Skip to Content

Startup Circle chooses Capgemini Invent to design an urban mobility solution for the self-service car-sharing market

09 Nov 2021
Brand logo

Paris/London, November 9, 2021 – French start-up Circle, an expert in sustainable urban mobility on four wheels, today announced that it has chosen Capgemini Invent, the digital innovation, design and transformation brand of the Capgemini Group, to create an electric four-wheeled mobility solution with no need for a recharging station, intended for intra-urban travel. With Circle, city dwellers will have an eco-responsible, safe, and comfortable way to get around. A first prototype of this vehicle will be on display on November 9 and 10 in London at Move, the world’s biggest mobility exhibition. The goal is for the solution to be deployed on a large scale in several European cities[1] by January 2023.

Capgemini Invent’s teams are supporting the development and the market launch of the vehicle: from project scoping and user experience design, to definition and implementation of the service’s functional roadmap, notably through the identification of key partners. This includes choice of software bricks, construction of the digital platform, creation and implementation of the branding strategy, and commercialization to mobility operators.

Circle works with a system of removable batteries that can be manually removed and replaced by full batteries, before being recharged on a logistics platform. This innovative system optimizes the cost of the service and the availability of the vehicles, which do not have to be immobilized for recharging.

Eric Boullier, CEO and co-founder of Circle, explains: “We worked from the beginning of the project with our future clients, the main global mobility operators, to better understand their needs. The support of Capgemini Invent’s teams was fundamental for all the innovation, design and creation stages. We are very happy with this cooperation.” 

Mehdi Essaïdi, leader of sustainable and intelligent mobility activities at Capgemini Invent in France, adds: “The Circle project demonstrates how innovation can be supported by digital technologies and data in order to create sustainable solutions for tomorrow’s world. This is in line with Capgemini’s commitment to support its clients in the development of sustainable solutions and in their transition to net zero, powered by technology[2].”

About Circle

Startup Circle, founded in 2019, is an expert in sustainable urban four-wheel mobility. It provides an end-to-end, sustainable and cost-effective solution designed specifically for mobility operators. This solution addresses the main issues of intra-urban travel such as: recharging, cleaning and disinfecting the vehicle, as well as associated services (after-sales service, insurance etc.) Its two founders are: Eric Boullier, engineer and director of the French Formula 1 Grand Prix, and Alain Di Duca, urban mobility expert since 2006.

About Capgemini Invent

As the digital innovation, design and transformation brand of the Capgemini Group, Capgemini Invent enables CxOs to envision and shape the future of their businesses. With over 6,000 employees based in more than 30 offices and 22 design studios worldwide, Capgemini Invent combines expertise in strategy, technology, data science and creative design with deep industry knowledge to build the digital solutions and business models of tomorrow.

Capgemini Invent is an integral part of Capgemini, a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 300,000 team members in nearly 50 countries. With its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering, and platforms. The Group reported in 2020 global revenues of €16 billion.

Get the Future You Want*www.capgemini.com.

[1] The fleets to which Circle could bring value are mainly those of car rental companies and “pure players” (dedicated and single-channel companies) wishing to diversify their offer.

[2] Capgemini press release (July 2020): https://www.capgemini.com/news/capgemini-announces-ambition-to-become-net-zero-business-by-2030/