Kees Koolen buys majority stake in EV charger maker Enovates
What's the deal? Dutch investor Kees KoolenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired a majority stake in EnovatesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Belgian electric-vehicle charging-station manufacturer. Through Koolen IndustriesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the deal aims to reposition Enovates as Belgium's largest charging-station maker after several years of underperformance.
What does Enovates do? It supplies AC charging infrastructure and open smart-charging software to B2B customers, including bidirectional charging. The company has manufactured more than 300,000 charging points across Europe.
What changes for customers? Technology, products, and customer relationships continue under Enovates Group NV. Co-founder Bart Vereecke returns as chief executive officer, joined by four colleagues with long histories at the company.
Many former team members are moving with the company, retaining technical knowledge and customer relationships. "Our first priority is to give our customers certainty again and to safeguard the continuity of their charging infrastructure," the company said in a statement.
Why Koolen? The entrepreneur-turned-investor is known for backing only areas where he sees real growth and has spent recent years investing in the energy transition, with extensive experience scaling technology companies internationally.
Koolen frames the bet in long-term terms. "In 20 years from now, people won't be allowed to drive a car in the city anymore. Too many casualties," he told the European Institute of Innovation & Technology. "We are now heading towards autonomous cars. There will be fewer accidents with autonomous cars."
What's the endgame? Vereecke wants a leaner operation. "We do not want to be a copy of the past, but a sharper and more independent company with a clear way of working," he said, putting quality, service, and support at the centre.
The signal: The deal reflects investor appetite for EV charging as a bet on the broader energy transition — and a test of whether fresh capital and a founder's return can revive an underperforming hardware maker.
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Image credit: Ivan Radic
