ENAPI, A German connectivity platform redefining the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry, has raised €7.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Voyager Ventures, with participation from existing investors Project A, Seedcamp (which recently backed Powernaut and Stackfix), and Helloworld VC (which invested in ampere.cloud and Root Global).
This latest investment follows the €2.5 million pre-seed round secured last year, bringing the total funding to €10 million. The funding will fuel ENAPI’s mission to unify and commoditise connectivity in the EV charging ecosystem. It will also scale the company’s secure and reliable transaction infrastructure, expand its presence in Europe and the US, and add to its top-tier technical team.
How was the idea born?
ENAPI was founded in 2024 by Jakob Kleihues and Dennis Laumen. They experienced the problem of EV charging first-hand. Before Enapi, Kleihues led commercial initiatives at eMSP Bonnet, while Laumen boasts over a decade of experience working with charging technology working at tech consultancy, iHomer.
They came together in 2023 when Kleihues was actively seeking the views of thought leaders on the subject in 2023. After making a connection over the problem, they spent some time refining the ideas, becoming convinced of the need for a transaction broker.
New appointments
In addition to the investment, ENAPI has appointed Sierra Peterson to its Board, alongside Philipp Werner, Partner at Project A. It is also expanding its founding team, with Leopold Lerach, from Project A, joining as Chief Operating Officer (COO). An early supporter and investor, Leo brings extensive experience in scaling data infrastructure solutions. ENAPI continues to recruit top technical talent to build on its competitive edge.
Transforms EV charging connectivity
The ENAPI platform facilitates connections between Charge Point Operators and entities developing and providing digital charging solutions for consumers and businesses.
Charge Point Operators seek easy connectivity to meet their utilisation targets, while eMobility Service Providers aim to provide EV Drivers with access to all charge points. However, technical interoperability between Charge Point Operators and eMobility Service Providers is a major challenge. Current solutions lack scalability, are expensive and lead to poor data quality. These shortcomings ultimately affect EV Drivers because they receive inaccurate information about charge point availability and have no transparency about the fees for public charging.
As an infrastructure layer company, the company focuses on building the most secure, reliable, and scalable platform for stakeholder collaboration in the EV industry. It enables EV charging transactions, using the OCPI standard to ensure seamless charging station connectivity. It empowers participants in the marketplace to adopt and expand the use of open protocols, thereby enhancing community collaboration and elevating the quality of data. ENAPI offers exclusive access to invited companies only starting today.
With more than 350,000 charge points onboarded and partnerships with 8 of Europe’s 10 largest eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs) in less than six months, ENAPI’s platform is growing fast.
What’s next for the company?
ENAPI’s innovative approach to EV charging connectivity positions it as a leader in tackling the fragmentation of the EV charging ecosystem. It supports the global transition to electrified mobility.
Jakob Kleihues, CEO and co-founder of ENAPI, said: “Our mission is to make EV charging transactions seamless, efficient, and accessible. We want to make EV charging easier for everyone. Our platform makes payments and data transfer more efficient for every EV charging business so they can focus on advancing the EV revolution.”
Sierra Peterson, Founding Partner at Voyager Ventures, said: “ENAPI’s infrastructure is revolutionising how the EV charging industry collaborates, addressing fragmentation head-on. Its technology is foundational to unlocking a seamless, scalable, and cost-effective charging network, and we are thrilled to partner with ENAPI as they expand globally.”
Philipp Werner, Partner at Project A, said: “Over the last 12 months, ENAPI has driven a fundamental shift in EV charging software infrastructure. We’re impressed by the team’s ability to turn disruptive innovation into widespread adoption of their transaction broker. ENAPI is building the clearing house for EV charging, and we’re proud to support them since day one.”
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