A company is only as strong as its purpose. We want to give you insights into why EcoG was founded and what makes us thrive for seven years now.
That’s why we asked our founders to give us some insights into the story behind EcoG:
Joerg, what was your motivation to start EcoG?
My personal motivation for founding EcoG together with Johannes Hund and Manuel Heckmann was the conviction that we urgently need intelligent solutions for the energy supply of the future. Before founding EcoG, I worked at Siemens in the field of telecommunications and power grid infrastructure. When the first approaches to electromobility became visible in 2008, the importance of digitalizing the (charging) infrastructure was clear to me. If the software charges the electric vehicle primarily when there is a surplus of renewable electricity generation in the grid, this is doubly beneficial: the renewable energies do not have to be curtailed and mobility can be provided with green electricity.
Johannes, and yours?
In my prior work for Siemens R&D, I was working on smart grid and Industrial IoT topics, combining them with web technology to enable rapid integrations and applications, crossing domain borders. As disruptions create opportunities for digitalization, my interest was first drawn into the smart grid domain, which got disrupted by the transition from nuclear and fossil fuels to decentralized renewables. It was foreseeable that this domain inevitably gets disrupted again by e-mobility, with great impact on adjacent domains. This is where we found a fast-paced environment for innovation which can have great ecological and economical impact. The promise of being able to create a purpose-driven, high-impact company that is able to spearhead this global change was what convinced me, together with Jörg and Manuel, to take the leap and start EcoG.
What’s the vision and mission of EcoG?
At EcoG, we envision a future of widespread charging infrastructure, interconnected with the grid, fostering clean, quiet surroundings and renewable energy adoption. We’re improving the way people use the energy resources of our planet for the better.
The fact is: The future of cars is electric. After all, the transport sector has a key role to play in achieving the climate targets: transport-related greenhouse gas emissions must fall by 48% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. EcoG is a scale-up that is working on the rapid expansion of a sustainable charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. This is because there are problems with charging electric cars in particular. To solve these and ensure that all electric cars can be charged, regardless of make and model, EcoG offers charging station manufacturers a universal software solution.
This simplifies the management, control and maintenance of charging stations. Electromobility is also enabling us to integrate more and more renewable energies into the grid, which requires a software function that enables charging at the optimum time. This requires the charging infrastructure to be flexibly integrated into business processes and the energy system like a smartphone with apps.
What challenges did you see in building up the company?
Finding a balance between economic profitability and environmental sustainability was a major challenge. It is not always easy to integrate sustainable practices while remaining competitive. Another important aspect was the need to continuously invest in research and development to achieve technological advances that are both sustainable and cost-effective. In addition, we had to deal with regulatory requirements and changing market conditions that brought additional complexity. Our vision is to make the transportation sector as low-emission as possible while supporting the integration of renewable energy. Our products enable an estimated 1000 times higher impact in the transportation sector in terms of carbon footprint, so the focus of sustainability is on the impact with our products. One of the challenges is to convince investors of this approach. However, we are seeing more and more investors becoming active in the CleanTech sector and believing in its potential.
What are the next big steps for EcoG?
We are currently working towards completing our Series B funding round, marking a crucial step in our journey towards becoming a global leader in electric vehicle charging solutions. This new investment will fuel our ambitious plans to expand our operations in the United States, with our headquarters strategically located in Detroit, a city renowned for its automotive heritage. As we build up our presence in the U.S., we're committed to further professionalizing our operations, ensuring that we continue to deliver cutting-edge, reliable, and interoperable charging solutions. This growth phase is not just about expanding our footprint but also about enhancing our capabilities to meet the increasing demand for sustainable energy. At EcoG, we are dedicated to driving the transition to electric mobility and supporting a cleaner, greener future for all.
About EcoG
EcoG is a global IP and tech company working on the rapid expansion of sustainable charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. With its charge controllers, reference designs and software, it enables companies to get products & services to market quickly and scale profitably.
EcoG is already the market leader in Europe with more than 15% market share and a strong footprint in the Indian and North American markets. Overall, EcoG grew four times faster than the market last year. Industrial giants such as Siemens or one of the world’s largest service station equipment suppliers are among its customers. The company continues to grow in 2024 and as a next step invests 14,4M$ in its North American HQ in the USA.
