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Tecfys presents a proposal for the consumption of electronic devices by subscription

More than 500,000 tons of electrical and electronic devices reach the national market annually, according to the Ecolec Foundation. Experts predict that electronic waste will grow between 3% and 4% each year globally, and could eventually generate more than 74 million tons in 2030.

The Spanish startup Tecfys has set out to be part of the solution to this serious problem, by offering a proposal for consumption of electronic devices Y subscription appliances that is committed to reuse, reconditioning and recycling, in order to promote the circular economy.

The company was created in Barcelona in 2019 with the aim of replicating the success of the pay per use model of a well-known brand of printers, but extending it to all kinds of electronic devices and, something completely new, also including household appliances. But they wanted to go beyond traditional renting models and become a real circular consumption alternative for companies and private citizens, with the utmost vocation for customer service, without forcing them to make large financial outlays and with the least environmental impact.

“Our purpose is that every person or entity that needs an electrical or electronic device can have the best during its useful life or as long as it maintains that need. And then, instead of scrapping or abandoning it, it can be refurbished and continue to serve someone else. Thus, we break the ‘buy-use-throw’ pattern and facilitate more conscious and sustainable patterns of use. We take care of extending the useful life of the devices, and when this is not possible, we manage the cycles to recover and recycle them, with which we contribute to creating a better planet”says Miquel Manzanas, CEO and co-founder of the company.

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To date, Tecfys is the only company in Spain that offers subscription use of household appliances, which is proving to be of great interest to large real estate asset managers. In addition, its circularity proposal is a fundamental differential compared to other purely financial options.

Since its birth it has closed about 300 subscription contracts which include the purchase of more than 700 pieces of equipment. With the launch of its technological platform, in September 2021, the company takes a significant qualitative leap, going from 5,000 euros of gross margin of closed contracts in 2020 to more than 53,000 euros in 2021. For this year the forecast is to reach 250,000 euros and reach the break even point.

“Today, our income already covers all the fixed expenses of the company, which include salaries and social security. Our current structure is oversized to supply a growth of more than 50% in billing. Since we started we are matching the financial and commercial objectives, and we are even 10% or 15% above our expectations”underlines the CEO of Tecfys.

B2B and B2C business model

Tecfys maintains a line of business aimed at real estate asset managers such as socimis, colivings, coworkings, hotels, vacation rentals, etc., and also to all types of companies, schools, town halls, residences or any activity that requires electronic equipment or appliances; and a line of business aimed at the end user.

On its platform, it has a catalog of refurbished products from leading brands that it acquires through partners such as Solidança, Foxway, Bak2, BackMarket or Refurbed, and which can be up to 30% cheaper than new ones with similar characteristics. Likewise, if the client requests brand new products, they have agreements with distributors such as Proselco (Milar or Tien21 purchasing center) or MediaMarkt, and buy directly from manufacturers such as Apple, LG or Balay.

The customer can choose between a lease agreement for a period of one to five years and, after this time, choose to keep the device or request its renewal for the new version of the same product or a better one (passing the old one to the circularity process); or choose a flexible subscription contract of one to 24 months, and at the end of the period the device returns to Tecfys to be reconditioned or recycled and offered to a new customer for a lower price.

“If the product is within its optimal period of sustainable renewal and can be reconditioned, we take care of it and give it a second life, either through our commercial channels or through social economy circuits. When the product no longer has functional capacity, we refer it to specialized managers for its treatment, disassembly and recycling”explains Miquel Manzanas.

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