Inspired by a pebble, the stylish new Alma charger provides pocketable convenience

The dream of every entrepreneur is to take something simple and transform it into an object of desire. That’s the ambition behind the Alma charger, a new wireless battery pack for your mobile phone. You’d have thought that an item as ubiquitous as a phone charger would be all played out in terms of form factor, but Alma is focusing less on tech and more about convenience and covetability.

Addition was established by Laura Schwab and Robert Louey. Schwab brings extensive automotive industry experience to the table – she worked at JLR and then became president of Aston Martin The Americas. Louey, the new company’s creative cirector, works across all facets of hospitality design, including work for Rosewood, Andaz and Park Hyatt.

The inspiration for this debut project came from a desire to find a more mindful and relaxing way of enjoying technology. Observing the stressful quest for a plug on an evening out, Schwab wondered if there wasn’t an easier, more stylish way to charge up. Taking advantage of current wireless technology is one thing, but the form factor of most charging blocks is bulky and boxy and at odds with a simpler, more elegant life.

‘I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if there was something beautiful to keep people in the moment,’ Schwab recalls, adding that battery status is something that causes real anxiety. The quest was on to create a charger that was more akin to jewellery, something that ‘could fit in with a luxury space’.

The Alma is certainly different, a pebble-like ovoid available in many different colours and finishes. Although Louey and Schwab were sold on the form factor – ‘It’s the shape of an early human tool, it fits perfectly in your hand,’ Louey says – it proved tricky to translate into real tech.

Batteries tend to be arranged in square configurations, so the search was on to find a supplier who could bring Alma’s flowing form to life. Eventually a supplier was found in South Korea and the unique 4,000mA battery took shape. ‘The shape and the thickness of the form dictated the battery size,’ says Schwab, admitting that ‘we started with design and did the engineering to fit’.

Another first for the Alma is the ability to transmit and receive power wirelessly. A separate charge pad is supplied with a USB-C connection; the Alma itself has no ports and therefore no wires. ‘I wanted it to fit really nicely in a suit pocket,’ says Schwab. ‘I didn’t want it to be bulky.’ The battery clips to your phone using established magnetic contacts.

With the hardware signed off, Addition focused on enhancing the physical feel and perception of the brand. To start with, Alma will be pitched at B2B clients, with the aspiration to become the go-to charging device for luxury hotels and high-end restaurants. The aluminium-bodied charger can be wrapped using a heat transfer, just like a car, allowing for a limitless number of options from faux carbon fibre through to bespoke brand colours.

‘It can be anything,’ says Schwab, who acknowledges that the auto industry-inspired wraps and finishes have created a focused object of desire that has obvious consumer attraction. ‘The customisation aspect is quite unique in the device business,’ Louey adds. Schwab likens it to an umbrella, something you’d ask for at a hotel reception desk before heading out for the day.

Alma takes around 90 minutes to fully charge on its wireless pad. Take it with you, and you’ll have roughly six to eight hours of additional phone usage. Alma, which means ‘soul’ in Spanish, is hopefully the first of many accessories to come out of Addition.

‘We’re about creating technology that could feel more like a piece of jewellery, and which can fit seamlessly into a pocket,’ says Schwab. ‘We think product design should be human led,’ Louey clarifies. ‘To us, that's about creating things that fit into people's lives. That to us is luxury.’

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