In Cambes, the Whylot firm puts the turbo into its extension

Below the economic activity zone of Grand Figeac, an important construction site has just begun on the nearby site of the Whylot company, specialized in the design and industrialization of innovative axial flux electric motors. From his office, Romain Ravaud, the founder of the rapidly growing start-up, is in the front row. He joyfully observes the cars taking to the track and the expected progress of the expansion of Whylot for an investment of almost 5 million euros.

“Today is an important step for us. Projects are developing and we are tight. We will go from 1,500 m² to 4,000 m², here in Cambes it is the heart of the Whylot reactor» underlines the company executive who initially hopes for the delivery of the workshops by the end of the year. The rest of the expansion will house the offices, normally operational during 2024. “We are in a phase in which we are about to industrialize our production. The challenge of this project is to have a real industrial capacity to produce small series first” explains Romain Ravaud, proud to pass this decisive milestone and to see the success of his project accelerate. “I had this intuition that there was a possibility in sustainable mobility to improve vehicle autonomy. It was 2011…”. Whylot was taking his first steps in the Cambes business incubator. 70 patents, 10 years of research and innovation later, Whylot has partnered with Renault and is putting the turbo into its development.

One hundred employees in 2025

Great prospects are looming for its innovative engines, decidedly in step with the times. “We are moving from a research laboratory to an industrial SME, from a few people at the beginning to 40 today, soon to 60 in 2024 and around a hundred employees in 2025. There is a major recruitment challenge, we have “hired elsewhere an HR manager” announces Romain Ravaud, convinced from the outset and even more so after the Covid crisis of Whylot’s ideal situation in the heart of the Lot to attract and retain new employees. “We don’t do anything ourselves and I have found here the essential trust between the entrepreneur and the territory” assures the manager who has also just opened an office in Massy, ​​​​in the Paris region. “These are multi-pole extensions” specifies Romain Ravaud who wishes to open the doors of Whylot during a one-day event organized on 23 June with the Grand Figeac. A conference will be held in Figeac in the morning followed by a round table on industrial development and climate change, in the presence of political scientist François Gemenne, IPCC rapporteur. Appointed a year ago as scientific referent for electric motors by the government as part of the France 2030 plan, Romain Ravaud will be awarded, on the sidelines of this day, the national medal of merit.

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