Greater Manchester firm Charge-M8 has developed a new way to install EV charging equipment, supported by specialist technical expertise and innovation grant funding.
Grant covering 50% of the project testing costs
New jobs created
Turnover increase expected within the first 6-9 months
For Sale-based Charge-M8, three months was all it took to move from an innovation grant application to project completion and market launch.
The result was EV Kube, a new alternative to traditional concrete foundations for electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Designed to simplify and speed up installation, the company estimates the new product will increase turnover by more than 100 per cent over the first six to nine months.
Here’s how targeted support from Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem helped make that happen.
Rethinking EV charger foundations
EV Kube (pictured below) [MF1.1] was developed as an alternative to traditional foundations for EV chargers, designed to simplify and speed up the process of installing them. Lightweight and durable, the product supports Charge-M8’s aim of helping businesses, fleets and developers scale EV charging efficiently.
“We’ve created something different from everything else on the market,” says Managing Director Julian Smith (pictured). “EV Kube is ESG friendly, moulded from composite and 100% recyclable. It replaces high emission concrete foundations with a more environmentally friendly solution that reduces carbon impact, helping companies to reduce their carbon footprint and meet ESG targets.
“An innovative modular design means it can be assembled by one person, with no need for any heavy lifting equipment. It’s something we’re very proud of and we’re very thankful to GM Business Growth Hub and The University of Manchester, who together reduced our time to market by four months.”
Turning a technical challenge into a funded innovation project
Because Level 2 and 3 EV chargers – the most common type of home and workplace EV chargers – are typically installed outdoors, they need to withstand harsh conditions, from high winds to being accidentally hit by vehicles.
“The challenge for Charge-M8 was ensuring that a smaller, lighter EV charging base unit could operate efficiently in different climates around the world, handling both steady pressure and sudden impacts,” explains Tony Ayin, Innovation Specialist at GM Business Growth Hub.
“To move the product forward, the company required independent evidence that the system holds an EV charger firmly in place, keeping it upright, stable and secure. But, as a small team of three people, they didn’t have the R&D capacity to carry out that level of testing.”
Thankfully, there’s a huge range of support for innovation here in Greater Manchester, with world class universities and research organisations willing and able to work with businesses to accelerate product development and commercialisation.
Julian approached our Innovation Service in early-July 2025 and received help to apply for an innovation grant – available for collaborative projects with universities and research organisations and the private sector. Funding of £5,000 was approved in early-August, covering half the £10,000 cost of a product testing project with The University of Manchester.
Advanced testing to refine and finalise the product
Working with Charge-M8 over four weeks, computational engineering and flow physics specialists at the University’s School of Engineering examined how the product would perform under real-world conditions.
“This gave us the environmental and stress performance data we needed to complete development,” says Julian. “The combined use of structural load analysis and computational fluid dynamics helped us assess the effects of wind and vehicle impacts and build a realistic picture of structural performance.
“It shaped the final design stages and enabled us to press forward. That the expertise was almost on our doorstep made the whole process so much easier.”
New markets, new customers and new jobs
Following the completion of the research collaboration, Charge-M8 was able to secure sole supplier status with one of the largest EV distributors in the UK. The testing also helped the company prioritise international markets, with interest received from established distributors and regulators in Australia, Canada, the United States and UAE.
Three sizes of the EV Kube went on sale in late-2025 to business customers in the UK, EU and overseas. With interest high, the business has been able to increase staffing levels, with a new Digital Marketing position filled in August 2025 and a Business Development role to follow early in 2026.
Alongside the launch, Charge-M8 has received wider industry recognition, with another product jointly nominated for Best Smart Charging Solution at both the EVIES and ECN Awards 2025.
“GM Business Growth Hub’s support helped us make progress without overstretching a small team,” says Julian. “It allowed us to focus on completing the product without taking on more risk or pressure than we needed to.”
Contact our team today on 0161 359 3050 or at bgh@growthco.uk to find out how we can help your business, whichever sector you’re in.
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