Electric mobility startup, Zeno, has raised US$25 million in Series A financing to accelerate production of its battery-swap electric motorbikes and expand charging infrastructure across East Africa.
- •The funding includes US$20.5 million in equity led by Congruent Ventures with participation from Active Impact and Lowercarbon Capital, alongside a US$4.5 million debt facility from Camber Road and Trifecta Capital.
- •Zeno plans to use the capital to scale manufacturing of its Emara electric motorcycle and expand its network of battery-swap and charging stations across Kenya and Uganda, where motorcycles form the backbone of urban transport and delivery services.
- •Since emerging from stealth about 18 months ago, the company has built more than 800 Emara motorbikes and deployed more than 150 charging and battery-swap locations across four cities in the two countries.
“These are the things that ultimately matter for serving our customers and building a financially sustainable generational business and they are thanks to the hardworking world-class team we are building at Zeno,” said Michael Spencer, co-founder and CEO at Zeno.
Zeno had previously raised US$9.5 million in seed funding led by Lowercarbon Capital and Toyota Ventures.
Demand for electric motorbikes is building quickly, with more than 25,000 retail and fleet customers waiting to receive the bikes while the company currently produces about 70 to 80 units per week. The Emara is designed for the region’s bodaboda market, offering roughly 8 kilowatts of peak power, comparable to a 150-cc internal combustion motorcycle.
The electric drivetrain provides instant torque that allows the bike to climb steep hills even when carrying heavy loads. The startup says the motorcycle, which sells for about about US$1,300 (roughly KSh 168,000) without a battery and roughly $2,000 (roughly KSh 258,000) with one, can travel about 100 kilometers on a single charge and carry up to 250 kilograms.
Riders who do not buy the battery upfront can subscribe to a monthly or pay-per-use battery service and swap depleted packs at Zeno’s stations or recharge them at home.
The startup is positioning the model as a cost advantage for riders, estimating operating costs that are roughly 50% lower than gasoline-powered motorcycles.
Beyond transportation, the company is also testing a battery dock that allows the removable packs to power homes and businesses, potentially running lights and small appliances. About a dozen customers are currently piloting the device.
If commercialized, the system could allow Zeno’s battery network to function as a distributed energy platform in parts of East Africa where grid reliability remains uneven and demand for modular power systems is growing.
The strategy aligns with a broader shift toward electrification in East Africa’s motorcycle market. As capital flows into the sector, EV startups are racing to build battery-swap networks and scale production of electric motorbikes aimed at East Africa’s vast bodaboda market.
