Munich-based startup HeyCharge has secured €2.5 million in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to further develop its electric vehicle charging platform designed for underground parking garages with limited or no internet connectivity.
The grant comes from the EIC Accelerator programme, which supports startups developing breakthrough technologies. HeyCharge’s system uses a fully offline architecture intended for basement and semi-basement car parks in residential buildings and offices, where mobile and Wi-Fi signals are often weak or unavailable.
Founded in 2020, the company has built its business around its patented SecureCharge technology. Unlike conventional chargers that require continuous online connectivity for authentication and billing, HeyCharge’s system uses one-time cryptographic tokens generated on a user’s smartphone, enabling secure operation without network infrastructure.
“Nearly half of Europe’s population lives in apartment buildings, and most of them park underground — exactly where internet-dependent chargers fail,” said Chief Executive Chris Cardé. He added that eliminating communication infrastructure such as cabling, routers and maintenance contracts can reduce installation costs by more than 40%.
HeyCharge said its technology is already deployed at about 130 locations covering roughly 2,500 parking spaces in Germany. The platform can be used under the company’s brand or integrated into third-party systems via software development kits and application programming interfaces. Partnerships include projects with investment manager MEAG and housing company Vonovia.
The new funding will support a two-year development programme to advance the SecureCharge FLEX platform from prototype-level deployment toward broader commercialization. Planned enhancements include advanced energy management features such as dynamic load balancing, tariff control and bidirectional vehicle-to-grid capabilities, as well as interoperability testing with external hardware and software platforms.
HeyCharge also plans large-scale pilot deployments across multiple European countries, certification activities for different regulatory environments and expansion of installer networks through a franchise model.
“The EIC Accelerator is not just funding — it’s a signal from Europe’s most rigorous innovation programme that our approach to democratising EV charging is ready to scale,” said co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer Robert Lasowski.
In addition to public funding, the company has previously raised €6.3 million from private investors including BMW i Ventures, Statkraft Ventures and Y Combinator. The latest grant is intended to support a broader rollout of charging solutions tailored to dense urban housing, where access to reliable home charging remains a barrier to electric vehicle adoption.
