ARC Ride
ARC Ride is a Nairobi-based Battery-as-a-Service provider, founded in 2020, operating 150+ battery-swapping cabinets that serve Kenyan boda-boda drivers through per-swap usage fees, with plans to scale to 600+ stations and expand across East Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ARC Ride does
ARC Ride is a Nairobi-based Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider, founded in 2020, that operates a network of fixed battery-swapping cabinets enabling electric motorcycle and three-wheeler riders to exchange depleted batteries for charged ones on a per-swap usage basis. The company has deployed over 150 swapping stations across Nairobi, with plans to scale to more than 600 cabinets and 25,000 batteries. Its primary customer segment is Kenyan boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers, who benefit from a reported 30–40% operating cost reduction versus petrol motorcycles and a 70–100 km range at approximately €1.77 per charge, without the upfront capital outlay for batteries that has historically constrained electric two-wheeler adoption.
ARC Ride monetizes through per-swap usage-based fees collected from riders at its cabinets. Its go-to-market combines direct operation of urban swap-station infrastructure with an OEM partnership strategy: a 2026 alliance with Yadea, the world's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer by volume, co-launched the Kifa electric motorcycle at EV Expo Kenya 2026, embedding ARC Ride's swap network as Yadea's energy backbone in Kenya. A prior demonstration project with Japan's Musashi Seimitsu Industry — selected as a case study by Japan's METI — has laid groundwork for further international OEM collaboration and potential expansion into South Africa and Ghana.
The company has raised $20 million in disclosed funding across three institutional rounds in nine months: a $5 million equity investment from British International Investment (May 2025), a $10 million debt facility from Paris-based Mirova (September 2025), and a $5 million equity commitment from the International Finance Corporation as part of its Series A (February 2026). This capital base is earmarked for countrywide infrastructure expansion in Kenya and entry into additional East African markets, with IFC's involvement explicitly structured to de-risk further fundraising from global climate-focused investors.
ARC Ride firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ARC Ride
- Legal name
- Arc Ride Limited
- Website
- https://arcrideglobal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ARC Ride is a Nairobi-based Battery-as-a-Service provider, founded in 2020, operating 150+ battery-swapping cabinets that serve Kenyan boda-boda drivers through per-swap usage fees, with plans to scale to 600+ stations and expand across East Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ARC Ride industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Mobility Battery-Swapping Services
- NAICS
- Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-Mobility Batteries & Swappable Packs (Consumer) (CRACASAI)
Keywords
Where ARC Ride is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
ARC Ride business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Battery Swapping Fees: Riders pay per battery swap at ARC Ride's cabinets, generating recurring usage-based revenue. This replaces the need for riders to purchase expensive batteries upfront, lowering the barrier to electric motorcycle adoption while creating predictable per-transaction income for ARC Ride.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
ARC Ride product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ARC Ride operates a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for electric motorcycles, deploying fixed battery-swapping stations and automated cabinets across urban centers where riders exchange depleted batteries for charged ones on a per-swap payment basis. The offering replaces upfront battery ownership costs with usage-based fees, enabling continuous motorcycle operation without charging downtime. The company also distributes the Kifa electric motorcycle through a partnership with Yadea.
Product overview
ARC Ride operates a Battery-as-a-Service platform for electric motorcycles, consisting of a network of battery swapping stations and cabinets across Kenya. The company combines its core BaaS infrastructure with the Kifa Electric Motorcycle (offered via Yadea partnership) to provide an integrated electric mobility solution. Riders access the battery-swapping network on a pay-per-use basis rather than purchasing batteries outright, enabling rapid battery exchanges without charging downtime.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) Usage-based battery service for electric motorcycle riders that replaces upfront battery ownership with per-swap payments at fixed stations, addressing cost barriers to electric two-wheeler adoption in Kenya and enabling continuous operation without charging downtime.
- Kifa Electric Motorcycle Electric motorcycle distributed by ARC Ride in partnership with Yadea (world's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer by annual sales), enabling ARC Ride to offer vehicles supported by its battery-swapping infrastructure rather than requiring riders to source vehicles separately.
