16 February 2022
Opcharge

Breda, Feb. 16, 2022 – By attracting Ramphastos Investments as a major shareholder, Opcharge, provider of charging solutions for the public and semi-public market, has secured an active partner to achieve its ambitious growth strategy. Financial details will not be disclosed.

The Netherlands has a prominent position internationally in the field of electric mobility and is a leader in charging infrastructure. Both the number of fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids is growing rapidly. With this, the need for charging stations is also increasing. To meet this increasing demand, the number of charging stations in the Netherlands must grow from the current 83,000 to 1.8 million in 2030.

Financial clout

Founded in 2018, Opcharge specializes in installing and managing public (on public roads) and semi-public charging points (for example, at event venues, stadiums, theaters and museums). Opcharge combines a background in automotive with extensive experience in public procurement and a data-driven approach. Cyriel van Bree, CEO and partner of the 100% Dutch Opcharge: “The investment of Ramphastos Investments gives us the additional financial strength that can make the difference in this fast-growing market. As a major shareholder, Ramphastos will play an important role in realizing our growth ambitions not only with capital, but also with their knowledge, experience and network.”

International ambition

Diedrik Oost, Principal at Ramphastos Investments: “The adoption of electric driving has gained momentum in recent years. However, we see that the growth of charging infrastructure lags behind. In order to meet the growing need for charging, some 200,000 charging points must be installed annually in the Netherlands in the coming years. Opcharge has the ambition to make a significant contribution to this.” According to Oost, there are also great opportunities abroad: “We look forward to working with Opcharge to further strengthen their market position, in the Netherlands but also abroad. The focus is on organic growth, but we certainly do not rule out further acquisitions. We as Ramphastos see great opportunities in the energy transition and sustainable mobility, our participation in Opcharge is an important step in this regard.”

About Opcharge

Opcharge was founded in 2018 by Freddy van Nispen and Pieter Haans, born and raised Brabanders with extensive experience in the automotive industry. They saw early on the enormous potential of electric driving and the impact it will have on the entire chain of motoring in the Netherlands. As a specialist in placing and managing public (on public roads) and semi-public charging points (for example, at event venues, stadiums, theaters and museums), Opcharge has grown rapidly in recent years, thanks in part to targeted acquisition and collaborations with Dutch suppliers and local contractors. Opcharge’s ambition is to have installed a total of 25,000 charge points by 2025.

For more information, see OPCHARGE

About Ramphastos Investments

Ramphastos Investments was founded in 1994 by Dutch entrepreneur Marcel Boekhoorn. The company has interests in more than 30 companies inside and outside the Netherlands in various sectors, from startups to scale-ups, to fast-growing medium-sized companies and mature enterprises. Its total turnover is nearly €2.5 billion. Examples of successful investments include Telfort, Mazarine Energy, i4F, Sim Industries and High Tech Campus Eindhoven.