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All-In-One EV Charging Platform Presto Raises $15M in Seed Funding, Partners with Uber, Avis, Hertz, and Zipcar

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OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As electric-vehicle sales continue to increase, Presto, an all-in-one EV charging platform, announced today that it has raised $15 million in seed funding from Union Square Ventures, Congruent Ventures, Powerhouse Ventures, and Jetstream. Through Presto’s top-rated app and APIs, fleets can find, charge, and pay for reliable on-the-go charging across thousands of Presto’s partner public charging stations. These new funds will be used to onboard new fleets, integrate more chargers, and add new features.

“Presto addresses a critical gap in the EV ecosystem—a unified and effortless charging experience.”

Founded in 2023 by J.J. Raynor and Ashwin Dias, former Uber executives who launched Uber’s electrification program, Presto’s platform is used by some of the largest electric fleets, including Uber, Avis, Hertz and Zipcar.

Fleets and drivers are rapidly choosing electric vehicles for their lower total costs, reduced maintenance, and clean air benefits. As of Q3 2024, 9% of all U.S. car sales were electric. However, finding and accessing reliable public charging continues to be a barrier to EV adoption. There are now more than 200,000 public charging stations operated by over 50 different companies, each with their own software, mobile apps, and charging hardware. For fleets, navigating this diverse charging ecosystem while on-the-go is a challenge. 

Presto simplifies charging by enabling fleets to seamlessly find, charge, and pay across thousands of charging stations operated by Presto’s charging partners through one easy-to-use app or API. Presto’s machine-learning recommendation engine ingests real-time information on charger availability and reliability to recommend chargers to fleets for reliable charging. 

“Presto addresses a critical gap in the EV ecosystem—a unified and effortless charging experience—that enables fleets and their drivers to charge across networks,” said J.J. Raynor, co-founder and CFO of Presto. “This new funding allows us to scale up our efforts to support more fleets and charging partners.”

Large fleets have found immediate success working with Presto. Car rental companies, including Avis, Hertz, and Zipcar provide the Presto app to their customers when they rent an EV, making it easier for them to charge during their rental. Uber drivers, who have been rapidly switching to electric vehicles, get access to special pricing with EVgo in addition to charging across networks via the Presto app. 

“J.J. and Ashwin saw a problem that EV rideshare drivers deal with every day and they jumped in to fix it,” said Rachel Pinkham, Head of US&C Electrification Operations at Uber. “What really stands out is their customer-centric approach—features like price discovery and the recommendation engine are clever, practical tools that genuinely help drivers save time and money.” 

“Easily accessible electric vehicle charging is crucial for a smooth member experience and to drive sustainable transportation further,” said Will Sowers, Senior Manager of Public Partnerships and Policy at Zipcar. “Since each Zipcar is shared between 50 to 90 members and sees more use than a personal vehicle, our professional fleet teams use Presto to help maintain our electric vehicle fleets in select cities.” 

For its charging partners, Presto helps them onboard more fleet charging demand, grow charger utilization and improve charging economics. EV chargers are expensive to deploy—a typical fast charger installation costs between $116,000 and $167,000. As a result, charging operators naturally want to maximize charger utilization while minimizing congestion and optimizing for customer experience.

“Presto has made onboarding new fleet customers easy for us,” said Kate Gridley, Business Development Lead at EVgo. “Presto’s platform provides fleets with the tools they need to charge seamlessly, and fleet usage has been an important driver of our rising network utilization.” 

Nick Grossman, partner at Union Square Ventures who led the firm’s investment in Presto said, “We believe in J.J. and Ashwin’s vision to create a unified platform that transforms EV charging into a magical experience.  Presto’s traction with both fleets and charge point operators speaks to the urgency and size of the opportunity.”

With the new funding, Presto plans to scale up its operations and continue investing in its technology to support more fleets and charging partners on their road to electrification.

About Presto
Presto is an electric vehicle (EV) charging platform that powers seamless and reliable charging experiences for fleets, mobility providers, and businesses. Presto’s platform makes working with fleets seamless for charging partners, while fleet partners can quickly and easily roll out an all-in-one charging solution using Presto’s highly-rated mobile app (available for iOS and Android) or integrate charging into their customer experiences using Presto’s easy APIs. Learn more at www.prestocharging.com.

