The archive · Hardware & Devices · Product decision · 2025–2026
Any bets cargo space, not speed, wins the e-two-wheeler market with LUV1
Belgian startup Any bet Europeans switch from cars to two-wheelers if the vehicle carries a week of life; 600 reservations in 100 days.
Any (ANY Mobility)
What the business is
Any (ANY Mobility) is a Belgian startup building modular electric 'life utility vehicles', starting with the LUV1 — an e-motorcycle with cargo-bike storage (120 liters), 100 km/h top speed and swappable batteries.
Starting capital：€2.75M ($3.2M): €1.5M raised in November 2025 plus a €1.25M top-up in May 2026; seeking €10M+ Series A by end of 2026.
How it started
Any was founded by Erik de Winter (co-founder and CCO, previously a co-founder of Dutch e-cargo bike sharing service Cargoroo) with former VC Pieter Van de Velde brought in as CEO about a year before the LUV1 launch, and former Pininfarina design director Lowie Vermeersch as creative director and investor. The team set out to build 'life utility vehicles' — two-wheeler agility with small-car utility — and raised €1.5M in November 2025.
What happened
The LUV1 prototype was unveiled at Milan Design Week in May 2026, with a configurator and preorder campaign following. It pairs a modular die-cast aluminum chassis with an 11 kW rear hub motor, two swappable 6.5 kWh batteries (68-87 miles range), 120 liters of integrated storage, front and rear racks and swappable body panels, priced from €7,000. Within 100 days Any booked more than 600 refundable €49 reservations, and a €1.25M top-up in May brought total funding to €2.75M.
No ending yet — it is still running.
Background
Any was founded by Erik de Winter, previously a co-founder of the Dutch e-cargo bike sharing service Cargoroo, who became CCO. Former VC Pieter Van de Velde was brought in as CEO about a year before launch, and former Pininfarina design director Lowie Vermeersch joined as creative director and investor. The thesis: cars are still the default for short urban trips largely because two-wheelers cannot carry what a week of life needs — groceries, weekend bags, work gear.
The answer was the LUV1, a modular electric 'life utility vehicle' unveiled at Milan Design Week in May 2026. It offers 120 liters of integrated storage with configurable dividers, front and rear racks, an 11 kW rear hub motor, two swappable 6.5 kWh batteries for 68-87 miles of range, a 100 km/h top speed, and a starting price of €7,000 with only an A1 license required. A configurator and preorder campaign opened alongside the reveal.
Boosted by the Milan buzz, Any booked more than 600 refundable €49 reservations in the first 100 days. A €1.25M funding top-up in May 2026 brought total venture funding to €2.75M. The company was then preparing to raise a €10M+ Series A by the end of 2026 to ramp production ahead of first deliveries at the end of 2027, and said it had been approached by last-mile delivery operators while planning a wider vehicle portfolio.
What has to be true
- Cars still win most short urban trips, and the practical gap is storage: 120 liters plus racks attacks the actual reason people default to the car.
- Modularity — 'designed for real life' — lets one vehicle cover commuter, family and cargo jobs instead of splitting the market.
- The A1 license requirement and €7,000 starting price undercut both cars and high-end cargo bikes, lowering the cost of switching.
- 600+ paid reservations in 100 days, driven by the Milan Design Week reveal, showed demand before production even existed.
What can be applied
Differentiating on the job a product actually does — carrying a week of life — can open a market incumbents treat as performance- or style-driven, if price and licensing stay accessible.
Aftermath
As of 2026-08-28, Any had taken more than 600 reservations for the LUV1, raised €2.75M total, and was preparing a €10M+ Series A to close by the end of 2026 to fund production ahead of first deliveries at the end of 2027. The company was also in talks with last-mile delivery operators and planning a portfolio of vehicles, including a possible three-wheeler.
Sources
- As electric two-wheelers gain a foothold, Belgian startup Any bets on cargo space
- LUV1: The Electric 'Life Utility Vehicle' From Ex-Pininfarina and Ferrari Designers Taking Aim at Urban Car Trips
- Photos: Electric motorcycle offers 120-liter storage and 87-mile range to replace car trips
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