A Roadmap and Partnership Model for an E-Payment Solution

The task

The energy transition is one of the great challenges of our time, and a major opportunity for innovative companies. The start-up POWERJames developed a practical solution that lets EV drivers settle individual charging sessions asynchronously via a smartphone app. Thanks to POWERJames’s patented app and the billing logistics behind it, payments can even be made offline, and every single charging session can be precisely attributed and billed by the exact kWh, independently of the electricity provider.

Once the technical development was complete, it became clear that several central aspects of the business model needed to be worked out in more detail: what should the partner ecosystem look like so the patented payment solution could be offered and established nationwide? What does the ideal customer experience look like? And how could the payment solution be extended to business areas beyond e-mobility? To gain clarity on these and other questions, the company brought in NewTec’s consulting experts.

The solution

Over a one-day Digital Business Innovation workshop, guided sessions were used to develop a detailed business model for the e-payment solution. POWERJames’s objectives were sharpened first. Potential target groups were identified and assessed, along with the opportunities for extending the solution to other industries. On that basis, optimal user experiences were modelled, with clear value for both buyers and sellers. Business model matching proved especially valuable: analysing already successful business models to see how far they could be transferred to POWERJames.

Taking the technical, commercial and logistical aspects into account, the result was a model for an “ecosystem” of partnerships. From the service provider that builds and maintains the infrastructure, through the payment provider to the electricity suppliers, roles were not only defined; using a Value Proposition Canvas (VPC), the individual added value for each partner was worked out as well.

By the end of the workshop, a detailed POWERJames business model had been placed within the right business ecosystem. “Thanks to the very focused, structured methodology, we now have a viable business model with the right degree of innovation,” summarised Dr Jonas Mossler, Managing Director of POWERJames. “That gives us a real push and clarity for the next steps.”