Mobile Locker

Festivalgoers will surely recognize Mobile Locker’s intelligent locker systems, with their blue-yellow-red-colored doors. The startup from Wommelgem develops these high-tech lockers in Flanders, but they are in high demand, even in the farthest corners of the world. 

The driving forces behind the success story are Jef Van Hyfte and Koen Mortelmans. Their startup idea was born in the Spanish town of Torrevieja, when Jef was staying at Koen’s seaside vacation home. The concept blew over from Spanish beaches to Flanders’ festival meadows – and the rest is history. 

“My wife and I were at the beach and wanted to take a swim, to which she remarked that a locker would be handy to store our stuff,” Jef recalls. “There were wooden lockers there at the time, but these don’t inspire much confidence in tourists. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head and five minutes later I was on the phone with Koen.” 

“We decided to go for it,” Koen tunes in. “First, we carried out market research on the beach. Turned out that tourists had more confidence in an unmanned locker for which you could pay using your bank card. Different types of lockers already existed, but they weren’t exactly technological feats. Our concept took shape from our marketing background: we wanted to turn renting a locker into an experience. Then, we built a prototype to test our idea. It took two years for this concept to mature.” 

Testing the prototype proved to be a challenge. Jef: “Getting a permit was difficult. We decided to make a bold move and put the first prototype on a Spanish beach without a permit. Both the ministry and the police came to look at it. Suddenly, the idea became tangible for them, and a week later we got the permit.” 

“Still, it remained a battle against bureaucracy,” Koen adds, “Beaches fall under many different regulations: European, national, municipal, port rules ... Moreover, you need to apply for permits with each municipality separately. We learned a lot of valuable lessons from this first test experience. The product had potential, but the Spanish market was not ready for it. So, we started in Belgium, but not at the coast.” 

“Our lockers turned out to be perfect for other market segments such as the events industry,” Jef explains. “Major festival organizers came to us – not the other way around – and asked us to install the systems on festival grounds and campsites. We then built 9 prototypes. As we had no technological background, it was a process of trial and error. With the help of local partners, we managed to develop the software and built the housing. In one year, we served 80% of the domestic festival market.” 

In the meantime, the lockers can be found at festivals all over Europe, from France to the UK and Poland. Jef: “Our product is unique, but we have neither the time nor the network to arrange everything abroad ourselves. So, the key is to find a good local partner in each country. We do notice that Flanders is a region with a strong reputation that opens doors, especially in Latin America.” 

Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) also helps Mobile Locker explore new horizons. Jef: “FIT is very important in terms of support. For example, while in Paris as part of a trade mission with sector federation Agoria, I was invited to the Ministry of Defense in connection with the Olympic Games. I contacted FIT, and they immediately sent someone to help negotiate and translate.” 

"In addition, FIT’s network is very valuable when it comes to trade fairs,” Koen adds. “These are often very expensive to attend, but they can give startups a major boost and additional credibility. If you decide to invest in a trade show booth, you want to make a good impression. It’s an aspect that’s sometimes underplayed, but FIT is a valuable partner for young companies looking for trade fair support.” 

Meanwhile, Mobile Locker’s ambition remains sky-high. "To be recognized by every inhabitant of Europe, that’s our goal,” Jef says. "Thanks to our presence at festivals, we are quickly building brand awareness. More and more people recognize our lockers and trust them because they know the system works.” 

“Over the past few years, our aim was broad,” adds Koen. “The coming years will be a matter of focus: on which segments do we want to concentrate further? We have a unique product, and now it’s up to us to capitalize on the opportunities.”