The EV transition might have hit a hurdle in the U.S., but it’s not slowing down in East Africa, where several startups are vying for a piece of the burgeoning electric motorbike market.
Zeno is one of those companies, and this week it announced a $25 million Series A to expand its app-controlled battery-swap network and produce more of its Emara motorcycles.
About $20.5 million of the total was an equity fundraise, Zeno co-founder and CEO Michael Spencer told TechCrunch. It was led by Congruent Ventures with participation from Active Impact and Lowercarbon Capital. The remaining $4.5 million is a debt facility from Camber Road and Trifecta Capital.
Zeno had previously raised a $9.5 million seed round led by Lowercarbon Ventures and Toyota Ventures.
Since emerging from stealth a year and a half ago, Zeno has built more than 800 of its Emara motorbikes and set up more than 150 charging locations across four cities in Kenya and Uganda.
Motorbikes are a cornerstone of transportation in the region, and Zeno is betting that it can attract riders by offering 50% lower operating costs than internal combustion bikes. The company said more than 25,000 retail and fleet customers are waiting to get their hands on an Emara, and it’s producing about 70 to 80 bikes per week. The new round will be used to fulfill that demand.
The Emara can drive about 100 kilometers (60 miles) on a single charge and carry up to 250 kilograms (550 pounds), Zeno says. The bike sells for about $1,300 without a battery, and about $2,000 with.
The bike provides 8 kilowatts of peak power, about the same as a 150 cc internal combustion engine, but because all of its torque is available from a standstill, it can go up steep hills fully laden — a boon for bodaboda operators, who routinely ferry passengers and cargo on bikes.
Customers who forgo the battery at purchase can subscribe to a monthly or pay-per-use plan. They can charge the bikes at home or at one of Zeno’s swap stations.
Similar to Slate Auto in the U.S., Zeno is selling a range of accessories and wraps so buyers can customize their rides.
To sweeten the deal, Zeno also plans to offer a battery dock that homes and businesses can use to power lights and appliances. The dock is currently being prototyped, Spencer said, and about a dozen customers are testing the product.
If Zeno can commercialize the battery dock, it could entrench itself in the region’s electrical infrastructure. Much of East Africa’s power grid is in poor shape, which has provided an opening for companies to provide more modular power products. Some are helping develop mini- and microgrids, while others like Zeno are betting that portable, modular batteries will find a permanent niche.
When Spencer co-founded the company, he drew inspiration from his previous employer, Tesla, and its first master plan, which sought to deploy EVs and clean power at scale. The idea, he told me in 2024, “has more legs and more room to run with lower hurdles in emerging markets.”
Update 12 noon PT: This article was updated to correct the name of investor Lowercarbon Capital and to clarify that Zeno is operating in four cities in Kenya and Uganda, not four countries.