Ampersand builds electric motorcycles and battery-swap energy infrastructure for commercial moto-taxi (boda boda) drivers across East Africa. The company designs purpose-built e-motorcycles alongside the HM19, a proprietary lithium iron phosphate smart battery, and operates what it describes as Africa's most extensive battery swap network for e-motorcycles, in which drivers exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one in under two minutes. Ampersand was founded in Rwanda and has since expanded to Kenya.
The engineering work spans hardware and software. Technical domains include electric vehicles, battery technology, swap infrastructure, mobility engineering, and energy systems, together with IoT, real-time telemetry and data analytics. AmperOps, the company's AI-optimised fleet management platform, monitors 50 data points from each battery every five seconds, tracking health and performance to extend battery lifespan and reduce e-waste.
The business is aimed at drivers for whom the moto-taxi is a primary source of income: Ampersand reports driver cost savings of roughly 45% compared with traditional fuel. The company's stated priorities include raising drivers' take-home pay, improving air quality in African cities, and cutting electronic waste.
- Products: purpose-built electric motorcycles, the HM19 smart battery, a battery swap station network, and the AmperOps fleet management platform
- Technical areas: electric vehicles, lithium iron phosphate battery technology, battery swap infrastructure, AI-optimised fleet management, IoT and real-time telemetry, energy technology, mobility engineering
- Markets: East Africa, including Rwanda and Kenya
