OpConnect, a Portland, Oregon-based company founded by CEO Dexter Turner in 2016, recently raised nearly $5.26 million to expand its sales of hardware and software for electric vehicle charging stations. In total, the company has raised $14 million and is focused on organizations with EV fleets, such as cities, municipalities, food and beverage deliveries, school districts, and multi-family properties. OpConnect’s services include advising customers on charging system needs, selling hardware from third-party manufacturers, installing chargers, and connecting them to online management services, as well as providing maintenance.
The company’s online technology integrates station hardware with software that controls access to chargers, manages energy consumption, and generates reports on power consumption. OpConnect operates nationwide with installations in 28 states and plans for expansion into the Midwest, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company has also conducted pilot projects that incorporate solar power and battery storage into charging stations to lower energy demand and is looking to scale these systems into microgrids that can provide power to chargers during grid outages or surges in energy demand.
CEO Dexter Turner’s background is in aviation, and OpConnect is his third startup. His previous ventures include contract software development for aviation and developing an electronic flight instrument system for small airplanes. After selling his second company, Turner wanted to focus on climate mitigation and found inspiration in electric vehicles. OpConnect aims to make access to EVs and chargers more equitable by installing 25% of its chargers in low-income communities and partnering with organizations to bring EV car-sharing programs to underserved areas.
OpConnect’s recent investment round was led by The 22 Fund in Los Angeles, with participation from Reinventure Capital, Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA), Portland Seed Fund, and E8. Other companies in the Pacific Northwest developing EV charging technologies include Electric Era in Seattle, which manufactures charging stations with batteries, FlexCharging in Redmond, Washington, which develops software for EV charging during off-peak hours, and Hypercharge Networks in Vancouver, B.C., which sells charging hardware and software. OpConnect’s future plans include expanding its installations, particularly in low-income communities, and developing microgrids to provide reliable power to EV chargers.
