Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the electromobility sector, and Solidstudio is positioning itself as a key player in this change.
During the London EV Show, Paweł Małkowiak, CEO and founder of the firm, explains to Mobility Portal Europe how his company developed a disruptive business model for Charging Point Operators (CPOs).
This model combines advanced innovative tools with customizable software licenses.
With the aim of staying abreast of current trends, the company is now betting on a new technological revolution.
“We are working intensively to create a tailored AI model to help operators optimise processes,” he says.
This assists frontline technical support in understanding the vehicle’s status, user experience, and providing meaningful feedback.
In the future, the goal is also to make these tools available to everyday drivers.
Thus, in addition to optimising internal processes, AI will help educate vehicle owners on complex issues such as charging curves.
“With mass adoption rates, it would not be feasible to handle these queries solely by phone,” argues the CEO.
He emphasises: “Therefore, my personal goal for the coming years is to combine these revolutions and apply AI practically in this transition to electric mobility.”
What is Solidstudio’s secret formula for CPOs?
Founded seven years ago in Kraków, Poland, Solidstudio initially developed software for managing charging stations and applications aimed at electric vehicle drivers.
However, the company quickly identified a problem in traditional SaaS-based business models.
The main challenge for its clients—CPOs and other industry players—was that as they scaled, the costs associated with the software increased proportionally.
“This led to situations where, for example, they ended up paying half a million euros a year for software that didn’t belong to them,” explains Małkowiak.
This meant they did not own the data, could not innovate based on it, and used the same platform as everyone else.
“We wanted to change that and create a disruption in the market,” he asserts.
To solve this challenge, the company opted for a perpetual licensing model that can be commercially used and allows for manipulation of the source code.
“In about two weeks, the CPO can have a fully functional system to manage a charging network and users, treating it as their own,” details the CEO.
This approach allows users to reduce operating costs by up to 90% and differentiate themselves in the market.
How? By eliminating reliance on third parties, as they own the software and can implement any innovation they wish, whether through their own IT team or with Solidstudio’s support.
This ensures that all intellectual property they develop belongs exclusively to them, without sharing it with competitors.
“In this way, our clients become tech companies,” he says.
This not only allows them to reduce operating costs but also increases their value by owning the platform.
In this context, the firm acknowledges that managing its own software can pose a challenge.
Therefore, it also offers additional services that provide benefits similar to those of a SaaS provider.
It provides service level agreements (SLAs) and updates the licenses during the collaboration period.
“We aim to combine the best of both worlds: creating a solution from scratch while avoiding the drawbacks of completely outsourcing it to third parties,” emphasises the CEO.
Success stories and international expansion
Among its most notable projects, Solidstudio developed the charging ecosystem for Mitsubishi and provided an integrated solution for IE-Charge, a French ultra-fast charging network with over 500 stations.
“We built a data lake and optimised energy use by integrating batteries,” highlights Małkowiak.
These achievements have propelled the company’s presence in key markets such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.
Although based in Kraków, Solidstudio is expanding its global operations with a sales office in Amsterdam and active solutions on three continents.
“Our software has no physical barriers, so we target CPOs, fuel companies, fleets, and OEMs anywhere,” he states.
In this regard, the CEO outlines the key requirements for CPOs: “Reliability, uptime, and user experience are the three key points.”
Its participation at the London EV Show
The UK is establishing itself as one of the most important markets for Solidstudio.
For this reason, the company decided to take part in the event with the goal of expanding, promoting the brand in the market, and showcasing its licensing model.
“We’ve demonstrated our concept, and now we’re looking for greater presence and more customers,” he concludes.
