What Voltify does

Voltify is a US-Israeli climate technology company developing a distributed battery-electric infrastructure platform for freight rail decarbonization. Founded in 2023 by Daphna Langer (CEO) and Alon Kessel (CTO), and headquartered in Philadelphia with engineering and manufacturing operations in Jacksonville and Los Angeles, the company targets the structural challenge that the 140,000-mile North American freight rail network remains unelectrified because traditional overhead catenary infrastructure is prohibitively expensive. Voltify's platform combines three integrated components: battery-electric locomotive retrofits using its VoltCar sodium-ion battery system installed during standard diesel overhauls; autonomous on-route dynamic fast-charging technology that recharges locomotives while trains operate at normal speed; and AI-optimized renewable-powered microgrids deployed along rail corridors that are grid-independent. Together, these products enable rail operators to eliminate diesel dependence without overhead wires or central-grid upgrades, with the company claiming greater than 20% energy cost reduction versus diesel and renewable electricity at approximately one-third the cost of diesel.

Voltify's revenue model is built around hardware sales or leasing of locomotive battery-retrofit kits, managed services for microgrid infrastructure deployment, and outcome-based contracts tied to rail-operator energy-cost savings. The company also plans dual-use energy sales from corridor microgrids to adjacent industrial facilities (factories, mines, rail yards), creating a secondary revenue stream beyond rail customers. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting Class I freight railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern) and regional U.S. operators, supported by a founding sales lead focused on C-suite relationships. The company has signed a paid pilot agreement with one of the world's largest Class I rail operators, holds contingent orders exceeding $50M from regional U.S. operators, and counts global mining company Fortescue as both a co-lead investor and a strategic partner for mining-vertical electrification.

The business is venture-backed, having closed a $30 million seed round in March 2026 co-led by Aleph and Fortescue with participation from Menomadin Fund, Jimpact, and The Dock. Voltify's microgrid control systems are built on Ignition by Inductive Automation as the SCADA/HMI platform. The company is led by a founding team with media and industry visibility, including Forbes 30 Under 30 2025 recognition for the CEO and The Marker Startup Team 2026 recognition for the company. Voltify is private, Delaware-incorporated, and pre-revenue as of the most recent disclosures.

Name

Voltify

Legal name

Voltify, LLC

Website

https://voltify.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Voltify is a US-Israeli climate tech company decarbonizing freight rail through battery-electric locomotive retrofits, on-route dynamic fast-charging, and AI-optimized renewable microgrids. It sells to Class I railroads, regional rail operators, and mining companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Rail Electrification Infrastructure

NAICS

Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Fleet Smart Charging & Depot Energy Management (Bus/Truck/Delivery) (EUAFAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA) & DER as Grid Capacity (Capacity Deferral) (EUADALAJ)

Keywords

• Freight rail electrification
• Battery locomotive retrofit
• Sodium-ion battery systems
• Renewable rail microgrid
• Rail decarbonization infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Battery Locomotive Sales / Retrofit: Retrofitting existing diesel locomotives with Voltify's VoltCar battery systems during standard overhaul cycles. Revenue from sale or leasing of battery-electric locomotive conversion kits.
2. Microgrid Infrastructure Deployment: Deployment of renewable energy microgrids along rail corridors to provide on-route charging. Potential revenue from infrastructure installation, energy generation, and microgrid-as-a-service models.
3. Energy Cost Savings Contracts: Revenue model aligned with energy cost savings for rail operators. The company claims its solution reduces rail operator energy costs by over 20%, with savings in North America exceeding $3B annually.
4. Dual-Use Energy Sales: Microgrids along rail corridors also power nearby industrial facilities (factories, mines, rail yards), creating additional revenue streams from energy sales to non-rail industrial customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Voltify builds a distributed battery-electric infrastructure platform for freight rail that retrofits existing diesel locomotives with proprietary VoltCar sodium-ion battery packs, charges them on-route via autonomous overhead fast-charging technology, and powers the system with AI-optimized renewable microgrids deployed along rail corridors. The integrated offering allows rail operators to convert from diesel to zero-emission electric traction without the trillion-dollar capex of traditional overhead catenary electrification or central grid upgrades.

