ARC Ride

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.

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

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

• Battery swapping services
• Electric motorcycle mobility
• Battery-as-a-service
• E-mobility infrastructure
• Electric two-wheeler charging

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• YadeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ARC 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 IndustryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Musashi 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/ARC_ride_global
• Facebookfacebook.com/ARCRideGlobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arc-ride

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ARC Ride