Waterloo-based tech startup Voltra, along with the Hanover Capital and Velocity Fund, has officially launched stealth with a $1.8 million seed round led by the reverse.
The company is launching Charge, the first product built to simplify control of EV chargers, batteries and microgrids.
Founders Alexander Stratomen and Arian Afrouzi began Voltola while studying at the University of Waterloo. They saw how today’s energy infrastructure has been stuck in the past. It was entangled with slow moving, closures and outdated systems. “Most of the energy space focuses on top-down control and infrastructure build-outs to modernize the grid,” explains Stratmoen. “We believe that intelligence layers need to be built from the bottom up as well.”
The grid is cracked – and it’s not ready for what comes
Electric grids in North America are under pressure like never before. From the early battles between Edison and Tesla to the postwar boom of the 1950s and 1960s, we have come a long way from today’s mix of solar panels, battery storage and nuclear microreactors. Energy generation saw the wave after the wave of progression, but the grid carrying its force is not maintained.
Over 70% of US and Canada’s power lines are over 25 years old. Many operate well beyond what they were built. At the same time, electricity demand is surged due to population growth, the transition to electric vehicles, and the large energy needs of new data centers.
There are strict choices for grid operators. Billions of people rip and rebuild their infrastructure, or find a smarter way to manage what they already have.
Voltra bets on the second option.
Filling Charge: Developer Tools for the Future of Energy
What they are responsible for is an API platform aimed at operating energy systems that are as simple as connecting to Stripe or Twilio. The team targets the issue points that they have been responsible for developers and energy companies. Old school middleware, vendor lock-in, complex, unique controls.
“Previously, direct operation of EV infrastructure was unmanageable for fleet software companies,” Stratmoen said. “This space is packed with complex middleware and unsustainable EV-specific business models.”
Charges provide a more flexible approach. Provides developers with the latest SDKs that work across vendors, protocols, and devices. Software companies allow them to actually control and connect their energy assets without building everything from scratch. Early users include fleet operators, condominium energy systems, and microgrid integrators.
Beyond Chargers: Wideer infrastructure play
The bigger vision of Voltra is beyond EV charging. “What we’ve started with EV chargers will expand to energy storage, industrial regulations and ultimately a wider distribution system,” Afrouzi says. Nowadays, many of that controls are locked behind a layer of old proprietary software. Voltra wants to crack its opening and provide developers with a clearer path to directly interface with energy assets.
This bottom-up approach reflects the growing industry’s change. Tesla’s Autobidder, Base Power’s recent $200 million salary increases, and a broader push to programmable energy infrastructure, all point to new directions. Voltra allows you to start by building developer tools from the start, and then proceeding from this to the beginning.
Why investors are betting on Voltra
For Joe Malchow, founding partner of Hanover Capital and an investor in energy companies such as Enphase and Archaea, the impact is far greater than just developer tools. “The opportunities for consumers and businesses are immeasurable. They are existential for grid operators,” he says. “The future grid needs internet-style adjustments and routing. Voltra was created to solve this enormous need. Success means cheaper driving for consumers, new opportunities for business, better node pricing and reliability for grid operators.”
Stratmoen said, “We’re really excited about this launch. We’ll not only fix the broken software space, but also mark the first step in laying the foundations for tomorrow’s energy grid.”
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