Kwetta, a Napier-based tech startup revolutionising large-scale electrification, announces a major milestone in its journey to drive sustainable transport. The company has raised $10.5 million USD (NZ $17.5 million) in an oversubscribed Series A funding round, led by Blackbird Ventures, with participation from Virescent Ventures Fund II, Icehouse Ventures, and others.

Since its founding in 2021, Kwetta has had a clear mission: to remove the bottlenecks in electrifying heavy transport by unlocking electricity grid capacity in a cost-effective way. Their innovative Prime Grid Gateway technology enables ultra-fast EV charging without requiring expensive grid upgrades or batteries. This approach provides up to 10 times more power at constrained sites, delivering scalable solutions for heavy transport fleets and large-scale charging hubs.

"This funding allows us to take our mission global, scaling faster and innovating further," said the company's founders, Dustin, Mike, and Rob. With grid infrastructure upgrades often being prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, Kwetta’s grid-first technology is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for sustainable heavy transport electrification.

In three years, Kwetta has grown from a trio of founders to a team of over 30 across New Zealand and Australia, having deployed 39 high-powered charging outlets so far. With this funding, the startup plans to expand into new markets, including Europe and Australia, while accelerating deployments for bus and truck fleets, heavy transport hubs, and other high-demand applications. 

"Heavy transport is electrifying faster than anyone expected, and the demand for solutions like ours is growing exponentially. Together with our partners and supporters, we’re building the future of sustainable transport," said the founders.

Kwetta now looks ahead to expanding its team and operations, bringing its vision of a sustainable, electrified future to life on a global scale.