Hengelo, The Netherlands, February 8, 2022
Koolen Industries has invested $1,6 million in BRIGHTBLU, creator of smart charging solutions for electric vehicles.
The rise of electric mobility is a key element in the transition towards a clean energy future. The availability of effective charging solutions for everyone is crucial, and therefore Koolen Industries invests in a range of companies active in EV charging.
"BRIGHTBLU’s proven ability to seamlessly integrate software and hardware to develop and deliver price-competitive intelligent EV charging solutions makes it an ideal supplier to the corporate sector, where demand is set to soar as ever more manufacturers and utilities decide to participate in the energy transition. BRIGHTBLU is a valuable addition to our portfolio, that also contains charging solutions companies We Drive Solar and Floading, e-mobility service provider Deftpower, and NieuweWeme for engineering and production of chargers. With this portfolio we can offer customers everything they need to move forward with clean mobility,” said Kees Koolen, CEO, Koolen Industries.
The investment will help BRIGHTBLU to accelerate international expansion and help fund further in-house research and development of both plug-and-charge and vehicle-to-grid solutions.
“We will initially focus on Europe, which is quite a mature market that we know well, and India, which is an enormous market where urban air pollution is a massive problem. This will create a solid base for our efforts to become a global supplier of solutions that tackle climate change head-on,” said Wybren van der Vaart, co-founder and CEO, BRIGHTBLU.
Shared vision of a clean energy system
“We are 100% aligned in our mission to decarbonize not only the transport sector, where BRIGHTBLU’s intelligent EV charging solutions will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, but the entire energy system,” said Koolen, who is the former CEO of online travel agency Booking.com and was an early investor and former COO of the global ride hailing firm Uber.
BRIGHTBLU believes it is important to attract investors that can bring more than just money to the table. “In Koolen Industries we have yet again found the shareholder we were looking for. Kees Koolen and his team bring a unique combination of a laser-focus on the energy transition and experience in rapidly scaling global technology companies,” said van der Vaart.
About Koolen Industries
Koolen Industries’ mission is to make clean energy and clean mobility the new normal for everyone. Available. Attainable. Affordable. Koolen Industries invests in cleantech companies and enables its group companies to perform and cocreate. By working together in the group and with outside partners, Koolen Industries delivers integral turn-key clean energy & mobility solutions to customers through a one-stop-shop concept.
Media Relations
Ynte de Vries media@koolenindustries.com +31 6 22 08 52 04
About BRIGHTBLU
BRIGHTBLU’s mission is to enable everyone to drive an electric vehicle by making charging easy, accessible and affordable. We do this by offering a suite of integrated intelligent charging solutions consisting of hardware, cloud enabled services and support for drivers of electric vehicles and charging station owners.
Media Relations
BRIGHTBLU
Santoshram Somasundaram
+91 91598 66470
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