This article originally appeared in the May/June issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe

Largely inspired by the push for decarbonisation, the electrification of transport means the role of advanced digital solutions in mobility can no longer be underestimated.

One startup that understands that is EVware. Dedicated to democratising high-end digital systems for new mobility manufacturers and propelling the industry towards a greener future, EVware believes helping accelerate the shift will deliver sustainable transportation.

The genesis of EVware

Co-founder and CEO Chris Tingley's journey from a software engineer to a pioneer in digital mobility innovations marries skills pivotal to the EV revolution. Prior to founding EVware, Tingley worked at digital product agency Conjure, primarily focusing on the automotive sector. "My time at Conjure exposed the significant barriers that new manufacturers faced in accessing sophisticated digital technologies," Tingley recalls. T his realisation sparked the idea for EVware, which aims to make such technologies accessible to a broader range of mobility solutions, especially new players in the industry.

“At the same time, the popularity of micromobility and Lightweight Electric Vehicles and more generally new modes of transport was clearly on the rise, and it was obvious that these new manufacturers would struggle to get access to technology anywhere near the level that the big OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers could,” elaborated Tingley.

The transition from his time at Conjure to launching EVware was driven by a clear vision to fill this critical gap which Tingley believes will drive the next-gen of mobility technologies.

A comprehensive digital integration solution

Although in pre-production phase with the products, in a nutshell, EVware basically aims to integrate a digital, smart experience into vehicles so vehicle manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers can provide customers with the ability to interact with vehicles in a deeper way. It does this via a software/hardware approach by integrating three components crucial for a modern digitally-enabled vehicle: Human Machine Interface, Telematics, and Vision & AI processing. "Our HMI allows for intuitive interactions via touchscreens or voice controls, our telematics handle secure data transmission to the Cloud, and our AI processes data on the Edge for enhanced safety and convenience."

This tripartite integration not only enhances the user experience but also increases the vehicles’ operational efficiency. "Most telemetry systems purely handle getting data from the vehicle to the Cloud. They don’t necessarily process the data on the vehicle, and they certainly don’t offer HMI solutions as well," Tingley elaborates. By providing a more holistic solution, EVware enables vehicle manufacturers to deliver safer, more intelligent, and fully connected vehicles at a fraction of the usual cost and complexity as they do not have to spend resources on developing it in-house.

Facing industry headwinds

Yet, despite EVware being very much a forward-thinking company, it has not been without present challenges. The startup has navigated through typical industry hurdles such as supply chain disruptions, battery reliability issues, and fluctuating customer demand. Tingley shares: "These challenges are indicative of the sheer volume of innovation taking place in an industry where decarbonisation is the number one priority."

Yet, broader headwinds in the EV market, illustrated by EV car leader Tesla's sales dropping 13% in the first quarter of 2024, show there are some issues with which many companies dealing with EV sales are struggling. "There have been some high-profile knock-backs across the mobility sector,” Tingley concedes.

EVware has therefore had a difficult few months finding funding to help expand. “Building a capital-intensive startup, with hardware as a key part of the USP during a huge downturn in investment markets has been challenging to say the least,” explains Tingley. “We thought that having a highly experienced team with proven track records as well as a product that was perfectly aligned with industry demand would be enough to help us secure venture capital funding. Despite having a handful of great investors onboard and half a million pounds from an InnovateUK smart grant, we as yet have been unable to find a lead investor to lead the next round.”

Tingley therefore took the tactical decision to scale down staff and scale back operations while the startup searches for more funding to transition from product development into full-scale production. “We’re also open to partnerships or a possible joint venture with businesses who already operate in this area – this could be a large manufacturer or a Tier 1 supplier,” explains Tingley. But, just as Tesla’s stock soared shortly after its poor earning reports, the future for EVs and therefore EVware will be, according to Tingley, placed to recover: “I think EVs are the future.”

But just because EVware has taken its foot off the gas for the time being doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a direction of travel. “We currently have two key objectives: securing our next round of funding and selecting our first customer who we can complete product development with and start to deliver production-ready units,” states Tingley. So, for anyone who want to be part of a sustainable future, consider contacting EVware and see how you can accelerate its EV ambitions.