Sydney startup Alchemy Charge has scored $2 million from the government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to help apartment residents charge their electric cars at home.
The funding comes via ARENA’s Driving the Nation Program.
An estimated 4.1 million Australians, 15% of the population, live in strata units. Alchemy Charge, founded in 2023, by CEO Yasemin Selvi and CTO Merich Selvi, has developed the $7.4 million Strata Assist program to make home EV charging easier and more affordable for apartment residents. It combines a digital platform, due to launch on February 1 next year, with the company’s SmartPoint charging infrastructure.
Yasemin Selvi said residents shouldn’t need specialist knowledge to establish whether home charging is possible.
“Whether you already drive an EV or are thinking about buying one, the questions are often the same: Can I get approval? How difficult will installation be? And what will it cost?” she said.
“Strata Assist is about helping people work through those questions, bringing the right parties together and giving apartment communities a practical way forward.”
The platform will bring residents, landlords, strata managers and owners corporations into a shared process covering information, quotes, approvals, installation tracking and compliance. It aims to reduce administrative delays and help apartment communities assess installation options, costs and their building’s electrical capacity before committing to charging infrastructure.
“We’re helping apartment communities understand their options, make the most of the infrastructure they already have and invest confidently in what they need,” Selvi said.
SmartPoints are individually metered smart power sockets backed by cloud-based load management, which controls charging demand within a building’s assessed electrical capacity.
Selvi said the technology can help avoid expensive main switchboard upgrades where site conditions allow. Installations will still require electrical assessment and design. Origin Energy will operate charging points at participating buildings, integrating SmartPoints and supported Level 2 chargers with its Origin 360 EV Charge Platform.
Climate Salad and NHP are also program partners.
The program will share findings on charging costs, strata governance barriers and installation approaches to inform building managers, installers, charging operators and policymakers.
Apartment residents, landlords and strata representatives can register their interest via the Alchemy Charge website.
