Tiger Infrastructure Partners announced an investment of €50 million in Qwello GmbH («Qwello»). Based in Munich, Germany, Qwello is a fast-growing, full-service builder, owner, and operator of electric vehicle («EV») charging infrastructure in major European cities.
The company provides a turnkey charging solution to cities by providing all elements of the charge point infrastructure service, including hardware and software development, installation, ownership, operations, and maintenance.
Qwello was founded and is led by Henrik Thiele, who has several decades of experience as an entrepreneur and senior executive in the automotive and rail industry, both in Europe and globally.
Qwello’s vision is to create easy access and easy-to-use charging stations in convenient urban locations.
Qwello’s charging poles have been designed with user-friendly features, such as symbol-based user communication for universal usage, options for contactless credit card or mobile payment and a high-quality integrated cable with a Type 2 plug (as well as a Type 2 socket for users who prefer to use their own cable).
Qwello has also developed an intuitive mobile app which offers simple invoicing and billing, reservations, and location search.
Emil W. Henry, Jr., CEO and Managing Director of Tiger Infrastructure, commented: «The European EV sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by subsidies for EVs, fast declining battery costs and the expansion of EV offerings by OEMs. However, the supply of charging infrastructure is not keeping pace with the significant demand for EVs».
He also said: «I am delighted that Tiger Infrastructure is making an investment in Qwello during this inflection point in the evolution of the electric vehicle industry. Qwello has designed an impressive product and has built a pipeline of opportunities to partner with major cities to install and operate charging stations. We look forward to funding Qwello’s growth and infrastructure deployment to create a leading provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure».
Alessandro Boninsegna, Managing Director of Tiger Infrastructure, added: «We have been following the EV charging sector closely over the last several years as we believe the industry is poised for significant growth. Henrik and his team have built an impressive company with a superior product, a unique business model and a differentiated go-to-market strategy. We are excited to partner with the company in its next phase of growth».
Henrik Thiele, Managing Director and Founder of Qwello, added: «We were seeking a financial partner who shared our vision to simplify the charging experience in public, urban locations. We believe Tiger is a like-minded investor whose expertise and capital will assist us in making Qwello a leading brand across Europe. With Tiger’s investment, Qwello is well-positioned to help cities across Europe solve the immediate and growing requirement to supply critical electric vehicle charging infrastructure to the public».