Content
Reading/Listening/Comprehension
Discussion Points
Key Vocabulary and Catalan/Spanish Translations
The 1st and Second Conditional and why they're important in Business settings
Common Start Up Phrasal Verbs
How it all began
MellowVans, a South African company that makes light electric vehicles, is taking a big step toward going global. The company recently sent its first test vehicles to Europe, kicking off its international plans. Already a well-known name in South Africa, MellowVans works with major clients like courier services and retailers.
Back in 2014, South African entrepreneur Neil du Preez decided to take a bold career turn. After spending years working overseas as a commodities trader and with a background in chemistry, he became hooked on the idea of building a small, three-wheeled electric vehicle, and he couldn't let it go.
Du Preez was set on creating something that was compact and easy to handle, but he wanted it to look modern, nothing like the old-school tuk-tuks you often see in parts of East Asia. "Those designs are stuck in the 1950s. We wanted something fresh and new," he says.
The Prototype
Every great start-up begins with a bold idea and MellowCabs was no exception. The company set out to create eco-friendly light electric vehicles (LEVs) for urban transport.
Built using recycled materials and even flexible solar panels, the project quickly attracted attention from advertisers and transport providers eager to embrace green innovation.
But like many start-ups, MellowCabs soon faced a key question: was the market ready? The answer came in 2019 during a meeting with DHL.
The logistics giant suggested adapting one of the vehicles for parcel delivery, a suggestion that changed the company's future.
This moment marked a pivot point, the strategic shift that turned MellowCabs into MellowVans , a company focused on electric delivery vehicles rather than passenger transport.
" If you pivot, you grow"
Evolution and entry into wider market
Then came the pandemic. As online orders exploded, so there was demand for home deliveries. MellowVans saw the opportunity and accelerated its expansion. They redesigned vehicles to meet European homologation standards, added stronger suspensions for European roads, and began pilot programs in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Despite global ambitions, over 60% of parts still come from South African suppliers , keeping the company grounded while scaling up.
Today, MellowVans offers smart, sustainable, and scalable solutions. With 130 km range, 60 km/h top speed, and IoT tracking, these vehicles deliver reliability and efficiency. Their leasing model - including maintenance, insurance, and no deposit, provides steady revenue and long-term partnerships.
From bootstrap beginnings with friends and family to Series A funding from investors, MellowVans is a story of resilience, reinvention, and global growth. The lesson? In the start-up world, the ability to pivot isn't failure , it's evolution.
Start Up Vocabulary
Grammar Focus: The first and second conditionals are important in business negotiating because...
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It’s core to decision-making, problem-solving, and strategic thinking, all fundamental to startup scenarios.
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Encourages “What if…” language used in pitches and investor conversations. " What if we do this instead..."
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Easily adaptable to realistic business roleplays (pitching ideas, negotiating funding, planning growth).
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It supports critical thinking and risk analysis, which are key soft skills in Business English.
Type
1)First Conditional
2)Second Conditional
3)Mixed Conditional
Structure
1)If + present simple, will + base verb
2)If + past simple, would + base verb
3)If + past perfect, would + base verb
Use
1)Real future possibilities
2)Unreal / hypothetical situations
3)Imagining a different present result from a past event
Example
1)“If we launch in Europe, sales will increase.”
2)“If we had more investors, we would expand faster.”
3)“If we hadn’t pivoted, we wouldn’t be growing today.”
🧩 Now you Practice — Choose or Fill in
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If MellowVans ______ (not pivot), they wouldn’t have survived the pandemic.
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If we get more investors, we ______ (can / could / will) expand to Belgium.
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What ______ you do if production costs increased by 30%?
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If DHL hadn’t shown interest, the company ______ (might not grow / wouldn’t have grown / didn’t grow).
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If I ______ (be) you, I’d focus on product leasing instead of sales.
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We’ll reach break-even next year if we ______ (reduce / reduced / will reduce) costs now.
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If the design fails European certification, they ______ (lose / would lose / will lose) the contract.
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If we ______ (have) an AI tracking system, we could've monitored deliveries better.
Match A-E with 1-5
A. scalable
B. pivot
C. prototype -
D. investor
E. revenue
Synonyms (jumbled order)
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income or earnings
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early model or test version
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someone who provides capital
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adaptable or able to grow
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change direction strategically
Unscramble these letters to form a word.
Then learn them!
tsigolcis -
vonniantio -
moaainolehoto -
cnoonivsern -
nuerternepre -
Common and widely Used Phrasal Verbs Relevant to Start Up's
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Discussion Prompts
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✨If you could pitch one idea to investors tomorrow, what would it be?
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✨What would happen if your startup suddenly went viral?
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💰If you had €1 million in funding, how would you spend it?