What Turanga does

Turanga Product Development is a sole proprietorship founded and operated by Suhas Malghan, registered in Swampscott, United States, that functions as a personal engineering blog and product development venture focused on environmentally sustainable personal mobility. The company's two documented technical efforts are the eMR2 electric vehicle conversion (a Toyota MR2 retrofitted with a Siemens 5135WS14 motor, Siemens 6SV1 inverter, and 22 SunXtender PVX-420-T lead-acid battery modules, with project work spanning roughly 2010–2012) and the Turanga Velo, a tilting four-wheeled 1+1 seater micromobility vehicle in design phase since 2020, applying a "Minimum Lovable Product" (MLP) framework adapted from Adam Grant's writing in place of the traditional "Most Advanced Yet Acceptable" (MAYA) approach.

The underlying technology stack is mechanical and electromechanical rather than digital: brushed/separately excited Siemens DC traction components, lead-acid battery banks, custom machined parts, and ceramic heater modules, combined with a body/frame design exercise documented through concept renderings. There is no software platform, no app, no API, and no AI/ML component referenced.

The business model is not commercial. Turanga has no disclosed pricing, no distribution channels, no named customers, no headcount beyond the founder, and no institutional capital — the only funding event on record is a $0 round tied to the Cleantech Open program in 2016. The venture monetizes attention rather than product, distributing development updates through a personal blog, a newsletter, and picture galleries aimed at sustainable-transportation enthusiasts. The product is pre-revenue and pre-commercial, and the operating model is consistent with an individual hobbyist/maker project rather than a venture-backable business.

Name

Turanga

Legal name

Turanga Product Development

Website

https://turanga.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Turanga Product Development is a founder-operated hobbyist venture (Suhas Malghan, Swallowsott, US) developing the Turanga Velo tilting four-wheeled micromobile and documenting prior EV-conversion work via a personal blog. It has no commercial products, customers, pricing, or revenue, and operates as an open development journal for sustainable-transportation enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Swampscott

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Turanga Product Development is an individual engineering venture developing environmentally sustainable personal mobility machines. Its principal offering under active development is the Turanga Velo, a tilting four-wheeled 1+1 seater velomobile that combines a recumbent bicycle layout with a highly aerodynamic closed body. The venture also documents the eMR2, a converted Toyota MR2 electric vehicle project, as a parallel exploration of EV conversion techniques.

Product overview

Turanga Product Development is a personal engineering blog documenting the development of environmentally and economically sustainable mobility machines. The company is developing the Turanga Velo, a tilting four-wheeled micromobility vehicle, while also maintaining documentation of the eMR2 electric vehicle conversion project. The blog serves as both a development journal and a platform for exploring sustainable transportation design philosophies including the 'Minimum Lovable Product' (MLP) concept.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turanga Velo: A tilting four-wheeled micromobility vehicle, described as 'the platypus of the mobility world' - a 1+1 seater velomobile designed to fulfill 'Minimum Lovable Product' criteria.

Products and services

• Turanga Velo A tilting four-wheeled, 1+1 seater micromobility vehicle in development, designed to combine a recumbent bicycle layout with a highly aerodynamic closed body, intended for individual consumers seeking sustainable personal transportation.
• eMR2 Electric Vehicle Conversion A Toyota MR2 converted to electric drive, featuring a Siemens 5135WS14 motor, Siemens 6SV1 inverter, 22 SunXtender PVX-420-T battery modules, ceramic heater module, and custom-machined components. The conversion demonstrates a sustainable personal transportation development effort by an individual maker.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Velomobiel.nl: Dutch manufacturer of velomobiles (Quest, Strada, QuattroVelo) — the closest direct functional equivalent to the Turanga Velo in the global market, producing fully-faired recumbent human-powered vehicles for everyday transport.
• HP Velotechnik: German manufacturer of recumbent bicycles, trikes, and velomobiles (e.g., Scorpion, Grasshopper, StreetMachine). Comparable to Turanga as a specialty European-origin maker of fully-faired and recumbent human-powered mobility vehicles.
• Leitra: Danish velomobile manufacturer; founder's blog documents personal experience with a Leitra as a key reference point, making it a directly comparable velomobile product.
• WAW: German velomobile and recumbent maker (WAW, Flevobike lineage) producing enclosed human-powered vehicles similar in concept to the Turanga Velo.
• Catrike: US-based recumbent tadpole trike manufacturer; comparable to Turanga as a North American specialty builder of recumbent human-powered vehicles, though without full bodywork.
• ICE Trike: UK-based recumbent trike manufacturer; comparable niche producer of human-powered recumbent vehicles with similar enthusiast customer base to Turanga.

Emerging players

• Outrider USA: US maker of electric recumbent trikes and quad velomobiles; overlaps with Turanga in the tilting, electric-assist human-powered vehicle niche.
• EV West: US EV conversion shop using similar Siemens motor and battery architecture to Turanga's eMR2 project; comparable as a practitioner of custom EV conversions for sustainable personal transport.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turanga