Qwello acquires majority stake in Groen-Eco in the Netherlands
Qwello Benelux has acquired a majority stake in the Dutch charging infrastructure specialist Groen-Eco. This move allows Qwello to expand its business, which has so far focused heavily on public concessions, to include private and semi-public charging locations.
Qwello aims to strengthen its operations in B2B and semi-public charging stations.
Image: Qwello
Qwello has recently taken a majority stake in Groen-Eco. According to the company based in Rotterdam, it operates 720 chargers with over 1,400 charging points at more than 230 locations in the Netherlands.
Groen-Eco focuses on charging infrastructure for businesses, property owners, and semi-public locations, according to its own statements. Its business model relies on long-term site contracts that typically last over ten years. Groen-Eco handles the installation, operation, maintenance, and billing itself. The existing management team and operational staff are not expected to change with Qwello’s involvement.
Through this partnership, Qwello will expand its business model in the Netherlands. Groen-Eco will be able to use Qwello’s own hardware and full-stack software in the future. In return, Qwello gains access to an existing customer base and long-term secured locations in the B2B and destination charging markets.
Qwello expands B2B and destination charging
"Groen-Eco brings a strong customer base and a solid portfolio of long-term site contracts," says Qwello’s CEO Henrik Thiele. Together, they see significant potential to further expand the business.
Qwello has so far been active mainly in public charging through municipal concessions. In Germany, the company won bids this year for around 230 charging stations at 65 locations in the Harburg district. There, Qwello, along with Vattenfall and Wirelane, is one of the operators of the so-called Harburger Model.
The company also plays a role in the municipal concession market in Munich. Qwello had sued previous bidding processes conducted by the city after courts identified shortcomings; Munich is now preparing a new concession process for the expansion and operation of public charging infrastructure.
Groen-Eco adds a business model that focuses more on corporate locations and semi-public charging points. For Qwello, this is particularly significant because the two segments complement each other: while municipal concessions cover public road spaces, Groen-Eco targets locations at companies and property managers.
Martien de Groene, the founder of Groen-Eco, emphasizes the technical and operational support provided by the new majority owner. Qwello is intended to help the company enter its next phase of growth. Qwello itself claims to operate over 18,000 charging points across Europe through municipal concessions and private investments. The Munich-based company is active in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Poland, and Denmark.
