ELBOLZO – Innovation for everyday E-bikers

Civil engineering student Sandra Erlandsson Aguilera has asked herself that question more times than she can count. In her hometown of Malmö, electric bikes are a common means of transportation — and unfortunately, a common target for thieves. Taking the battery inside is a given, especially if you want to meet insurance requirements. But carrying a heavy battery around in a tote bag didn’t feel practical or safe. Putting it in a regular backpack, alongside a laptop, wallet, keys, and lunch box, wasn’t ideal either. There was a clear gap in the market – a problem that many faced but few had solved. And while Sandra envisioned a future in engineering, another path started to open up: solving an everyday problem – for e-bikers like herself.

From sketch in a drawer to Level Up-program

Sandra has always been a problem solver – someone who loves to sketch, test, and think creatively. She sees challenges as opportunities to find new solutions. When she realized there wasn’t a good way to carry an e-bike battery, she did what she always does: grabbed a paper and a pen and started sketching.

Her idea remained tucked away in a drawer for a year, until she got the opportunity to develop it further through the Drivhuset incubator at Malmö University. Through their Level Up program, she gained structure, clear goals, and a community where ideas could be tested and improved. She also created a survey for e-bike users to test the need outside her own experience. The results confirmed her hunch: people want to bring their batteries with them but lack a practical and comfortable way to do so. With over half a million e-bikes already in Sweden — and another 100,000 produced annually — the need was undeniable.

A sling bag in Scandinavian style

The idea evolved into a sleek sling bag, specifically designed to fit an e-bike battery. It took three prototypes, several detours, and a lot of persistence. Finding the right manufacturer was a challenge itself. Many factories either wouldn’t do custom sizes or required massive minimum orders.

"I needed someone who could be flexible — who could take my sketch and make a custom bag without demanding thousands of units," Sandra explains.

After many tips, emails, and video calls, she finally found the right factory. Having a good point of contact was crucial — someone who could advise her on materials, functions, and what was realistically possible. The prototypes weren’t cheap, and lead times were long, but the factory was incredibly supportive, sending material samples, color charts, and suggestions, enabling Sandra to make confident decisions.

It is all in the details

To refine the design, Sandra sought feedback from a product developer at IAMRUNBOX — a brand she admired. The key advice: keep it simple and clean. A minimalist design makes the bag easy to carry, easy to match, and easy to love. They also recommended a low-profile logo, black on black — in true Scandinavian design spirit. The result is a thoughtfully designed, functional bag that fits naturally into any urban setting.

When the bag was ready, Sandra had the chance to showcase it at the Malmö Festival. She brought a roll-up banner and a few test samples and invited visitors to try the bag with their own batteries. The reactions were immediate: many were curious and surprised that such a solution didn’t already exist. The feedback confirmed what Sandra already suspected — she had found a real gap in the market.

From idea to reality — and everything in between

One of the biggest challenges was juggling full-time studies with product development, prototyping, managing manufacturer relations, and all the administrative work. It meant many late nights and early mornings. Thankfully, Sandra’s background in logistics gave her a strong foundation in understanding production flows, supply chains, and material choices.

Finding the right material was another major hurdle. It needed to be stylish, durable, and environmentally friendly. "It’s easy to compromise when quick fixes are available, but I didn’t want to sacrifice sustainability," Sandra says.

The first factory suggested using PVC as the inner lining, but Sandra declined — it’s not fire-retardant and didn’t align with her vision. She also quickly realized that a few centimeters in size could mean the difference between a battery fitting or not, especially since battery sizes vary between brands. It took three prototypes to get the fit, feel, and aesthetics just right.

ELBOLZO – A name with personality

Today, the product is called ELBOLZO — a creative blend where "EL" nods to electric bikes, and "bolso" means bag in Spanish. The "Z" at the end gives it an energetic twist. The name emerged during a conversation with Sandra’s Spanish-speaking father, who is often the first person she brainstorms new ideas with. Now the product continues to evolve — with a new version already on the drawing board.

Tips for other innovators

  Test your idea early. It doesn’t have to be perfect — the important thing is to get it out of your head and into the real world.
  Ask for help. There’s a lot of support available — advice, funding, and people who genuinely want to see you succeed.
  Talk about your idea. It’s rare that someone will steal it — and far more likely that someone will help you make it even better.