Rwandan e-motorbike Maker Ampersand has Secured Funding for East African Expansion

Rwandan e-motorbike maker Ampersand has secured funding for East African expansion, and this is great news for the future of clean transportation in the region. The company, based in Rwanda, recently raised money from a group of investors to help grow its electric motorcycle business across East Africa. While the exact amount of funding hasn’t been shared, what matters most is that Ampersand now has the support it needs to reach more people with its electric bikes.

Ampersand has secured funding from some important backers, including British International Investment (BII), which is the UK’s development finance group. Other investors include Seedstars Africa Ventures, Gaia Impact, the Rwanda Green Fund, Raspberry Syndicate, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, AHL Ventures, Acumen, HEHF, and TotalEnergies. This mix of support shows that many believe in Ampersand’s goal to change how people move around in East Africa.

Read Next: Network International Partners with Absa Bank to Provide End-to-end Payment Processing Capabilities

The CEO and founder of Ampersand, Josh Whale, said that this new funding is a big boost for their mission. He explained that with support from these investors, the company hopes to double the size of its battery fleet by early 2026. This means they will be able to offer over 35,000 battery swaps every day, helping thousands of motorbike drivers keep their rides running without the pollution and high costs of petrol motorcycles.

Ampersand started in 2016, focusing on building and financing electric motorcycles. Now, the company is growing fast and plans to bring its electric bikes to many more countries in East Africa. It aims to put 5 million electric motorcycles on African roads within the next 10 years—an ambitious goal that started after it raised $2 million in a funding round last year.

With the latest funding, Ampersand will work on expanding its electric motorcycle fleet, building up its battery swap stations, and improving charging infrastructure across East Africa. This will help the company grow stronger and become a leading player in the African electric vehicle market.

Seema Dhanani, who is BII’s regional director in East Africa, said their investment shows how important and promising the electric mobility field is. He called it a “game-changer” for low-carbon growth that benefits many people in East Africa. Dhanani also emphasized that BII wants to support projects like Ampersand’s that reduce pollution, create jobs, and help Africa grow in a sustainable way.

Seedstars Africa Ventures, another investor, pointed out that they chose to back Ampersand because of the company’s high-quality products and strong way of doing business. They praised the whole Ampersand team for being very good at making things happen quickly and efficiently. One smart idea from Ampersand is that they have turned their batteries into financial assets, which is new and exciting in the energy world. Their business is doing well, and they always think about what customers really need.

Ampersand’s electric motorcycles now come under the brand name ‘Alpha.’ This new brand helps show the company’s history—as the first to sell commercial electric motorcycles in Africa—and also separates the bike business from its energy and battery services. The Alpha brand stands for savings, cleaner air, and better health for people in places where air pollution is a big problem.

Currently, Ampersand works mainly in Rwanda and Kenya. So far, they have helped more than 5,700 electric motorcycles ride almost a million kilometers every day. That’s an impressive start for the company.

Read Next: Nigeria’s Inflation Went Down to 21.88% in July 2025, from 22.22% in June

Last year, Ampersand signed a deal with BYD, a big battery maker, to buy advanced battery cells. This deal will help Ampersand build about 40,000 electric motorcycles by 2026. Their bigger plan is to electrify a large part of the 30 million commercial motorbikes used all over Africa.

Ampersand has secured funding for East African expansion at a perfect time. This money will help them bring cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient electric motorcycles to many more people. With strong support from investors and a clear plan, Ampersand is helping change the way people travel in East Africa, for a better, greener future.

Was this information useful? Drop a nice comment below. You can also check out other useful contents by following us on X/Twitter @siliconafritech, Instagram @Siliconafricatech, or Facebook @SiliconAfrica.