- Battery-as-a-Service Demonstration Project Validated demonstration project of the Battery-as-a-Service model with Musashi Seimitsu Industry in Nairobi, planned for expansion to other Kenyan cities and additional African markets (South Africa, Ghana), with exploration of ride-sharing platform integration and battery repurposing solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-40% reduction in operating costs compared to petrol-powered motorcycles
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ARC Ride
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ARC Ride technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ARC Ride partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- YadeacoreARC Ride partnered with Yadea (world's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer by annual sales volume) to provide battery-swapping services for their electric motorcycles launched at Autoexpo Kenya 2026 and EV Expo Kenya 2026. Yadea enters the Kenyan market without building its own charging infrastructure, relying on ARC Ride's swap network.
- Musashi Seimitsu IndustryminorMusashi Seimitsu Industry conducted an electric motorcycle and Battery-as-a-Service demonstration project with ARC Ride in Nairobi, completed in February 2025. The project was selected as a case study by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) under its Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project. Plans include expansion to other Kenyan cities and across Africa (South Africa, Ghana), with exploration of ride-sharing platform integration and battery repurposing solutions.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ARC Ride competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hero Electric: Hero Electric is one of India's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturers. As an established OEM with global expansion ambitions, it represents a potential OEM partner or competitor for ARC Ride in commercializing electric motorcycles for African riders.
- Yadea: Yadea is the world's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer by volume and is ARC Ride's strategic OEM partner for the Kifa motorcycle. As a global incumbent, it could potentially compete by building its own swap infrastructure, though it currently relies on ARC Ride's network in Kenya.
Emerging players
- Roam: Roam is a Kenyan electric motorcycle manufacturer designing and assembling vehicles for the African market. While primarily an OEM rather than a swap-network operator, it operates in the same Nairobi e-motorcycle ecosystem as ARC Ride and serves overlapping customers.
- Sun Mobility: Sun Mobility operates battery-swapping networks for electric two- and three-wheelers in India. It shares ARC Ride's BaaS business model targeting commercial riders, though operating in a different geography with different vehicle types.
- MAX (Metro Africa Xpress): MAX operates motorcycle ride-hailing and delivery services in Nigeria, increasingly with electric vehicles. It targets the same commercial motorcycle rider segment as ARC Ride and is exploring electric fleet operations in West Africa.
- BasiGo: BasiGo is a Kenyan electric mobility company focused on electric buses and public transport charging. While focused on larger vehicles, it shares ARC Ride's Nairobi base and addresses electric mobility for commercial transport operators.
Direct peers
- Gogoro: Gogoro pioneered large-scale battery-swapping networks for electric scooters, primarily in Taiwan. It shares ARC Ride's core business model of building swap infrastructure to enable electric two-wheeler adoption without upfront battery costs.
- Ampersand: Ampersand builds electric motorcycles with battery-swap infrastructure for taxi drivers in East Africa (Rwanda, Kenya). It uses a similar BaaS approach serving the same boda-boda customer segment as ARC Ride.
- Spiro: Spiro operates battery-swapping networks for electric motorcycles across multiple African countries. It is the most direct competitor to ARC Ride, with comparable BaaS infrastructure, target customers (motorcycle taxi riders), and geographic focus on emerging African markets.
- Zembo: Zembo is a Uganda-based e-mobility company providing electric motorcycles and battery-swapping services to boda-boda riders. It competes directly with ARC Ride in East Africa on the same BaaS business model targeting motorcycle taxi drivers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ARC Ride social profiles
Digital presenceARC Ride financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ARC Ride leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ARC Ride funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ARC Ride M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ARC Ride
What does ARC Ride do?
ARC Ride operates a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for electric motorcycles, deploying fixed battery-swapping stations and automated cabinets across urban centers where riders exchange depleted batteries for charged ones on a per-swap payment basis. The offering replaces upfront battery ownership costs with usage-based fees, enabling continuous motorcycle operation without charging downtime. The company also distributes the Kifa electric motorcycle through a partnership with Yadea.
Is ARC Ride a public or private company?
ARC Ride is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ARC Ride founded?
ARC Ride was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ARC Ride based?
ARC Ride is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does ARC Ride make money?
One revenue line is on record: battery Swapping Fees.
Who are ARC Ride's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hero Electric and Yadea. Emerging players are Roam, Sun Mobility, MAX (Metro Africa Xpress) and BasiGo. Direct peers are Gogoro, Ampersand, Spiro and Zembo.
Does ARC Ride have an API?
No public API is recorded for ARC Ride.
What industry is ARC Ride in?
ARC Ride's product category is Electric Mobility Battery-Swapping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACASAI, E-Mobility Batteries & Swappable Packs (Consumer). Its NAICS code is 5321 and its SIC code is 7510.