Josh Aviv: The Founder Bringing Electric Vehicle Charging Straight to Your Door

What began as a one-man idea in a dorm room has transformed into a multimillion-dollar company redefining convenience for electric vehicle (EV) owners.

According to AfroTech, SparkCharge, founded by Josh Aviv, has grown from a small student project into a tech company generating over $110 million in revenue with a staff of 40 employees and expanding partnerships nationwide. Aviv’s journey represents a powerful chapter in the rise of Black entrepreneurship in the tech and clean-energy sectors—a space where diversity and innovation are increasingly shaping the future.

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From Dorm Room to Disruption

Aviv, who studied economics at Syracuse University, founded SparkCharge in 2017 while still in college. What started as a side project quickly became a mission-driven enterprise after Aviv recognized one of the major barriers to EV adoption: charging accessibility.

“We realized that as society was moving forward, everything was being made on-demand and convenient,” Aviv told AfroTech. “But when it came to electric vehicles, owners were still told to ‘go find, sit, and wait’ at charging stations. That inconvenience was preventing more people from embracing sustainable transportation.”

Determined to change that, Aviv and his small team developed a portable, modular charging system that could bring power directly to EV owners wherever they were—home, work, or on the go. His vision? To make owning an electric vehicle as simple and seamless as ordering food delivery or booking a ride-share.

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The Launch of Currently EV: Charging Made Simple

Through relentless innovation, SparkCharge introduced Currently EV, the world’s first on-demand EV charging mobile app, which allows users to request a charge at their preferred location. “An EV owner can select how much range they want, where they want it, and with just the push of a button, get it delivered,” Aviv explained (TechCrunch).

The service functions much like Uber or DoorDash—users open the app, set a location, and a mobile unit arrives to charge their vehicle. This innovation filled a critical gap in EV infrastructure by eliminating “charging deserts” in both urban and suburban areas.

In 2022, SparkCharge delivered more than one million miles of range to electric vehicle owners and company partners (Forbes). The service is currently available in major U.S. cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz.

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Funding the Future of Clean Tech

Aviv’s groundbreaking idea caught the attention of major investors. SparkCharge has raised over $30 million in funding from venture firms and strategic partners, including investments secured after a successful pitch on Shark Tank, where the company struck a deal with Mark Cuban (CNBC).

Under Aviv’s leadership, SparkCharge has also collaborated with major automakers and fleet operators to integrate its mobile charging solutions into broader sustainability initiatives. The company has partnered with firms like Uber and Lyft to provide drivers with reliable charging access, helping to reduce emissions and support electric fleet transitions (The Wall Street Journal).

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Breaking Barriers in the EV Industry

As a Black founder in the clean-energy and tech sectors, Aviv’s journey is both pioneering and symbolic. Less than 1% of venture-backed startup founders in the U.S. are Black, according to Crunchbase News, yet Aviv has built one of the most successful startups in the EV infrastructure space.

He credits part of his success to mentorship and institutional support. At Syracuse, Aviv received funding from the Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurship program, which helped him scale SparkCharge from concept to market-ready product. “Access to capital is one of the biggest barriers for minority founders,” Aviv told Forbes. “We want our success to inspire others and prove that innovation and inclusion go hand in hand.”

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Leading the Charge Toward a Sustainable Future

SparkCharge’s growth comes at a pivotal time. As global EV adoption accelerates—projected to reach 50% of new car sales by 2030 (BloombergNEF)—the need for fast, accessible charging options continues to expand. Aviv’s company is uniquely positioned to meet that demand while promoting sustainability and equity in the energy sector.

In recognition of his leadership, Josh Aviv has been featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Energy category and was named one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top 100 Black Founders to Watch.” Yet for Aviv, the mission remains simple: “We’re not just building a business—we’re building freedom for EV owners,” he said (Forbes).

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With his innovative approach, SparkCharge is proving that the future of clean energy doesn’t just belong to the big corporations—it belongs to the dreamers, innovators, and underrepresented founders driving change from the ground up.

You go, Aviv!