Zeno raises $25M to speed up production of its battery-swap motorbikes

Zeno, an East African electric motorbike startup, has raised $25 million to accelerate production of its battery-swap motorbikes, the Emara. The funding includes a $20.5 million equity round led by Congruent Ventures with participation from Active Impact and Lowercarbon Ventures, and a $4.5 million debt facility from Camber Road and Trifecta Capital. Previously, Zeno raised $9.5 million in a seed round led by Lowercarbon Ventures and Toyota Ventures. Since its inception, Zeno has produced over 800 Emara bikes and established more than 150 charging locations across four East African countries. The Emara motorbike offers significant advantages for the region’s transportation needs, including 50% lower operating costs compared to internal combustion engine bikes, a range of about 100 kilometers per charge, and a carrying capacity of up to 250 kilograms. Priced at approximately $1,300 without a battery and $2,000 with one, the bike