4 million for Berlin startup Cariqa: Payment software for e-car charging stations – here is the pitch deck

The Berlin-based startup Cariqa has raised €4 million in a seed round. Cariqa is developing an end-to-end payment platform for charging electric cars . The platform will allow charging station operators to control the electricity costs, how payments are made, and which regulations apply.

With the fresh seed capital, the Berlin-based startup plans to further develop its product, expand into European markets, and strengthen its network with CPOs, car manufacturers, and fleet providers.

The round was jointly led by Berlin-based fintech investor Anthemis and Lithuanian VC Contrarian Ventures. Other investors include Earth, Female Innovators Lab by Anthemis, Golden Egg Check, and Techstars.

Most recently, Cariqa received €1 million in pre-seed funding in September 2024 from Anthemis Group, Vento, Hatcher+, Techstars, Golden Egg Check, and Plug and Play Tech Center.

Cariqa's business model addresses a central problem of e-mobility: billing at public charging stations is often confusing, inconsistent and expensive .

Different apps, maps, and providers mean that the same charging point can be subject to up to 50 different pricing models . "We are rebuilding the transactional backbone of the industry – for greater consistency, transparency, and trust," explains Issam Tidjani, CEO and co-founder of Cariqa.

Cariqa is primarily aimed at charging point operators (CPOs).

The platform is designed to give them full control over pricing, payment processing, and regulatory requirements – without relying on third-party providers such as roaming platforms. The previously common intermediary trade across various services is eliminated.

According to the company, the Cariqa solution is already in use by well-known charging providers such as Pfalzwerke, EWE Go, Qwello, Q1 and Mer.

CTO and co-founder Stefano Bonetta sees the new payment architecture as primarily a source of efficiency: "We're reducing interfaces and error sources by up to 50 percent and creating a central source of pricing logic. This makes a seamless charging experience possible in the first place."

Issam Tidjani (CEO), Stefano Bonetta (CTO) and Tamara Ciullo (CCO) founded the app-based vehicle management platform Cariqa in Berlin in 2022.

Tidjani has worked in marketing for various global tech companies for almost 20 years, including HP, Microsoft, eBay, and Nokia.

Bonetta studied computer science and most recently worked as a software developer at the location provider Here Technologies in Berlin, together with Tidjani.

At the same time, Ciullo also worked at Here Technologies as Product Marketing Manager. As CCO, she oversees sales at Cariqa.

The founding trio is supported by Mario La Pergola, who joined as Founding Member and COO in March 2024. La Pergola and Tidjani studied together at Bocconi University in Milan.