Ampersand

About Ampersand

Ampersand is an electric vehicle energy technology company founded by Joshua Whale in 2016. It started as a research and development garage project in Kigali, Rwanda, and has since expanded its operations to Kenya, with a team of over 500 employees. The company's first electric motorcycles were launched in May 2019.

Ampersand provides electric motorcycles, known as 'e-motos', and a network of battery swap stations primarily for motorcycle taxi drivers in East Africa. The business model is centered on a battery-as-a-service system, where drivers can lease batteries and exchange depleted ones for fully charged units at swap stations in under two minutes. This pay-as-you-go model makes the total cost of ownership cheaper than for traditional petrol motorcycles by saving drivers an estimated 45% on fuel and maintenance, which can increase their daily income.

The company's offerings include the 'Alpha' electric motorcycle, proprietary smart battery packs assembled in-house, and the 'AmperOps' fleet management software. This software, along with a driver app, allows for real-time monitoring of batteries, locating swap stations, and managing payments. Ampersand's system gathers numerous data points from the batteries to optimize their lifespan using predictive AI. To further its sustainability goals, Ampersand has started integrating solar power into its battery-swap stations.

Ampersand has secured significant funding from various investors, including Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Beyond Capital Ventures, and AHL Venture Partners. It has also formed strategic partnerships, notably with BYD for the supply of battery cells, aiming to produce 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026. The company aims to deploy 600,000 e-motos by 2030 and support one million vehicles through its swap stations.