Ghanaian startup Kofa, a forerunner in battery network solutions which is currently rolling out an e-motorcycle in its home market, plans to take its battery swapping solution to Kenya and Togo in the neat future.
Kofa aims to create an affordable and customer-driven electricity network powered by portable batteries and renewable energy. It has developed a multi-use high-capacity battery system named Kore2, alongside a battery swapping network, as it bids to foster a sustainable energy future in West Africa.
“Kofa’s core innovation lies in providing high-performance power through its batteries, which are not only cost-effective – being at least 30 per cent more competitive than petrol – but also versatile in their applications,” CEO Erik Nygard told Disrupt Africa.
The company’s charging and battery swap network, currently expanding across Ghana, will soon support over 100,000 battery swaps annually, facilitating a seamless transition to clean energy for various users. Kofa has strategically partnered with TAIL-G, a globally recognised e-motorcycle manufacturer, to design the Jidi e-motorcycle, which is tailored for the African market.
The Jidi e-motorcycle, equipped with Kofa’s Kore2 battery, boasts a range of over 100km, catering to the mobility needs of the region with a sustainable solution. The startup has also partnered Nigeria’s MAX, a pioneer in electric vehicle solutions in Africa, in a deal that will see MAX offer financing options for over 2,000 revolutionary Jidi bikes.
Nygard said Kofa’s founding team had focused on the need to create the right infrastructure for electric vehicles in West Africa, namely multi-use batteries and a robust charging network. While other companies focused on importing ready-made EVs into the market, Kofa focused on creating a market for efficient batteries and the charging infrastructure to support battery users.
“Our primary competition is petrol. Whether it’s a small business losing money because of high-priced petrol generators, or a delivery driver traveling across Accra with polluting motorbike, Kofa is trying to solve the problems that existing petrol systems are causing,” he said.
Kofa started operating in Ghana in 2021, with the Volta motorcycle, and deployed 40 of them across Accra to learn from the market. The second version is the Jidi, and since January of this year the startup has deployed over 10 charging stations, 500 Kore2 batteries, and 150 Jidis.
Nygard said there are further 7,000 bikes in the pipeline, and soon the company will operate across four cities. It also plans to expand to Kenya and Togo in the near future. The startup raised seed funding from Shell Foundation, supported by the UK’s FCDO, Wangara Green Ventures, and Mercy Corps Ventures.
