Scottish startup Ember raises $14M to fuel expansion of UK’s first electric bus network

Scottish startup Ember has raised $14 million to power the growth of its rapidly expanding electric bus network connecting cities across Scotland and into England. With fresh capital from investors like Inven Capital and AENU Ventures, Ember aims to fuel the electrification of intercity travel and significantly reduce transport emissions through its innovative ‘full-stack’ approach.

Since establishing its first route between Edinburgh and Dundee in 2020 with a single Yutong electric bus procured through partner Pelican, Ember has expanded to 24 vehicles serving cities like Glasgow, Stirling and Perth. The company has now taken delivery of 14 high-capacity new generation buses direct from Yutong offering over 500km of range on a single charge. This marks a major milestone as Ember works directly with manufacturers to develop buses tailored to its needs.

Co-founders Keith Bradbury and Pierce Glennie leverage software and operational expertise gained in fintech to fully integrate every element of the fleet. In-house platform EmberOS automates scheduling, maintenance, and real-time updates while patented charging infrastructure ensures optimal uptime. Through this unified system, Ember aims to deliver radical efficiency gains unattainable by legacy operators.

Ember’s latest investment will add over 4MWh of charging capacity across hubs in Scotland’s largest urban centers. Plans are also underway to extend the innovative network into strategic English cities next year subject to route evaluations. With Scotland’s compact size allowing rapid iteration, Ember proves the demand and network effects of sustainable intercity mobility at a pivotal miniature scale.

As climate leaders increasingly electrify transport, Ember fuels the expansion of green alternatives to personal vehicles. Through its software-driven approach, the company charges ahead of competitors in building the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus system nationwide.