HeyCharge lands EU backing to expand EV charging
German startup HeyCharge has secured a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC), giving a major boost to its plan to roll out offline EV charging infrastructure across Europe. The funding is aimed at accelerating deployment of the company’s technology in residential and commercial buildings, where connectivity and access remain key barriers to mass electric vehicle adoption.
Offline charging for connected-car blind spots
HeyCharge focuses on a critical gap in Europe’s charging ecosystem: parking garages and underground facilities where mobile data and Wi-Fi are unreliable or unavailable. Traditional smart chargers rely on cloud connections for authentication, billing and access control, creating friction for drivers and operators.
The startup’s solution uses a proprietary combination of secure local authentication and offline payment handling, allowing chargers to function even without a constant internet connection. Drivers can start and stop charging sessions via a smartphone app, while building operators maintain control over access, pricing and usage data once connectivity is restored.
Scaling across European buildings and fleets
Targeting residential and commercial real estate
With the new EIC grant, HeyCharge plans to deepen partnerships with real estate owners, property managers and fleet operators across Europe. The company aims to simplify retrofitting of existing parking infrastructure, reducing installation and operating costs for smart chargers in multi-unit housing and office complexes.
Supporting Europe’s climate and mobility goals
The investment aligns with the EU’s broader push to cut transport emissions and support the rollout of millions of new EV charging points by 2030. By enabling reliable charging in buildings that lack robust connectivity, HeyCharge addresses one of the most persistent obstacles to everyday EV use: convenient home and workplace charging.
As European cities tighten regulations on combustion engines, solutions like HeyCharge’s offline-capable platform are expected to play a growing role in making electric mobility practical for drivers who park in shared or underground facilities.