Because it can be easily folded up, used as a seat or put into scooter mode, eFOLDi is extremely versatile

Thursday, 31 March 2016

Sumi Wang, a finalist of the British Inventor’s Project, launched a Kickstarter campaign today at The Gadget Show Live with the help of the show’s presenter, Jason Bradbury.

The campaign will raise investment for the creation of an electric scooter, called eFOLDi, that can be folded into a piece of luggage.

The goal is to raise £90,000, with which Sumi can get the first production run of eFOLDi under way. There is a range of different pledge values and rewards available, from £1 to £4,799, with eFOLDi itself starting at £699.

eFOLDi was chosen to take part in the British Inventors’ Project, and is exhibiting at the British Inventors’ Project Area, in Hall 3, Stand BIP 8.

The mobility device, which was designed in tandem by Sumi and her father - renowned Chinese engineer Jianmin Wang - will be launched globally later this year following the Kickstarter campaign. Jianmin Wang won the gold medal at the Beijing Invention Competition in 2015, an honour that was awarded by Chinese Vice-President Liu Yandong and Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong.

Jianmin Wang worked as Chief Engineer for China’s National Acrobatic Troupe for over 20 years, where he was responsible for devising the mechanisms behind many of the incredible stunts that have won the troupe international acclaim. His designs for performance and stage props have won numerous international circus competitions and awards.
In 2012, Jianmin Wang broke his leg and was unable to get around. This paved the way for the creation of eFOLDi, as Managing Director Sumi Wang explains:

“An inventor’s mind is always at work and when my father Jianmin broke his leg, he decided to design his own method of transport to get around.

“While there are a lot of electric scooters available, Jianmin realised that there were no effective folding scooters that could be easily packed away to take on public transport while also proving secure over rough ground.

“After some time in the workshop, the result is a scooter that weighs only 19kg, can carry an average-sized adult over 20km on a single charge and can be folded into an easily-transported piece of luggage. eFOLDi can be programmed with three different top speeds for different needs: 4mph if it is being used as an off road mobility aid, 8mph for mobility use on the road and 12.5mph for recreational use by normal road users.

“We’re extremely proud of eFOLDi and are thrilled that Gadget Show Live have chosen us to take part in the British Inventors’ Project.”

Because it can be easily folded up, used as a seat or put into scooter mode, eFOLDi is extremely versatile and appeals to a wide range of consumers: commuters, those with limited mobility, festival goers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Sumi Wang, who lives in Redhill, Surrey, recently won the grand prize of £5,000 at Surrey Entrepreneur Academy 2015, an event organised by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in partnership with East Surrey College. The money was awarded to allow Sumi to gain an international patent for eFOLDi.

Useful links:
http://www.efoldi.co.uk
http://www.gadgetshowlive.net
http://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/info/20052/business_in_th...
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1726375706/810530758?to...


ENDS

Photographs and further information is available on request. For further information about Sumi Wang and eFOLDi please contact Kitty Robinson at kitty@famouspublicity.com or Tina Fotherby on 07703 409 622 or tina@famouspublicity.com.


About eFOLDi:
eFOLDi was created by Chinese inventor and engineer Jianmin Wang and his daughter Sumi Wang in 2012, after he broke his leg and was unable to get around.
Sumi Wang, a British-Chinese engineer, saw the potential of eFOLDi and founded the company SunTech UK, which will bring eFOLDi to market.
Sumi has a background in engineering and business, and worked for leading names such as Cosco Shipping Co., Novo Nordisk, Black & Veatch and Queen Mary University of London before founding SunTech.