stakes, and from May 2024 the solution launched under Edenred in France and Germany. Five years from founding to a European exit.
Spirii by the numbers.
The company’s milestones, not ours. Tore Harritshøj, Torben Fog and the team did the hard part.
What we did.
DROBE took a small part in the journey, and we are proud of it. Three things.
1. Recognition content
Spirii won Best Green Tech Startup at the Nordic Startup Awards in 2022 and Best GreenTech Startup in the world at the Global Startup Awards in 2023. Global Startup Awards was founded by Kim Balle, who also founded DROBE, and DROBE makes the content around the awards. For both wins we produced the award and winner content: the Nordic winner film from the finale in Reykjavik, and the winner interview and the show content from the Grand Finale in Copenhagen, so the team had something to share the morning after.
2. Sales and conference material
In autumn 2022 we produced Spirii’s brand and exhibition film, Lead the charge toward smarter, simpler eMobility, for the screens on the Ecar Expo booth: a long cut of one minute thirty six and a short cut of thirty five seconds, built on Spirii’s own design guide and the product visuals from Figma, so the film looked like the product. In August 2023 we updated it with new product messaging for Spirii’s next event. One asset, two seasons of events, and a sales team that never stood next to an empty screen.
3. Positioning
Every booth at an EV charging fair promises smart charging. We worked with the team on where Spirii stands in that crowd: the storyline, and the messaging hierarchy underneath it. The platform for businesses and charge point operators first, Spirii Go for EV drivers second, roaming and global payment as the proof that the two meet. Then the hard part: how that reads on an exhibition screen in six seconds.
TODO KIM: two to four sentences on the positioning and strategy work, so this is more than a film credit. For example what the team came in with, what changed in the hierarchy, and what Spirii carried on using after the film.
Startup, scaleup, exit, on one timeline.
What happened at Spirii on the left. What we delivered on the right.
Founded in Copenhagen by Tore Harritshøj and Torben Fog, both from E.ON. A platform for building and running an EV charging business, and an app for the drivers.
MarchSeed round, led by the Danish greentech growth fund that becomes the growth partner. AURA Energi and Unigestion among the shareholders.
Best Green Tech Startup at the Nordic Startup Awards, at the regional grand finale during Iceland Innovation Week in Reykjavik.
AutumnEcar Expo. The booth screens need a film.
Neighbours. DROBE and Spirii share Schillerhuset in Copenhagen, and the first meetings with Tore Harritshøj happen a few doors down.
Nordic Startup AwardsThe Nordic winner film.
AutumnPositioning and storyline, then the brand and exhibition film for Ecar Expo, in a long and a short cut.
MarchNamed the world’s best GreenTech startup at the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale in Copenhagen, out of nominees from 120 countries. Live in 14 countries.
MarchThe winner interview and the show content from the Grand Finale.
AugustThe exhibition film updated with new product messaging for Spirii’s next event.
27 FebruaryEdenred signs to acquire Spirii. About 100 employees, 18 countries, 250 platform partners.
28 MayThe deal completes. The external shareholders sell their full stakes, and the solution launches under Edenred in France and Germany.
Our part was done by then. A small one, and one we are proud of.
The exhibition film.
Lead the charge toward smarter, simpler eMobility. Made for the screens on the Ecar Expo booth in autumn 2022, in two cuts, and updated with new product messaging in August 2023.
Exhibition film for the booth screens, long cut, 1:36
Lead the charge, short cut, 0:35
Two wins, one year apart.
The award content from both finales. The Nordic one in Reykjavik, the world one in Copenhagen.
2022. Nordic Startup Awards, Nordic winner, Best Green Tech Startup, 2:35
2023. Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, winner interview, Best GreenTech Startup, 1:48
In the press.
Newest first. Spirii’s own releases and the coverage around the two wins and the exit.