Two BBS Alumni Leading Innovation in Shared Electric Navigation
10 October 2024Leonardo Caiazza and Michele Lauriola, both alumni of Bologna Business School, are the faces behind E-ssence, the startup that promises to revolutionize the Italian nautical sector. The two entrepreneurs met during the Global MBA in Green Energy & Sustainable Businesses, a meeting that sparked the idea of transforming traditional navigation through sustainable innovation.
E-ssence offers a fully electric boat rental service, managed through a digital platform, and has already made its debut in 2024 in iconic locations such as La Spezia, Lake Garda, Lake Bracciano (in Rome), Cavallino-Treporti (in Venice), Rimini, and the Po River. With a zero-emission fleet, the project aligns with the principles of the sharing economy, offering an eco-friendly and accessible alternative to traditional boating.
An Innovative Offering
E-ssence’s fleet consists of electric boats and pedal-assisted pedal boats, which can be operated without a boating license. Thanks to the digital platform, accessible via web and mobile app, users can book the boats easily and transparently. Video tutorials and telephone assistance complement the service, ensuring an assisted check-in and check-out for a seamless experience.
Technological Development: A New Management Software
In addition to the rental service, E-ssence is developing an innovative management software that will integrate vehicle management, bookings, and major booking platforms such as GetYourGuide, Airbnb Experience, and Tripadvisor, all into a single platform dedicated to nautical operators. This software, aimed at those renting canoes, boats, catamarans, and other watercraft, offers a vertical B2B solution to optimize operations for nautical operators. “We’re not just expanding into new locations, but creating tools that make management easier and scalable for all players in the industry,” say Caiazza and Lauriola. The software launch is scheduled for 2025, thanks to the support of acceleration programs the startup has recently joined.
Flexibility and Sustainability
E-ssence’s goal is to combine the pleasure of navigation with environmental sustainability, offering a zero-emission fleet to meet the growing demand for sharing services. “Our goal is to make boating not only more accessible but also more environmentally friendly,” state Caiazza and Lauriola.
A Growing Market
Young people between 25 and 35 years old represent E-ssence’s main target audience, attracted by the flexibility and affordability of shared mobility. However, the cost of renting boats remains a challenge for the startup, which has decided to adopt a shared revenue model, collaborating with industry operators, campsites, and hotels to expand its offering.
Sailing Towards a Sustainable Future
The startup fits within the broader transition towards adopting electric boats, especially in protected marine areas, where reduced environmental impact is a valuable asset. “Our boats reduce noise and pollution, contributing to the preservation of ecosystems,” concludes Caiazza.
E-ssence is not just a technological innovation, but a concrete vision of how sustainability and the sharing economy can transform the nautical sector, offering new opportunities for more conscious and environmentally respectful navigation.
