Start Me Up: Osol wants to make office power mobile
On Start Me Up, Osol CEO and co-founder Maxime Cousin set out the mission: mobile, flexible, sustainable workplace power. What he said, and what Osol is.
Osol wants to transform workplaces by making power as mobile as employees: shared batteries, made available throughout the building, rather than fixed outlets. That is the mission Maxime Cousin, CEO and co-founder of Osol, presented on the programme Start Me Up in November 2024.
The programme was hosted by Claire Younsi, Editor-in-Chief of ANews WorkWell, who welcomed Maxime, CEO and co-founder of our start-up.
What Maxime Cousin presented on Start Me Up
The conversation covered three topics:
- Osol's mission: transforming work environments with mobile, flexible and sustainable power solutions, adapted to the needs of companies.
- The company's international ambitions.
- The innovations then in development, to improve the user experience while reducing the carbon footprint.
In the background: the future of collaborative spaces, and the role that smarter energy management plays in it.
Curious about the future of collaborative spaces and the latest advances in smart energy management? This episode is for you.
The programme
Start Me Up is a programme from Agora Médias.
- Publishing Director, Agora Médias: Michaël Lejard
- Editor-in-Chief: Claire Younsi
- Advertising Manager: Médérric Cange
- Publisher: Agora Médias, a business of Agora Managers Groupe
Why is power an issue for workplaces?
Because it is the last thing that stays fixed in the office. Furniture moves, desks are no longer assigned, employees go from a meeting room to a work café in the same day. Outlets, however, stay where the electrical plan put them.
As a result, they are still what decides, very often, where people sit. Making power mobile is what we call power flexibility.
Osol in brief
Osol was founded in 2020 and grew out of the European Space Agency. The company designs a mobile power network for offices: shared batteries that employees pick up when they arrive, take wherever they work and return when they leave.
Today, Osol equips more than 120 client companies, mostly large international enterprises, in more than 10 countries, with more than 50,000 users.
The Pico, the battery that follows the employee
The Pico is a 100 Wh portable battery, the limit allowed in an aircraft cabin. It lasts a full working day and charges everything an employee needs:
- a laptop, over USB-C at up to 100 W;
- any plug-in device, thanks to its mains outlet;
- a phone, over USB-A or by wireless charging.
Its casing is fire-resistant and its cells are monitored continuously.
The Base, the station where you take and return your Pico
The Base holds, charges and locks ten Picos. You unlock a Pico with your badge, the app or the building's API. It plugs into a standard outlet, with no construction work.
The platform and the service
The platform manages the whole fleet: rights by profile and by zone, geofencing, remote updates, predictive maintenance and usage by space.
The service includes maintenance and cell replacement. Data is hosted in Europe, GDPR-compliant, and can be used anonymously.
Frequently asked questions
What is Start Me Up?
A programme from Agora Médias hosted by Claire Younsi, Editor-in-Chief of ANews WorkWell. Maxime Cousin, CEO and co-founder of Osol, was a guest in November 2024.
What does Osol do?
Osol provides companies with a mobile power network for their offices: shared batteries, the Picos, and stations, the Bases, managed by a platform.
Where does Osol come from?
Osol was founded in 2020 and grew out of the European Space Agency.
Does installing Osol require construction work?
No. The Base plugs into a standard outlet, with no electrical work.
How many companies use Osol?
More than 120 client companies, mostly large international enterprises, in more than 10 countries, with more than 50,000 users.
