Connekt EV Charging, Founded by The Exchange by Entrepreneurial Scotland Member, Johnny Manning, has secured a multi million pound growth investment from Growth Fund 1 (GF1), an investor backing high-potential UK businesses. This funding will drive the expansion of Connekt’s strategic charging hubs, support team growth, and strengthen its focus on the hotel,hospitality, leisure as well as public sector - one of the UK’s most underserved EV charging markets.
The investment comes at a pivotal time for Connekt, with the latest market analysis showing more than 68,000 potential destination charging locations across Great Britain, of which fewer than 1% currently have an EV charger installed. Over 79% of these sites are in rural or semi-rural areas, where demand for reliable charging is expected to be highest due to longer travel distances and higher vehicle utilisation.
Johnny Manning, Founder & CEO of Connekt shares:
“I’m absolutely delighted to announce the close of our multi-million-pound investment raise and to welcome Growth Fund 1, led by fellow entrepreneur Toby Dixon, as our new partner. Having a successful founder with a proven track record in scaling businesses was a real differentiator when choosing GF1 - they understand the journey we’re on and the scale of our ambition.
From the point of conception in my kitchen during lockdown - where I spent 14 hours a day developing the business case and testing it with local businesses - I clearly remember the moment I decided to take the leap and back the vision I had for Connekt. That decision took me from a successful career in telecommunications to risking it all to create a national network that could help shape the future of EV infrastructure.
From raising my first £100k and working out of a two-man office in Ayr, to pitching against hundreds of other start-ups at Scottish EDGE - and winning £100k at a time when cashflow was critical - every step has been about building towards this moment.
Scotland has been an incredible place to start and scale a business. Organisations like The Hunter Foundation’s Scale Up Scotland programme, Scottish EDGE, and Entrepreneurial Scotland have given me not just the tools, but the network and belief to keep pushing forward. Through these programmes I’ve met exceptional business leaders and fellow founders, sharing the highs and the challenges of scaling - and that support has been invaluable.
This investment gives me and my outstanding team the ability to focus 100% on delivering over 1,000 EV charging hubs in the next four years, creating facilities that seamlessly integrate into the lives of EV drivers. The grit and determination our team has shown — not only to survive in the early days of this industry, but to innovate, stay ambitious, and win major national contracts against multi-million-pound competitors - is exactly what Connekt is all about.
A huge thank you to my superb legal team at Burness Paul - Paul Scullion and Tamara Young - for their exceptional professionalism in supporting this raise, and to our advisors at HNH, Roger Mayor and Chris Hayes, for their constant efforts to get this deal over the line.
Finally, to my incredible team: your commitment, resilience, and belief in our mission is what makes Connekt truly exceptional. I couldn’t ask for a better group to take this next step with.”
Toby Dixon, Partner at Growth Fund 1, added:
"At GF1, we invest in ambitious management teams with the vision and drive to lead their markets - and Connekt is exactly that. Johnny and his team have already proven they can deliver, and with a market opportunity of tens of thousands of under-served sites, we’re excited to back their next phase of growth."
"Entrepreneurial Scotland has been a huge support throughout my journey of scaling Connekt to the point of securing our recent investment raise. The peer-to-peer learning has been invaluable – hearing and sharing the stories of both struggles and successes from other entrepreneurs has given me perspective, reassurance, and new ways of thinking that I could immediately apply to my own business.
For me, having this dedicated space to step out of the day-to-day weeds of running a business and instead focus on the bigger picture has been game-changing. It gives me clarity, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of focus when I return to the office.
I can honestly say that this community and the support from Entrepreneurial Scotland has played a major role in helping me take Connekt to the next stage of growth."
About Connekt EV Charging
Connekt is a leading UK privately-owned EV charging network focused on the destination market, specialising in the installation and management of commercial EV charging solutions for hospitality, tourism, and leisure venues. With a network uptime of 99.13% and a consultative approach to site deployment, Connekt is committed to bridging the EV charging infrastructure gap across rural and high-demand areas.
About Growth Fund 1
Growth Fund 1 is investment fund focused on partnering with exceptional management teams to accelerate the growth of high-potential businesses. Backing companies across a range of sectors, GF1 provides both capital and strategic support to help entrepreneurs achieve their ambition. https://www.growthfund1.com/
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