Ember
Ember (Ember Core Ltd) operates the UK's first all-electric intercity bus network across Scotland, running 38 electric coaches on routes connecting major cities and rural towns, supported by its proprietary EmberOS platform and a third-party ultra-fast charging network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ember does
Ember (legally Ember Core Ltd, registered in Scotland) operates the UK's first all-electric intercity bus network, providing zero-emission scheduled passenger services between major Scottish cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Fort William, and Oban, as well as airport connections and a growing footprint of rural towns and villages. The company runs a fleet of 38 electric coaches (with committed expansion to 138 under a £13.2M ScotZEB3 government grant) and has carried over 1.5 million passengers and delivered more than 120 million zero-emission passenger kilometres since launching in October 2020. The business is headquartered in Edinburgh with operations hubs in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, and Livingston.
The underlying technology stack is EmberOS, a proprietary full-stack platform built in-house that integrates timetabling, ticketing, charging infrastructure management, and maintenance operations. Ember was the first UK bus operator to develop ITSO-certified smart ticketing technology, enabling interoperable concession validation across modes, and offers custom-built features including real-time bus tracking, dynamic pre-booked stops (where buses only stop when booked 10 minutes ahead to preserve journey times), and connecting tickets for multi-leg through-journeys. The company also operates an ultra-fast charging network (up to 300kW CCS) in seven Scottish cities, opened to third-party bus, coach, and HGV operators as an infrastructure-as-a-service revenue stream.
Ember's business model combines multiple revenue streams: transactional passenger ticket sales (primary, with online fares lower than onboard fares due to UK concession reimbursement structures), B2B electric coach hire (£300 base fee plus hourly rates), usage-based third-party charging access (£10/hour plus 35p/kWh), and a credit bonus subscription offering 25% bonus on credit purchases of £100 or more. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the ember.to website and mobile app, supplemented by onboard card payments and a coach hire quote-based sales motion. The customer base spans general intercity travellers (commuters, leisure, tourism), corporate and group coach hire clients, and other fleet operators, with no disclosed enterprise anchor customers and a low-concentration, long-tail revenue profile. The company has raised approximately £29.8M to date across a £11M Series A led by Inven Capital, 2150, and AENU (March 2024), a £5.6M Triodos Bank loan (June 2024), and the £13.2M ScotZEB3 grant (March 2026), alongside earlier investment from Pale Blue Dot and Contrarian Ventures.
Ember firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ember
- Legal name
- Ember Core Ltd
- Website
- https://ember.to
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ember (Ember Core Ltd) operates the UK's first all-electric intercity bus network across Scotland, running 38 electric coaches on routes connecting major cities and rural towns, supported by its proprietary EmberOS platform and a third-party ultra-fast charging network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ember industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transportation / Electric Bus Services
- NAICS
- Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (4852), Charter Bus Industry (48551)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Intercity Coach & Bus Operators (TLAFAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bus & Coach Leasing/Rental (TLABAHAD)
Keywords
Where Ember is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Ember business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Passenger Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets for intercity bus travel between Scottish cities and towns. Tickets available online (lower price) or onboard (higher price with premium). Pricing based on direct driving route time and distance rather than actual bus routing.
- Coach Hire Services: Corporate and private coach hire using electric coaches. Pricing includes base journey fee plus hourly rates for driving/boarding and waiting time. Revenue from group transportation services.
- Third-party Charging Network: Opening ultra-fast charging hubs to other operators of buses, coaches, and HGVs for a fee, leveraging existing charging infrastructure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard adult single tickets - online booking |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Onboard tickets |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Concession fares |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Coach hire - base fee |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Third-party charging access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Credit bonus scheme |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Ember product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ember operates all-electric intercity bus services connecting major cities and towns across Scotland, selling passenger tickets directly via its website, app, and onboard. The company runs scheduled public services, private electric coach hire for groups, and opens its ultra-fast charging hubs to third-party bus, coach, and HGV operators, all managed through its proprietary EmberOS technology platform.
Product overview
Ember is an all-electric intercity bus operator that operates a full-stack, tech-led approach to bus travel across Scotland. The company's primary offering is its network of zero-emission electric coach services connecting major Scottish cities and towns, built on EmberOS, its proprietary technology platform that manages the entire network operation including timetabling, ticketing, and charging infrastructure. In addition to scheduled public bus services, Ember offers electric coach hire for private group transportation, and operates a growing network of ultra-fast charging hubs available to other operators. The ecosystem includes connecting tickets for multi-leg journeys, live bus tracking features, and flexible booking options—all integrated through the EmberOS platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EmberOS: Proprietary tech-platform that manages the whole network including timetabling, ticketing, charging and maintenance
- Ember Coach Hire
Products and services
- Electric Bus Services (Scheduled Public Services) All-electric intercity scheduled bus services operating across Scotland, connecting major cities, towns, villages, and airports. Tickets are sold online (via ember.to and app) or onboard (card only). Service includes free 5G Wi-Fi, USB charging at every seat, reclining seats with extra legroom, free wheelchair and bike space booking, real-time bus tracking, and flexible ticketing with free cancellation and changes.
