International energy and services company Centrica has announced a multi-million-dollar investment in Driivz, an Israeli startup that offers end-to-end software solutions for electric vehicle charging.
Ombu Group, an investor in advanced industrial technology companies, has co-led the investment, which forms part of a £9m (US$12m) funding round.
Established in 2012, Driivz has developed a cloud-based EV charging operating system that is already used by over 200,000 drivers across the globe.
The Driivz platform offers charging network operators, car manufacturers and utilities an end-to-end solution to manage all aspects of EV deployment from charging, account management and driver billing, through to on-site power management that allows businesses to optimize output to chargers in line with site energy demand and costs.
The investment has been made by Centrica Innovations, established in 2017 to identify, incubate and accelerate new technologies. Centrica Innovations is also integrating the Driivz platform into a new intelligent EV charging service offer for businesses from Centrica Electric Vehicle Services (CEVS).
The fully-managed solution has been developed to meet the needs of organizations that want EV charging facilities for their employees and/or their depot-based fleets.
“With 14 million EVs expected on UK roads by 2030, there can be no doubt that e-mobility will have a significant impact on how we manage the delicate balance of supply and demand to the grid,” said Jonathan Tudor, director of technology and innovation strategy for Centrica Innovations (right).
“This investment is a key opportunity for Centrica to support growing customer demand and work in partnership with Driivz to explore new offers for customers that connect home, work and on-the-road car charging, while also evaluating the role of EVs and potential vehicle-to-grid applications as part of the future energy landscape.”
“Working together, Centrica and Driivz will be able to expedite the adoption of EVs and to become a leading force in the distribution of energy and addressing the challenges of EV charging,” said Doron Frenkel, founder and CEO of Driivz. “We look forward to taking advantage of opportunities in the new world and driving the new reality of EV.”
