With their progress further recognized through Track I funding of €3,250 in September 2024, ZEROOZEN’s vision to revolutionize Bangladesh’s Electric Vehicle sector is now more achievable than ever.
In the busy streets of Bangladesh, a quiet revolution is underway. A fleet of light electric vehicles (LEVs)—including autorickshaws and electric rickshaws—hustles through the chaos, carrying millions of people to work, school, and home.
But beneath this electric hum lies a deeper issue: a fragmented and inefficient charging infrastructure that’s wasting enough energy to power entire cities.
Enter ZEROOZEN, a full-stack energy company determined to revolutionize the charging landscape for Bangladesh’s Electric Vehicles (EV).
Founded with an aim to revolutionise the country’s LEV market. ZEROOZEN aims to bring energy-efficient, affordable charging solutions to the country’s vast LEV market.
“We address the widespread issue of energy waste caused by low-grade chargers and storage systems, which not only degrade battery life, but also impose financial strain on low-income EV operators like rickshaw and auto drivers,” said Irfanul Arefin, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the enterprise.
Their flagship product, the ZENWALL charger, improves energy usage by up to 94% efficiency, saving users up to 30% on electricity costs and solving the issues starting from the garage owners to the vehicle drivers as a whole.
The idea for ZEROOZEN emerged from the need for sustainable transportation solutions in Bangladesh, particularly in the low-income LEV sector, which, according to Irfanul, is often overlooked.
“With the recognition that inefficient charging systems were causing significant energy loss and economic hardship, we saw an opportunity to innovate and reduce the pain points of this growing market,” he said.
A market highly price-sensitive and deeply accustomed to inefficiency
One of the major challenges ZEROOZEN has faced since they began their journey was ‘a market that is highly price-sensitive and deeply accustomed to inefficient, lead-acid-based charging systems,’ according to Irfanul.
“We faced technological barriers during the research and development phase, as we had to create a product that could cater to various battery chemistries while ensuring optimal energy use,” said Irfanul.
ZEROOZEN’s goal is enabling rapid charging in under 30 minutes—through an integrated system of charger, lithium-based battery, Battery Management System (BMS), and connector—which, according to Irfanul, is ahead of the current market's readiness.
“While this vision is achievable, we face the obstacle of preparing the market to adopt such transformative technology,” said Irfanul, adding: “The infrastructure in Bangladesh lacked the robust support necessary for EV development.”
Navigating the target market
ZEROOZEN’s target market comprises low-income LEV drivers who often operate in rural and semi-urban areas, relying on over 180,000 garages for their charging needs.
“Navigating this market required building strong partnerships with local garages and understanding the financial limitations of the drivers,” said Irfanul.
One significant challenge that the company faced was overcoming the market's reliance on cheap, inefficient chargers and convincing users of the long-term savings and benefits of switching to ZENWALL as well as adapting to the new technology of ZEROOZEN in coming times.
Journey with Orange Corners Bangladesh Incubation Programme
Before joining the Orange Corners Bangladesh Incubation Programme, ZEROOZEN had a brilliant idea and had gone through several iterations of their prototype, but the team lacked a solid strategy to break into the market and make a real impact.
“Our small team of four was refining the product, but we faced challenges with organizational structure, project management, and strategic decision-making,” Irfanul said. This is what motivated ZEROOZEN to join the program after learning about it through peers in the startup ecosystem.
As Irfanul shared, the programme taught ZEROOZEN key business fundamentals such as business modeling, pitching, and refining product development. “We learned how to better articulate our value proposition and adapt our strategy to market demands, which was invaluable in shaping ZENWALL's market positioning,” he said. |The coaching and training provided during the programme helped ZEROOZEN sharpen their business strategy, align their product with market needs, and improve overall operations.
‘Substantial growth’ since joining incubation
Since joining Orange Corners Bangladesh Incubation Programme, ZEROOZEN has seen a “substantial growth,” according to its co-founder.
“We successfully launched its ZENWALL charger in multiple locations across Bangladesh, and expanded operations to six garages across two cities.”
Irfanul says the incubation programme provided essential support in preparing for future fundraising and market expansion, which helped solidify their position in the EV sector.
“We’ve secured our first payable customer in April and have since generated multiple work orders in garages across various areas, including Mirpur, Bogura, and Narayanganj,” he said.
In total, ZEROOZEN have generated work orders worth approximately BDT 21 lakhs and are in discussions to scale up to 100 chargers per month, potentially creating a revenue stream of BDT 7 lakhs.
The company is also exploring partnerships with EV companies such as SOLShare, ENSEC, and Green Tiger to further scale their products.
Plans for the next 5 years
ZEROOZEN aims for significant expansion over the next five years, with a target of distributing 25,000 chargers and acquiring 2,500 garages.
The company is also developing new products, including the ZENpack battery and the ZENgrid peer-to-peer charging hub, and aims to provide rapid charging under 30 minutes with its SuperZen charging station.
“In parallel, we’re actively conducting R&D to prototype and launch two major products: our custom-built battery pack, ZENpack, and our semi-public peer-to-peer charging hub, ZENgrid, designed for both LEVs and mid-range EVs,” says Irfanul.
He believes these goals will allow them to capture 8-10% of the existing market and create a sustainable impact in the EV sector.