Product overview

Voltify offers a unified battery-electric infrastructure platform for freight rail decarbonization. The platform consists of three integrated core components: Battery Locomotive (diesel locomotives retrofitted to battery-electric during standard overhaul cycles), On-Route Charging (fast autonomous overhead charging while trains operate at normal speed), and Microgrid Energy (AI-optimized renewable-powered microgrids along rail corridors that are grid-independent). The company also offers VoltCars, a sodium-ion battery product designed to attach to existing locomotives. These products work together to enable rail operators to eliminate diesel dependence and reduce energy costs by over 20% without requiring traditional overhead catenary electrification infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VoltCar: Sodium-ion battery system designed to attach to existing diesel locomotives for conversion to battery-electric power

Products and services

• Battery Locomotive Retrofit Conversion kits that retrofit existing diesel freight locomotives to battery-electric power using Voltify's VoltCar sodium-ion battery technology during the locomotive's standard overhaul cycle. Sold or leased to Class I and regional freight rail operators seeking to eliminate diesel without replacing entire fleets.
• On-Route Charging System Fast, autonomous overhead charging infrastructure that recharges Voltify's battery locomotives while they continue to operate at normal speed along the route, eliminating downtime for charging stops. Deployed along rail corridors for rail operators.
• Microgrid Energy Network AI-optimized, renewable-powered microgrids installed along rail corridors that provide grid-independent, high-density power for locomotive charging and dual-use supply to adjacent factories, mines, and rail yards. Managed through an Ignition-based SCADA/HMI control platform. Sold or delivered as managed service to rail operators and adjacent industrial customers.
• VoltCar Sodium-Ion Battery System Sodium-ion battery packs purpose-designed to attach to existing diesel locomotives as part of Voltify's battery-electric conversion, providing the energy storage capacity for the broader platform. Used by rail operators adopting Voltify's retrofit solution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces rail operator energy costs by over 20%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ignition by Inductive AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationVoltify uses Ignition by Inductive Automation as the SCADA/HMI platform for its microgrid control systems. The Senior Controls Engineer role specifically requires 5+ years of hands-on experience with Ignition. This is a technology integration partnership for the microgrid energy management system.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Greenbrier Companies: Major rail equipment manufacturer focused on freight railcars, barges, and rail services. Adjacent rail equipment player with deep Class I relationships that could extend into battery-electric freight wagon or infrastructure partnerships.

Emerging players

• Parallel Systems: Autonomous battery-electric rail freight company developing short-haul container movement technology. Direct overlap in battery-electric rail freight propulsion, though focused on autonomous short-haul rather than Class I freight corridors.

Direct peers

• Siemens Mobility: Major rail OEM with battery-electric (Mireo Plus B) and hydrogen train programs. Competes in rail electrification and alternative propulsion for both passenger and freight applications globally.
• Wabtec: Major rail equipment OEM developing battery-electric locomotives (FLXdrive) and energy management solutions for freight rail. Direct competitor in battery-electric locomotive and rail decarbonization offerings.
• Alstom: Global rail OEM with battery-electric (BEMU) and hydrogen-powered trains (Coradia iLint). Competes in rail decarbonization, though historically stronger in passenger rail; expanding into freight propulsion.
• Progress Rail (Caterpillar): Major rail OEM and Caterpillar subsidiary producing EMD locomotives, with active battery-electric and hydrogen propulsion programs for freight rail. Targets the same decarbonization opportunity as Voltify.
• CRRC: World's largest rail equipment manufacturer, pursuing battery-electric and hydrogen-powered trains at significant scale with Chinese government backing. Represents a long-term competitive threat in global rail decarbonization.
• Hitachi Rail: Global rail OEM with battery-electric and hydrogen train programs, including the Masaccio and Blues trains in Europe. Competes in the broader rail decarbonization solutions market with deep relationships to European rail operators.

Broad incumbents

• Stem Inc: AI-optimized energy storage and virtual power plant platform for commercial and industrial customers. Relevant for Voltify's AI-optimized microgrid energy management layer, though Stem serves a broader energy storage market without rail focus.
• Fluence Energy: Global energy storage and grid services provider with AI-driven asset management software. Provides battery storage and microgrid solutions that could overlap with Voltify's renewable microgrid infrastructure offering in industrial settings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors6 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 Voltify