Charge Communication

What Charge Communication does

Charge Communication Inc. was a San Francisco-based mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and messaging application developer founded in 2013 (originally as Bolt). The company offered a data-only LTE mobile service delivered as a thin layer on top of the Sprint nationwide network, targeted at consumers who needed mobile broadband for secondary devices such as tablets, WiFi hotspots, and connected hardware that did not require voice or SMS. Pricing was pay-as-you-go at a $3 monthly base fee plus $13 per gigabyte consumed, with data that never expired, no contracts, no activation fees, no overage charges, and free tethering and hotspot use; data was also shared across all devices on the same account, with auto-refill available to maintain continuous connectivity.

Complementing the MVNO service was Charge Messenger, a free cross-platform messaging application available on iOS, Android, and web that synchronized contacts and conversations across all signed-in devices and included distinctive features such as a "+GIF roulette" search-driven GIF generator, group messaging, and location sharing. The technology stack was built primarily on Go (Golang), and the company maintained a notably strong security posture for its size, achieving an A+ SSL Labs rating through HSTS preloading, HPKP public-key pinning, and a stated policy against NXDOMAIN DNS hijacking.

Charge raised $1.7M in seed funding in August 2015 from Pelion, Atlas, Maiden Lane, Metamorphic, Cherubic, and angel investors from Google Voice, Twilio, and Slicehost, while operating with a small team that peaked at eight people. Distribution was entirely digital and self-serve, relying on the charge.co website, app stores, organic social media, content marketing through an educational blog, and a referral program. In June 2017 the company announced the cessation of its mobile service, describing it as profitable but insufficiently so to justify continued investment, and transitioned customers to MVNO partner Ting; the Charge Messenger applications were likewise deprecated as part of that wind-down.

Name

Charge Communication

Legal name

Charge Communication Inc.

Website

https://charge.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Charge Communication was a San Francisco-based MVNO offering pay-as-you-go LTE mobile data on the Sprint network to consumers with secondary devices (tablets, hotspots), paired with a free cross-platform messaging app; the company ceased operations in June 2017.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Data / MVNO Services

NAICS

Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Mobile Network Operators (Retail MNOs) (HDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Mobile data services
• MVNO data plans
• LTE broadband
• Cross-platform messaging
• Pay-as-you-go data

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Data Plan Sales (Mobile Service): Pay-as-you-go LTE data plans for Sprint-compatible mobile devices. Users purchased data at $13/GB with a $3/month base fee. Data never expired and was shared across all devices on the same account. This was the primary revenue stream until June 30, 2017 when the mobile service was discontinued.
2. Charge Messenger (Free): Cross-platform messaging app offered free to users. No revenue directly generated from the messenger; served as a companion product tied to the mobile LTE service, later deprecated when mobile service was discontinued.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charge Communication operated as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on Sprint's nationwide LTE network, offering a pay-as-you-go data-only mobile broadband service at $3/month plus $13/GB with no contract, no activation fees, no overages, and data that never expires, targeted at users with secondary devices such as tablets and Wi-Fi hotspots. The company also offered Charge Messenger, a free cross-platform messaging application available on iOS, Android, and web with synchronized contacts, group messaging, and a +GIF roulette feature. The mobile data service was discontinued on June 30, 2017, with customers transitioned to Ting.

Product overview

Charge Communication (formerly Bolt) was a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering data-only mobile broadband service and a cross-platform messaging application. The core products included Charge Mobile Data (LTE data-only service via Sprint network) and Charge Messenger (cross-platform messaging on iOS, Android, and web). Users managed their accounts through manage.charge.co and could obtain free SIM cards for device activation. The mobile service was discontinued in June 2017, with customers transitioned to Ting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charge Mobile Data
• Charge Messenger

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750 gigabytes of data sold by May 2016, demonstrating product-market fit for the data-only model

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2017Ting Mobile (an MVNO) agreed to assist Charge in transitioning existing customers when Charge ceased its mobile service on June 30, 2017. Ting was described as 'friends (and one-time competitors)' who 'generously agreed' to provide a new home for current Charge customers.
• SprintcoreTechnology or IntegrationSprint provided the underlying nationwide LTE network infrastructure for Charge's mobile data service. Charge was an MVNO operating on Sprint's network. Sprint is a registered trademark used under license. Charge explicitly states 'Sprint provides wireless service as the underlying network carrier only. Charge is responsible to Charge subscribers for the service.'

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mint Mobile: Discount MVNO selling prepaid data plans directly online with low monthly minimums — a very similar no-frills, online-first consumer wireless proposition to Charge's data-only model.
• US Mobile: Online-first MVNO offering flexible, contract-free plans with shared data across multiple devices — closely mirrors Charge's shared-pool, no-expiration value proposition.
• Google Fi: Tech-company-backed mobile service that resells wireless capacity from multiple carriers, offers data-only SIMs for tablets and other devices, and is built around simple, app-based account management — overlapping with Charge's product-led approach.
• Republic Wireless: Consumer MVNO targeting cost-conscious users with hybrid WiFi/cellular plans and secondary-device use cases; competes directly for the same price-sensitive segment that Charge targeted.
• TextNow: Ad-supported wireless service offering free messaging and data-centric plans; comparable as a small team using carrier wholesale capacity to deliver low-cost mobile and messaging to consumers.
• Ting Mobile: Consumer MVNO that explicitly absorbed Charge's customer base when Charge exited in 2017. Operates a similar usage-based, no-contract model on multiple underlying carrier networks, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Emerging players

• WhatsApp: Cross-platform free messaging app — relevant analog to Charge Messenger's cross-device sync and freemium model, though at vastly greater scale and with no wireless offering.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Cellular: Established no-contract MVNO serving a similar value-oriented consumer segment with simple plans, but at materially larger scale and broader distribution.
• Cricket Wireless: Large prepaid MVNO (AT&T-owned) selling no-contract data/voice plans to cost-sensitive consumers — same end-customer but a much larger, incumbent-scale portfolio.
• Tracfone: Largest prepaid MVNO in the U.S., offering no-contract data plans across multiple networks; comparable use case but with vastly greater scale and broader retail distribution than Charge.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/charge
• Facebookfacebook.com/chargeco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3669727

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Charge Communication