The idea for Ellavate came during a Lancaster family trip to the beach over the Fourth of July weekend in 2020. Megan Lancaster and her mother, Renee, watched families pulling wagons loaded with children and gear across the sand. Renee, who had raised three children, wondered why no one had put an electric motor on a wagon.
Megan Lancaster had studied managerial economics and computer science at the University of California, Davis, where she also played Division I volleyball. She later worked in consulting at EY and product management at medical-device company Edwards Lifesciences before earning an MBA from Duke University in 2020.
She began working on the wagon in 2022 with engineer Michael Bubolz. They developed a system that could sense how much effort the person pulling or pushing the wagon was applying and use motors at the rear wheels to provide assistance. The design could help move the wagon forward or backward and control it on hills. Lancaster and Bubolz filed a patent application for the system in 2023.
The project developed into a collapsible electric wagon designed to carry children or gear. It used two motors, a removable battery and several levels of power assistance, while still allowing the wagon to be used without electric power. Because it was intended to carry children, the design also incorporated restraints and braking features.
As Lancaster prepared to bring the wagon to market, she initially focused on families who spent a lot of time outdoors. Conversations with potential customers led her to broaden that approach. Families were interested in using electric assistance not just for outdoor excursions but for everyday trips that involved moving children and everything that came with them.
Lancaster and her mother began promoting Ellavate ahead of a crowdfunding campaign in 2024. That year, Lancaster was also one of 20 women business owners selected for a grant and mentoring program run by BOTOX Cosmetic and IFundWomen.
Ellavate launched on Indiegogo in July 2024 with a $15,000 goal. The campaign brought in more than $90,000 from 63 backers, and Lancaster later said the business generated more than $100,000 in preorders during its first 30 days.
With orders in hand, Lancaster and members of her team traveled to Taiwan in August 2024 to check on production. Ellavate began shipping wagons after the crowdfunding campaign and continued selling directly to consumers. By 2025, Lancaster described it as a six-figure business.