- Electric Coach Hire Private electric coach hire service for groups, corporate events, school trips, and airport transfers. Uses 100% electric coaches with live tracking, friendly drivers, extra legroom, free 5G Wi-Fi, and USB points at every seat. Pricing is a £300 base fee per journey plus £60/hour for driving or boarding time and £20/hour for waiting time.
- Charging Infrastructure Access (Third-Party) Network of ultra-fast charging hubs across Scotland offering CCS cables up to 300kW to third-party bus, coach, and HGV operators. Customers reserve scheduled slots (£10 per hour for reserved slot) and pay 35p per kWh for electricity used. Scheduled slots guarantee availability within a particular period.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1.5 million passengers carried and 120+ million zero-emission passenger kilometres delivered
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ember
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ember technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Ember partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- YutongcorePartnership with Yutong for electric coach supply. Despite preference for Scottish manufacturing, ADL (the only Scottish bus manufacturer) declined to offer suitable product or develop one for the market. Yutong has committed to further local investment, training, and fit-out work in Scotland.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Ember competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Arriva: Arriva is a major UK and European passenger transport operator with extensive bus and rail services. Its scale, electrification commitments, and pan-European footprint make it a relevant incumbent comparable on the public-transit transition thesis.
- Stagecoach Group: Stagecoach is the UK's largest bus operator with thousands of vehicles and a dominant share in Scotland. It runs overlapping intercity and regional routes and has the scale, depot network, and balance sheet to rapidly electrify its fleet.
- Go-Ahead Group: Go-Ahead Group operates major UK bus franchises (including Oxford Bus Company and Brighton & Hove) and has publicly committed to zero-emission fleets. Its UK-wide footprint makes it a comparable broad incumbent in transit decarbonization.
- First Bus: First Bus is one of the UK's largest bus operators, serving Scotland and the rest of the UK with local and regional routes. Its scale, existing depot infrastructure, and route density make it a key incumbent competitor that could pursue electrification.
Direct peers
- Megabus: Megabus is a UK budget intercity coach operator owned by Stagecoach, running low-fare scheduled services between major cities. Its pricing model and route structure mirror Ember's direct-to-consumer intercity positioning.
- BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS): BlaBlaCar Bus is a European intercity coach network operated under the BlaBlaCar platform, offering low-fare scheduled services across multiple countries. Its tech-led, consumer-brand intercity model is a strong analog for Ember's playbook at European scale.
- FlixBus: FlixBus is Europe's largest tech-enabled intercity coach network, combining a low-cost consumer brand with a digital platform across multiple countries. It represents the scaled analog of Ember's tech-led, app-centric intercity bus playbook.
- Scottish Citylink: Scottish Citylink operates scheduled intercity coach services across Scotland on routes overlapping with Ember's (e.g., Glasgow-Inverness, Oban, Fort William). It is Ember's most direct head-to-head competitor on the same routes and concession geography.
- National Express: National Express operates long-distance scheduled coach services across the UK, including airport connections. Its intercity route network, brand, and digital booking platform make it a direct comparable for Ember's model at a much larger UK-wide scale.
Others
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ember social profiles
Digital presenceEmber financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ember leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Ember funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ember 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 Ember
What does Ember do?
Ember operates all-electric intercity bus services connecting major cities and towns across Scotland, selling passenger tickets directly via its website, app, and onboard. The company runs scheduled public services, private electric coach hire for groups, and opens its ultra-fast charging hubs to third-party bus, coach, and HGV operators, all managed through its proprietary EmberOS technology platform.
Is Ember a public or private company?
Ember is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ember founded?
Ember was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ember based?
Ember is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ember make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Passenger Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are coach Hire Services and third-party Charging Network.
Who are Ember's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Arriva, Stagecoach Group, Go-Ahead Group and First Bus. Direct peers are Megabus, BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS), FlixBus, Scottish Citylink and National Express. Zenobe is listed as an others.
Does Ember have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ember.
What industry is Ember in?
Ember's product category is Public Transportation / Electric Bus Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAAAH, Intercity Coach & Bus Operators, with a secondary code of TLABAHAD, Bus & Coach Leasing/Rental. Its NAICS code is 4852 and its SIC code is 4700.