Auto-parts maker Univance backs emade's bridge round, lifting equity funding to ¥116M
What's the deal? emadeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Okinawa-based developer of electric mobility vehicles, has raised a pre-Series A bridge round from listed drivetrain maker UnivanceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Ira Okinawa, and several individual investors. The round lifts emade's cumulative equity funding to ¥116 million.
What's the endgame? Based in Uruma, Okinawa, emade builds electric vehicles centred on its eight-seat, road-legal low-speed model, the CV-8. It is also developing vehicle management and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) tools for short-distance travel.
Where's the money going? emade will spend the funds on parts procurement, mass-production development, and strengthening its organisation. It will also build its own MaaS system aimed at improving secondary transport in Okinawa's regional and tourist areas.
Why Univance? Univance, a listed Shizuoka maker of drivetrain and gear-reduction units, has moved into electric drive systems as vehicles electrify. The two firms plan to collaborate on powertrain development, vehicle upgrades, and mobility services.
The signal: A quick re-raise so soon after emade's last round points to steady investor conviction. The tie-up gives a regional EV startup an industrial partner's engineering depth — a bridge between Okinawa's mobility challenges and established automotive know-how.
Image credit: emade
