Electron-to-Go

The Opportunity: Sustainable Charging with Optimal Utility

In today’s mobile-first world, portable devices keep us connected, productive, and entertained—but keeping them powered remains a challenge. Most smartphone and tablet batteries last just 5–8 hours of moderate use, leaving users scrambling for power during long days of work, travel, or events.

Electron-to-Go set out to reshape public charging with a new generation of sustainable, connected charging units. The Electron® charger is easy to use, supports most device ports, and delivers enough power to fully charge a smartphone. Deployed in sleek “Supernova” clusters, these chargers are reusable, efficient, and accessible via a simple SMS-based login.

The Solution: Portable Power with Minimal Waste

Electron-to-Go designed the Electron charger to balance modern convenience with environmental responsibility. Moving beyond disposable charging accessories, founder Nasim Muabbat prioritized a design that is easy to repair, replace, and recycle. When an Electron’s battery life ends, the battery cell is swapped out—keeping the unit in service and reducing waste.

Supernovas serve diverse environments, from coworking spaces and universities to outdoor events, each with unique usage patterns. In coworking hubs, repeat daily use is common, often extending beyond phones to devices like wireless headsets used for conferencing. The common thread? Users appreciate not having to carry their own charging cables.

“It seems insignificant on the surface, but that convenience matters,” said Muabbat.

Why Soracom: Pricing, Efficiency, and Commitment

Electron chargers operate autonomously, with lifecycle and performance monitored centrally, making reliable connectivity essential. Initial Wi-Fi deployments proved unreliable, especially in secure networks like universities, leading the team to cellular.

“We quickly realized if we want to be in public places, we need to move to cellular connectivity. Cellular is scalable,” said Muabbat.

After testing other providers, Electron-to-Go chose Soracom for its flexible pricing, robust security, and startup-friendly support. From Soracom’s integrated platform, the team can track individual SIM performance, adjust speed classes to manage costs, and maintain strong connectivity across multiple carriers and protocols.

The Outcome: A resilient product with a strong value proposition

Electron-to-Go now operates more than 200 Supernovas worldwide, including in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., and Japan. Applications span schools, coworking spaces, transit stations, malls, stadiums, and even trade shows.

While pandemic conditions slowed adoption, global interest continues to grow. In Japan, a pilot program of 25 stations across 13 locations has paved the way for expansion with future distribution partners.

“We know phone usage is going up year after year, but batteries aren’t getting better. So we know our solution is needed,” said Muabba.