UK: US-based electric vehicle (EV) charging start-up Boba Charge has been crowned the winner of Start-up X-Ray at the fifth annual ShortTermRentalz Summit, held at Bankside Hotel in London on 5 November 2026.
The competition brought together four start-ups to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors and industry experts, showcasing new solutions across the short-term rental, accommodation and technology sectors.
The Dragons’ Den-style session featured four judges, including Rajdeep Gahir, venture partner at Concrete Ventures, Susie Stanford, partner at Growth Partners, Julia Guimarães, associate principal at Terra Firma, and Jacob Wedderburn-Day, CEO of luggage storage company Stasher.
Each business was given the opportunity to present its concept and answer questions from the judges.
The four participating businesses were
- Doorstream AI, represented by founder Rob Conacher, which presented its approach to supporting property operators through the process of bringing new properties into their portfolios, from initial enquiries to onboarding and distribution.
- msg2ai, founded by Bart Cant, an AI-powered guest communication platform designed to help accommodation providers manage enquiries and automate guest interactions across messaging channels.
- Nomad Student, represented by Ben Painter, a booking platform connecting verified students with available student accommodation for flexible, short-term stays.
- Boba Charge, founded by Frank Scozzafava, which provides EV charging solutions designed to help short-term rental operators offer paid charging facilities to guests.
Following the pitches and a round of deliberations, Boba Charge was announced as the overall winner.
Founded by Scozzafava in Buffalo, New York, Boba Charge aims to make EV charging more accessible to vacation rental owners and other accommodation providers, while creating an additional source of revenue.
The company offers a residential-style EV charger with a payment system that allows property owners to set their own charging rates, monitor usage and track earnings through a mobile app.
Guests can access the service by scanning a QR code on the charger and paying directly, without needing to download an app.
According to the company, property owners retain 90 per cent of revenue generated from paid charging sessions.
The idea for Boba Charge came following Scozzafava’s experience staying at an Airbnb property in Arizona, where he identified an opportunity to make EV charging more widely available through short-term rental accommodation.
The Start-up X-Ray session formed part of the Summit’s wider programme, offering early-stage businesses an opportunity to present their ideas and receive feedback from industry investors and entrepreneurs.
Read more about the key discussions and takeaways from STRz Summit 2026 here
For more information about Boba Charge, visit here
