Already In 62 Locations, Desmond Wiggan And Aubrey Yeboah Receive Grant Money To Bring Their NC Mobile Charging Startup To More States
An inconvenience with a dead cell phone led Desmond Wiggan and Aubrey Yeboah to create a solution that is now benefiting the masses.
Wiggan and Yeboah are the founders of Battery Xchange, a Charlotte, NC, based-company that provides users with an on-the-go charger for their mobile device, which can be retrieved from a nearby kiosk and returned within 24 hours.
As AFROTECH previously reported, the company was founded in 2019 and initially catered to only bars and restaurants.
“We have a kiosk, place it in locations and cellphone users can rent external portable batteries,” Wiggan told WCNC. “Similar to how you rent a scooter or bike.”
The areas that locals can most commonly find the Battery Xchange kiosks are nearby emergency rooms and bars, where it may be more difficult to find a charger immediately.
“You’re out for some drinks and need to call an Uber, but haven’t charged your phone all day,” Wiggan said, according to the outlet. “We have a varying array of users.”
At the moment, the company is operating in 62 locations across North Carolina. However, that will soon change as the company as received a financial boost through a $6.3 million grant from the Department of Energy in partnership with Black Owners of Solar Services. Twenty-five minority-owned businesses in the state are set to benefit from the grant, according to WCNC.
Per South Charlotte Weekly, selected companies were to complete an eight-week program and receive hands-on workshops, as well as get the chance to listen to guest speakers.
“We’ve put together a comprehensive program that will help minority business owners in the solar energy space to gain access to much-needed funding,” Ajulo Othow, president of Black Owners of Solar Services, explained, according to the outlet.
Wiggan said, “Our participation may bring us more business opportunities, and we’ll have the chance to bring those back to the state of North Carolina.”
With the new funding, Wiggan and Yeboah will also have the opportunity to expand their company, placing Battery Xchange kiosks in more states.
