Diode, the electric vehicle suitability and infrastructure procurement start-up, is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a share of the £55m Sustainable Innovation Fund (SIF) by Innovate UK to develop its software platform.

The project will deliver a fully automated software platform for businesses, organisations, and individuals to assess electric vehicle suitability, profile charging demands, identify infrastructure requirements and run a tender process to procure what they need.

Users will be able to access the software directly from Diode’s website or via their strategic partners, including vehicle leasing companies, car dealerships, energy providers and local authorities.

This will simplify the electrification process, maximise the use of available data and make sure everyone gets the right infrastructure, at the right time, and the right price.

Jon Horsfield, Diode Founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded an Innovate UK grant to develop our electric vehicle suitability and infrastructure procurement software platform.”

“This will allow us to scale our services and help many more businesses, organisations and individual drivers to embrace electric vehicles.”

“Along with the strategic partners we already have in place and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received from the industry, this grant is further validation that we are delivering something that will accelerate electric vehicle adoption and help drive down carbon emissions from businesses across the UK and beyond.”

Dr Ian Campbell, Innovate UK Executive Chair, said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.

“Diode, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”

For more information about Diode, please contact Dan Eyre, CMO at [email protected] or +44(0)2034882638