Supporting e-mobility pioneers in Africa

The Challenge

Left: An Ampersand electric motorcycle taxi. Right: An Ampersand rider at the Hurlingham, Nairobi swap station.

Motorcycle taxis are a dominant mode of transport in East Africa, yet high fuel costs and emissions burden drivers and the environment. While electric motorcycles offered a solution, adoption was hindered by high upfront costs, battery limitations, and lack of charging infrastructure.

WHAT WAS ACHIEVED

£100K grant leveraged to secure £3.5M in early-stage venture capital, later growing to £12M+ in follow-on investment.
400+ electric motorcycles deployed, reducing riders' fuel costs by 40% per trip and tailpipe emissions by >60% per vehicle.
First scalable battery-swapping network launched, reducing barriers to electric adoption in East Africa.
Ampersand is now leading Africa’s e-mobility transition, proving that clean transport can be commercially viable, investor-ready, and scalable.

"There is a key lesson here for any early stage venture looking for impact: Stepping back and considering what it would take to get others to help you scale is vital."

Josh Whale - CEO of Ampersand

HOW WE DID IT

Through the Frontier Technologies Hub, Brink supported Ampersand in advancing clean mobility solutions by strengthening its investment case and scaling strategy. Over an 18-month pilot, Ampersand tested the feasibility of electric motorcycles in reducing transport costs, improving driver livelihoods, and cutting carbon emissions - validating key insights that informed its business model and market approach.

Our work included:

Piloting and business model development – Supported Ampersand in strengthening its business case, refining its rent-to-own and pay-per-swap models, and positioning for early-stage investment. The grant was used to test a small fleet of motorcycles, revealing that rent-to-own and pay-per-swap models increased driver revenue by 78% per month. Findings also confirmed that a modular design was essential for easy maintenance and fleet scalability and that motorcycles needed to resemble existing petrol models to encourage adoption.
Product development and market adoption – Advised Ampersand on scaling strategies, using insights from its pilot to refine pricing models, optimise fleet deployment, and enhance battery-swapping infrastructure. We also supported Ampersand in developing investment metrics and an impact narrative that strengthened its ability to secure follow-on funding.‍
Ecosystem & Policy Engagement – Engaged policymakers and industry stakeholders to strengthen regulatory pathways for e-mobility, ensuring an enabling environment for electric transport adoption.

Supporting e-mobility pioneers in Africa

The Challenge

WHAT WAS ACHIEVED

HOW WE DID IT

The story in more detail