KUPLER - teardrop-shaped mini caravan
11 255 € (11%)
of 99 900 - 199 800 € goal funded
135 € minimum investment
Quick Pitch
The Kupler mini caravan is a drop-shaped small mobile home. Though little, it has everything you need for a comfortable vacation – a kitchen, storage space, and a bedroom.
Very durable materials and the latest technology have been used in its construction. It is a long-lasting, economical, eye-catching, and very easy to attach to the car’s towbar.
The great advantage of a mini caravan is that it can be parked anywhere thanks to its light weight. There is no need to look for a separate parking area for caravans. You can park right in the middle of nature, exactly where your heart desires.
The Kupler has been developed for three years and there are satisfied customers in 6 countries already.
With the help of this financing campaign, we will supplement production and the goal is to grow the annual production volume in first step up to 30 units and later up to 100 units.
Problem & Solution
More than ever before, while travelling, people are seeking values that at first glance appear to be contradictory – extremely high flexibility and proximity to nature, while retaining habitual comfort. If, in the past, the only solution for travelling in nature was a tent, then today, the Kupler offers flexible travel comfort!
The Kupler provides the opportunity to move around extremely flexibly – regardless of the time of day and destination, you are the master of your journey!
As soon as you find a destination that excites you, you will have all the comforts ready to stay there. Many travellers also prefer more private travel methods, and in this case, the Kupler is also the most flexible and affordable solution in its class.
Fewer and fewer people are opting for tents when travelling, instead preferring the more flexible format of road trips – this is evidenced by the growth of this form of tourism in the world both before the COVID pandemic and during it (a growth of 20%, when the rest of the tourism sector has shrunk).
In conclusion: Never before have low-contact and flexible travel comfort at an accessible price been so important at the same time!
Product/Service Details
The demand for low-contact tourism methods is constantly increasing, and people’s desire for adventure does not diminish over time.
The Kupler mini caravan is one of the flexible and affordable options, because it is:
• LIGHT – there is no need for a big and powerful car to transport it.
• AFFORDABLE – does not wreak havoc on your wallet, neither do the running costs. Thanks to the aerodynamic shape and light weight, the vehicle’s fuel consumption increases only minimally.
• FUNCTIONAL – always includes a bedroom, lots of storage space, and a functional kitchen.
• COMFORTABLE AND MODERN – fully insulated, there are also sockets, lights, cupboards, clothes hooks, a sink, a water tank and a wastewater tank, a gas stove, etc.
The price of the Kupler in standard equipment is 15,950 euros (VAT included), being one of the most affordable in its class.
Business model
The business model has two parallel channels:
1. Buy the Kupler - the Kupler can be bought as personal property, and you can furnish the cabin to make it homely just as you like it
2. Rent the Kupler - the Kupler can also be rented out in the future, even for a weekend!
The object of our primary investment is the expansion of production, but if the amount of the involved investment is >150,000 euros, we will immediately start the rental model as well. The mini trailer booked in the app can be conveniently used at a time suitable to you.
Kupler's value chain is structured in a way that most of it is carried out by ourselves - all product development, producing most of the components, product assembly, quality control and marketing.
However, we use partners for some processes:
• in the production of details, we make all the form and content of the trailer ourselves, but we buy special elements such as finished windows, some undercarriage details, rims, etc.
• sales and distribution take place from Estonia, but in export markets, sales to end consumers are made through local partners who also provide primary customer service and maintenance.
Market
The new arrival of an old invention.
The era of mini trailers began in the 1930s with the increase in cars’ popularity. Images from that time featured beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen having a picnic, with a drop-shaped mini camper in the background.
Competition in the field is not high – if there are about 60 car brands in the world, there are less than 20 mini caravan manufacturers in Europe and most of them are small manufacturers based 100% on handicrafts.
An estimate 100,000 new mini caravan trailers are produced worldwide each year, most of them in North America.
The total number of caravans of all size classes increased in Europe by >35% in 2021, reaching 1,2 million units per year. One of the reasons for the exceptionally high growth was certainly the health crisis, but the forecast for 2023 is also more than 20% growth. Such growth is a testimony to the great increase of the lovers of flexible travel comfort, supported by the desire to come into contact with as few people as possible and to have an affordable, yet comfortable accommodation anywhere the heart desires to go.
The rental concept, with which we want to cover the most important cities in Estonia and beyond, is completely unused.
Traction & Accomplishments
The Kupler has been on the market as a product for more than three years.
Feedback from more than 40 satisfied customers has helped improve the functionality and durability of the product.
Kuplers have entered the highway in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and, of course, Estonia.
The current capacity has allowed to produce approx. 20 units a year, but with an update in production, we will be able to increase this amount 2–4 times in the coming years.
How We’re Different
Our great desire is to offer our customers a fully equipped mini caravan, in this case, they do not have to go through endless lists of additional equipment and pay extra for things that should be self-evident in a caravan. That is why we have already included as many things as possible in our richly equipped standard model.
