The origins
It all started that year, during a surf session on the Atlantic coast. A question came to them: how do you ride an electric skateboard on sand? The idea took hold, and a first prototype was born. “I've always been a tinkerer, because I never had much money. I'd built myself a classic board, then another one, electric. It was a four-wheeler, and I was very disappointed with how it performed.” (Édouard)
Then came the idea of combining the four-wheel skateboard with the principle of an electric unicycle. From that combination came the three-wheel model. “From then on, I put all my wages into development. Because even with tape everywhere, a really makeshift, ugly thing, it already worked a hundred times better than my four-wheeler, which I'd actually built really well.” (Édouard)
The prototype years
Several years of prototyping followed. From the very first versions, Édouard and Adrien laid down what would become the brand's signature: three wheels, the motor directly in the rear wheel, the battery in the backpack, a fully waterproof board.
Despite the difficulties, they kept hope. Each new version of the Stern' offered more power, more terrain within reach and better ability to get over obstacles. On every outdoor test, curious passers-by stopped them: “What is it?”, “Where can I buy one?”, “Where can I rent one?” An idea began to take root.
Numbers that sting
Three motors that literally caught fire under their feet.
Four knees and shoulders sacrificed during test sessions.
All their personal money invested in the project. Long live pasta!
Too many sleepless nights spent soldering components.
Taking the plunge. Making the big leap.
In January 2022, Édouard and Adrien resigned from their respective jobs to devote themselves full-time to the Sternboard project. Everything had to be built: coming up with a business model, setting up the company, going from prototype to a product that could be sold. They criss-crossed France to test the Sternboard in every possible environment, meet rental companies and get as many people as possible to try the board.
They moved forward learning on the job, facing a few obstacles, and the joys of paperwork.
Recent years with Sternboard
2023 marked the project's second turning point. The leap into the unknown began to pay off. By the end of the year, Édouard and Adrien finally had real potential in their hands, or rather under their feet. The Sternboard could finally handle every terrain, worked better and better, and no longer looked anything like a prototype.
The company had been set up, the first sales had come in, and requests were growing. They were accepted into several incubators in Bordeaux, the bank was backing them, so was the Region, and the patent was officially filed.
The tracked version was in development, the first business partnerships for rentals were being put in place, and around fifteen private customers were each waiting for their own Stern'. The technical headaches were piling up, but so was the good news: 2024 was shaping up to be a busy year.
A garage start-up, without a garage
On the road, all the kit fits exactly in the car boot. The connectors and motor sensors are soldered by hand. The design of the front wheels evolves, prototype after prototype. And at the very beginning, there was a first electric skateboard… with four wheels.
2024, take-off
A major turning point for Sternboard: after two years of sweat, innovation and riding, the project took off in 2024. Édouard and Adrien moved up a gear, lining up strategic partnerships and collaborations with outdoor and tech brands, and began expanding internationally.
Production
Small-batch production that is becoming more organised and more efficient, to meet growing demand.
Community
It is growing: more and more riders and events, and a stronger presence both online and on the ground, notably with the very first Sternival, the gathering reserved for Stern' owners (by invitation, free), held in September 2024 in Bordeaux.
Recognition
It is taking hold: media (TF1, Science & Vie), partners (Livreur du Futur, Samo on Board, Electric Revolution), and a presence at CES in Las Vegas. The Sternboard has gained international visibility.
On the road to the future
In 2025, the goal was clear: make the Sternboard known to as many people as possible, now that the product was finished. Manufacturing ramped up, logistics followed, and new premises became essential.
The team grew, with the aim of giving the brand an image even truer to the product. And the course was set for Vivatech in Paris, a trade show that, unlike CES, is open to the general public.
At the start: no business school, no rock-solid business plan. Just two engineers, friendship, a slightly crazy dream, and a lot of fun. In a few years, this garage side project has become an innovative start-up, backed, recognised, and carried by a growing community.
ÉDOUARD & ADRIEN
Have a question?
Don't hesitate, we are here to answer you, straight and without delay. Contact us via the form on the Contact page, or find the full catalogue on The Stern' page.