Business Contact
hello@prestocharging.com

Media Contact
Chris Allieri
Mulberry & Astor
chris@mulberryandastor.com

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SOURCE Presto

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HR Path Strengthens its Australian Presence with Strategic Acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia

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October 21, 2026

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PARIS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HR Path, a global leader in HR consulting and HRIS solutions, today announces its strategic acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a Brisbane-based company specialising in payroll compliance, remediation, workforce management and HR systems consulting.

Founded in 2009, Payroll Experts Australia has delivered more than 530 projects for over 260 organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Independent of any software vendor, the company supports employers across the full payroll, workforce management and HR systems lifecycle, with expertise spanning payroll compliance and audit, remediation, award and agreement interpretation, payroll processing, advisory and end-to-end systems implementation.

The acquisition strengthens HR Path’s ability to provide end-to-end HR transformation services across the ANZ market. Payroll Experts Australia’s specialist capabilities complement HR Path’s existing HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors expertise, enabling the combined organisation to support clients with a broader range of locally grounded services, from strategic advisory and systems implementation to payroll compliance and operational support. 

Payroll Experts Australia will continue to operate under the brand “Payroll Experts Australia, an HR Path Company”. Its leadership team and employees will remain in their current roles, ensuring continuity of service for clients while giving the business access to HR Path’s international capabilities and resources. 

The transaction builds on HR Path’s expansion in the region. HR Path has been active in Australia since 2019, following the acquisition of DDG. It opened an Australian office in 2024 and acquired RKM Consulting in 2025, strengthening its HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.  

“The acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a company renowned for its expertise in payroll compliance, is a strategic move that supports our ambition to be the global reference in HR transformation,” said François Boulet, Co-founding Partner at HR Path. “Their deep knowledge and strong client relationships in Australia complement our global capabilities, enabling us to deliver even more value to our clients. This partnership is about synergy, innovation, and shared commitment to excellence.”

“We are very happy about this new chapter!” said Steve Keenaghan, Chief Executive Officer at Payroll Experts Australia. “This step opens up exciting opportunities for our team and our clients and ensures our continued growth and success. We will maintain our commitment to delivering exceptional, independent payroll expertise while exploring new possibilities within HR Path.”

Contact:

Fabienne LATOUR  Fabienne.latour@hr-path.com

 

 

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Sungrow Powers Up for All Energy Australia 2026 With New Residential Innovation and Full Ecosystem Showcase

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October 21, 2026

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MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sungrow, the global leader in PV inverter and energy storage solutions, is set to make a strong return to All Energy Australia 2026, the region’s largest and most influential renewable energy exhibition. It will introduce its next-generation all-in-one residential flagship PowerHarbour, alongside a comprehensive showcase of technologies for residential, C&I, and utility-scale applications.

As Australia accelerates toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future, Sungrow’s presence at All Energy will once again serve as a central meeting point for industry leaders, installers, innovators, and policymakers. The booth will offer visitors a rich blend of product demonstrations, technical insights, interactive experiences, and opportunities to connect with Sungrow’s local engineering and sales teams.

A New Addition to Residential Energy Storage

At the upcoming All-Energy 2026, Sungrow will officially unveil PowerHarbour in Australia for the first time. It is a residential all in one solution designed to simplify energy independence for homeowners. It combines sleek design, intelligent integration, advanced safety features and a modular design that can deliver up to 120kWh of capacity. The enhanced AFCI 3.0 protection makes it one of the most flexible and homeowner‑friendly systems on the market. The result is a clean, integrated solution that empowers households to take control of their energy with confidence and ease.

C&I Solutions for Diverse Applications

The exhibition will also showcase Sungrow’s C&I portfolio, including PowerKeeper, deployed across diverse Australian environments, and the ST255CS liquid-cooled BESS cabinet, designed for applications such as microgrid stability and FCAS. Together, these solutions demonstrate Sungrow’s capabilities in delivering flexible, reliable energy storage for a wide range of commercial and industrial needs.

