Spiro (formerly MAuto) is an African electric vehicle (EV) company headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and founded in 2019 with backing from Gagan Gupta's Equitane Group.[1] The company specializes in electric motorbikes and battery swapping infrastructure.[2] As of 2025, Spiro operates across six African countries: Togo, Benin, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, with a mission to reduce the continent's fossil fuel dependency.[2][3] The CEO of the company is Kaushik Burman.[4][5]

Product

Spiro’s bikes have a range of 75 to 90 km depending on the usage and the model of the motorbike.[6] The EV bikes use batteries that take up to four hours to be charged.[7] Spiro's battery swapping model provides riders with access to swap stations - fast and slow chargers - and home charging options.[8]

Spiro allows its users with no traditional banking access to pay with MTN Mobile Money (MoMo card) in countries like Rwanda.[7]

History and funding

Founded in 2019, Spiro received initial funding of USD 85 million from Equitane Group, formerly Africa transformation and industrialization fund (ATIF).[9][1]

In 2022, Spiro launched in Togo and Benin.[4]

In May 2023, Spiro received an investment of USD 63 million from Société Générale, to finance its expansion in Kenya and Uganda. The goal of this funding was to add 15,700 additional motos in those countries.[6][10][1] The same year, it extended to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Nigeria. In Uganda, Spiro partnered with the government to replace its boda bodas - an emission-heavy moto taxi fleet - with electric two-wheelers.[4]

In 2024, Spiro received USD 50 million from African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).[2][11][12] In May, Spiro was listed in the Time 100 Most Influential Companies 2024.[4]

Business model and strategy

In December 2023, the company declared having done five million battery swaps in its 175 swap stations.[13] In August of the same year Spiro launched twin assembly plants in Benin and Togo.[14]

In January 2024 Asset financing company Watu Credit and Spiro Kenya, announced a partnership to enhance access to financing for electric motorbikes in Kenya.[15]

In May 2024, the company declared a fleet of 14,000 electric two-wheelers, and nine million battery swaps in five countries.[4][11] The same month, the company partnered with Max, a tech platform that democratises access to vehicle ownership.[16][17] In July the startup overtook its competitor Ampersand, a Kigali based electric motorbike company.[18]

In september 2024, Spiro launched a manufacturing centre on Old Mombasa Road in Nairobi.[19]

In February 2025, Spiro declared having 18,000 bikes in circulation, 11 million battery swaps and 428 million CO₂-free kilometres driven.[2] The company aims at having 2 million bikes in circulation in Africa by 2030.[10]

In 2025, Spiro plans to open two electric vehicle assembly plants in 2025 in Kenya and in Ogun State, Nigeria.[8][20][21][22][23] In January Spiro entered into a partnership with ZOOMe, an electric mobility firm in Nigeria.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Qu'est-ce qui fait courir Spiro, décidé à essaimer sur le continent ? - Jeune Afrique.com". Jeune Afrique (in French). 24 August 2023. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  2. ^ a b c d "BasiGo, SolarTaxi, Spiro: The African startups driving the electric vehicle revolution". The Africa Report. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  3. ^ Oluwole, Victor (2024-06-05). "SPIRO CEO discusses the economic implications of electric bikes in Africa". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  4. ^ a b c d e Höije, Katarina (2024-05-30). "TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Spiro". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  5. ^ "Kaushik Burman - Jeune Afrique.com". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  6. ^ a b "La startup africaine Spiro accélère dans les motos-taxis électriques". La Tribune (in French). 2023-08-05. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  7. ^ a b "Forward Momentum: This African Country Is Streets Ahead For Rider Innovation". www.forbesafrica.com. 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  8. ^ a b Ashiru, Grace (2025-01-31). "Spiro Accelerates Africa's EV Revolution with New Assembly Plant and Regional Expansion". Tech In Africa. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  9. ^ "Spiro contre Ampersand : de BYD à TotalEnergies, qui séduira le plus les géants de l'électrique ? - Jeune Afrique.com". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  10. ^ a b "Spiro décroche un emprunt de 63 millions de dollars". Forbes Afrique (in French). 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  11. ^ a b Daniels, Robert (2024-05-20). "Africa's largest EV company set for further expansion". africanreview.com. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  12. ^ Olaitan, Ayoola (2024-05-17). "Spiro Secures $50 million facility from Afreximbank to drive Electric Mobility in Africa". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  13. ^ "Au Togo, Spiro veut révolutionner la mobilité électrique". RFI (in French). 2023-12-25. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  14. ^ Komminoth, Leo (2023-08-03). "New plants in Benin and Togo underpin Africa's EV potential". African Business. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  15. ^ Wanzala, James (28 January 2024). "Watu and Spiro ink deal to finance electric motorcycles". The Standard (Kenya). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  16. ^ Michael, Chinwe (2024-05-23). "Max, Spiro partner to drive innovation in electric mobility". BusinessDay (Nigeria). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  17. ^ "Max, Spiro Collaborate to Drive Innovation in Electric Mobility". This Day. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  18. ^ "Spiro contre Ampersand : de BYD à TotalEnergies, qui séduira le plus les géants de l'électrique ? - Jeune Afrique.com". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  19. ^ Wanzala, James (24 September 2024). "EV Firm Spiro unveils new plant in Nairobi". The Standard (Kenya). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  20. ^ "Spiro takes early lead in Africa's e-mobility race". The Africa Report. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  21. ^ Anagor-Ewuzie, Amaka (2024-08-06). "Spiro electric bikes debut in Nigeria, target reduction in carbon footprint". BusinessDay (Nigeria). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  22. ^ Rapheal (2024-08-04). "Spiro launches electric motorbikes in Ogun". The Sun (Nigeria). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  23. ^ "Spiro Officially Launches Electric Vehicles in Ogun – THISDAYLIVE". This Day. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  24. ^ Onyema, Juliet (2025-01-12). "Spiro in pact with ZOOMe to advance electric mobility in Nigeria". BusinessDay (Nigeria). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_(company)
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