The Kupler is perfect for people who value a vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the city – just grab your things, attach the Kupler to the towbar of your car and you will be on your way for your next adventure in a matter of minutes. Be it in the forest or by the seaside. The Kupler successfully handles bumpy roads and offers you protection from all kinds of weather conditions.
The Kupler is also easy to manoeuvre and control while on the road. You only need a B-category driver’s licence to drive it. Since the caravan is quite light, the car does not have to do too much extra work to transport it, therefore, there is only a minimal increase in fuel consumption.
Enjoy beautiful views with the Kupler – invite your companion and choose a time and place!
Uses of Funds & Timeline
We will use the money to cover the following needs:
1) We will purchase production equipment in the amount of 50,000 euros (+ VAT)
Here is a list of the larger devices that can be purchased:
i. CNC 3D woodworking machine with software
ii. Vacuum tables for smooth details
iii. Specially sized curved vacuum table with vacuum pump
iv. Moulds for plastic parts
v. Drilling bench
The equipment’s sale/purchase contract has been concluded and an advance payment of 5,000 euros has been made. The cost of the whole set is 50,000 euros + VAT.
2) Increasing stock in the amount of approx. 50,000 euros
The price of purchased materials is an important influence on the cost price of the product. With financing, we will create the ability to acquire the most important materials in bulk quantities, which allows us to reach the optimal cost price.
3) Launching the rental model
If the amount of the involved investment exceeds the primary needs of production and inventory, we will invest in the production of rental equipment and the creation of a self-service rental app.
Obligations to Investors, Profit Distribution
Kupler’s goal in the following years is rapid growth – approx. 50% a year.
If, in 2021, we produced 20 trailers, then the goal for 2023 is to produce nearly 30 units, and 55 units in 2024. We want to reach 100 units per year in five years.
We will provide investors with quarterly reports
In the report, we cover the following as a minimum:
- profit and loss statement
- an overview of sales results
- an overview of other important company developments
We want to reach the distribution of dividends in 3 years – by 2026, if the business profit exceeds 300,000 euros, we will distribute at least 20% of the profit as dividends.
We gratefully offer the following benefits to Kupler investors:
• Kupler’s friend – all supporters starting from an investment of 297 euros, 1 free rental day (worth 50 eur)
• Kupler silver investor – starting from an investment of 999 euros, 5% discount on the purchase or rental of a Kupler (worth approx. 800 euros) + 1 free rental day
• Kupler gold investor – starting from an investment of 1998 euros, 10% discount on the purchase or rental of a Kupler (worth approx. 1,600 euros) + 1 free rental day
• Kupler platinum investor – starting from an investment of 2988 euros, 15% discount on the purchase or rental of a Kupler (worth approx. 2,500 euros) + 1 free rental day
Risks and Mitigation
The world is full of surprises, but we consider the following two risks to be the greatest in the development of Kupler:
Declining demand for the purchase of mini caravans vs the possibilities of the rental model – although recent crises have been times of rapid growth of mini caravans, if we should see a decline in purchase interest, the unlimited market opportunity is the development of the rental model. We will compare the possibility by asking: how many people used electric scooters before they were available for rent?
Intensification of European competition vs the starting advantage of market players – the number of European mini caravan manufacturers is small, but new entrants always appear when there is an increase in demand. We estimate that Europe can accommodate about twice as many manufacturers for the competition to be as intense as it is in the USA. We believe that the next 3–5 years will be years of rapid growth in the segment, which will be favourable to those already operating in the market.
Material supply and price risks - the fluctuating material availability and price risks in recent years have had some impact on Kupler's cost price, but by 2023 the situation has stabilized and no significant risk can be seen at current volumes.
Company name: Kupler OÜ
Company registration code: 14672358
Company address: Sepa 15F, Tartu 50123, Eesti
Company phone no: +372 5617 6666
Company email: info@kupler.eu
Webpage | Facebook
Fundwise email: info@fundwise.me
Investment amount
99 900 - 199 800 €
Proposed share
8,16 % to 15,08 %
Proposed investment per person
135 € to 67 500 €
Pre-money nominal value of share capital
2500 €
Pre-money company valuation
1 125 000 €
Post-money nominal value of share capital
2 722 - 2 944 €
Post-money company valuation
1 224 900 - 1 324 800 €
Pre-money valuation of share with 0.01 € nominal value
4.5 €
TEAM
Marek Luts
Founder, CEO
Marek has more than 10 years of automotive experience. Under Marek's hands, numerous constructions of special vehicles and passenger transport machines have been realized under the brand "Rebuilding". In addition to company management, Marek's long-term competencies are also in sales and procurement of materials.
Martin Trükmann
Founder, CTO
Martin has a master's degree in manufacturing engineering, with a mastery of both manufacturing processes and detail-level product design skills. Martin has long-term experience in the field of truck body construction and trailer production.
Ivo Suursoo
Founder, CFO, Advisor
Ivo is Manager and investor in the field of IT. His portfolio companies are IT infrastructure company OIXIO and business solutions consultancy company Columbus. In his social role as vice-chairman of the Estonian Employers Confederation, he acts as an active innovation promoter. Ivo was elected by EY in 2023 as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year award.