Utility-Scale Innovation on Display

For utility developers and EPCs, Sungrow will present a full-size PowerTitan 3.0, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see the battery container up close. Together, PowerTitan 3.0 and 1+X modular inverter demonstrate advanced energy storage, grid-forming capabilities, and flexible deployment for complex project environment. Backed by dedicated local project management, comprehensive technical support, and a growing project pipeline across Australia and New Zealand.

Visit Sungrow at Booth KK123

Sungrow invites all attendees to visit Booth KK123 at All Energy Australia 2026 to experience its latest residential, commercial, and utility‑scale innovations firsthand. Attendees can expect a vibrant and engaging atmosphere throughout the day featuring lucky draws with exciting prizes, free premium coffee, photobooth and insightful presentations. The booth promises a full day of discovery, connection, and inspiration. Sungrow looks forward to welcoming partners, customers, and renewable energy enthusiasts as we continue powering Australia’s clean energy future together.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sungrow-powers-up-for-all-energy-australia-2026-with-new-residential-innovation-and-full-ecosystem-showcase-302915169.html

SOURCE Sungrow

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AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging to Demonstrate Privacy-First AI Traffic Sensing at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona

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October 21, 2026

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FREMONT, Calif. and BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging will exhibit together at Smart City Expo World Congress, November 3–5, 2026, at Fira Barcelona Gran Vía.

The two companies proposed AI-VIVA (Vision Intelligence for València and Arterials) and is selected as a finalist in the fifth urban challenge of Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility (BILM), on the application of artificial intelligence to traffic-light regulation. AI-VIVA combines AglaiaSense’s edge-AI traffic solutions with Leopard Imaging’s patented privacy architecture. At the show, the team will give a live demonstration of AglaiaSense’s signature MS500 and GS500 cameras, with the AglaiaSense AI Box, powered by NVIDIA, which adds local processing to coordinate groups of neighboring intersections.

The cameras analyze images inside the device, using the Sony IMX500 and IMX501 intelligent vision sensors. They count and classify vehicles, buses, cyclists and pedestrians in real time. Raw video is discarded on the device within 400–800 milliseconds, and only anonymous metadata is transmitted. Cities can feed that data into signal-control software to adapt traffic lights to real demand.

MS500: about 2 W average power, 1080p, powered from a standard NEMA or ZHAGA street-light socket.

GS500: about 6.5 W average, dual 4K cameras, with Ethernet, LTE Cat 4 and GPS; powered by PoE, 12–24 V DC or a NEMA adapter.

Both cameras: IP66-rated, −20 °C to +65 °C, mounted on existing poles, so no trenching or new masts are needed.

Bandwidth: more than 95% lower than CCTV-based monitoring.

“Cities want safer, smoother streets without turning every crossing into a surveillance point,” said Leon Luo, CEO of AglaiaSense. “Being named a finalist in Barcelona tells us the approach resonates.”

“Privacy has to be built into the camera, not added later,” said Bill Pu, CEO of Leopard Imaging.

AglaiaSense’s solutions are deployed across North America and Asia, and the company won first place in the Pedestrian Safety Challenge Hackathon, run by the Edge AI Foundation (formerly the tinyML Foundation) and the City of San José. In field tests, the systems achieved detection and counting accuracy above 95%. The City of Lakewood, Colorado, compared the GS500 with traditional IP cameras and LiDAR on real roads and found it more accurate, more energy-efficient, and less costly to deploy. At a high-risk crossing where pedestrians often crossed outside the crosswalk, the system alerted approaching drivers in real time.

Visit us at Pavilion 3, Level 0, Street D, Stand 71. To book a meeting, email sales@aglaiasense.com.

About AglaiaSense

AglaiaSense, is an edge-AI company specializing in privacy-first, vision-based sensing for smart cities. Its GS500 and MS500 cameras run AI on the image sensor to count and classify road users in real time and send only anonymous metadata.

About Leopard Imaging

Leopard Imaging is a global leader in high-definition embedded cameras and AI-based imaging solutions in industries including automotive, aerospace, drones, IoT, and robotics.

Media contact:

Cathy Zhao

+1 (408) 263-0988

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