Chapoget

Presentation for a Functional Mockup Used for Fundraising

Chapoget is a French startup in the process of being established, offering innovative, recyclable, repairable, modular luggage inspired by the golden age of great travelers.
Sector: Luxury and Travel
Type: Start-up

Context: Chapoget, a startup, offers a modern luxury cabin trunk that combines design and durability, rooted in the golden age of travel.
Challenges and Problems: The startup needed to demonstrate the interest in its product to investors. To achieve this, they entrusted us with the study and creation of a Proof of Concept (POC) representative of the desired spirit.
Objectives: The first objective is to create a functional mockup/demonstrator of their cabin trunk to present to investors during their next funding round. The second objective of creating this POC is to integrate, from its conception, series constraints in terms of form and reduce its "time to market" by incorporating as many series imperatives (materials, processes) as possible.

Selection Criteria: After analyzing the possibilities of different companies, Chapoget chose us to develop and industrialize their trunk. This choice is based on the following expertise:
- Business Expertise: How to choose the right product/process pairs to meet project needs.
- Development Expertise: How to choose a partner capable of working in agile design with the goal of always offering solutions with the lowest possible CAPEX.
- Market Expertise: How to understand the codes and unspoken rules of the travel and luxury markets. Thanks to the Chastagner method, Chapoget not only obtained a POC that meets its needs, integrating elements of the series and a future vision of its industrialization, but also a forecasted manufacturing cost vision through its "Design to Cost" approach.
Reasons for the Choice: With a solid reputation in developing prototypes that precisely meet needs and thanks to our experience in the high-end product sector, as well as our internal/external skills (sourcing), Chastagner was selected for the development and realization of this POC.

Project Stages:
- Analysis and Design: In-depth understanding of the client's technical and functional needs, and proposing the transcription of their specifications and a preliminary bill of materials.
- Development and Implementation: Agile incremental development of a functional mockup closely aligned with the client's needs.
- Testing, Validation, and MAP: Management and execution of tests to validate the conformity of the luggage against the client's specifications for the mockup. Validation with the client's technical teams.
Support: Transparent development with the client and deployment of an agile incremental development philosophy to quickly integrate project imperatives. Implementation of a Design to Cost approach to manage the project's economic projections.
- Communication and Collaboration: Weekly and/or daily work sessions between Chapoget and Chastagner teams for adjustments and iterations, and decision-making around technical, economic, and scheduling choices.
- Training and Support: Training the Chapoget team on using the mockup, technical assistance during presentations to investors.

Deadlines, Costs, and Initial Specifications Met: Project delivered in 8 weeks, meeting the client's critical timeline.
Results Achieved:
- Improvements: The functional mockup demonstrated the product's innovation potential.
- Fundraising: Chapoget successfully raised funds during their funding round thanks to the presentation of the mockup.
- Client Feedback: "The mockup was a key factor in our fundraising success. The team was very responsive and professional." - Thomas

Lessons Learned: The flexibility implemented during development, supported by Chastagner's technical skills and regular exchanges with Chapoget, allowed us to be very swift in development. Working in an "agile, incremental, iterative" manner ensures success.
Future Perspectives: Ongoing collaboration with Chapoget for the development of the final version and product industrialization, and for future innovation projects.