Israeli startup Voltify, which develops technologies to convert diesel trains to electric power, has secured USD 30 million in seed funding, in a move the company says is intended to transform how rail transport is powered.

The round was led by Aleph and mining company Fortescue, with participation from the Menomadin fund, controlled by entrepreneur Haim Tayeb, as well as the Jimpact and The Dock funds, alongside other private investors.

Electrification without traditional overhead lines

Founded in 2024 by Dafna Langer and Alon Kessel, the company proposes a solution that, according to its presentation, would enable the transition from diesel to electricity without investment in traditional electrification infrastructure, such as overhead contact lines along the track.

The Voltify system combines: The company claims that, unlike other electric train models, its solution does not require stops for recharging or permanent dependence on the central power grid.

• battery-powered locomotives;
• a dynamic on-the-go charging system;
• a network of local energy microgrids that generate and store energy from renewable sources locally.

The goal: lower costs and fewer emissions

Voltify says the main goal is to reduce energy costs for rail operators. The company notes that in the United States alone, the six largest rail operators collectively spend approximately USD 11 billion a year on diesel.

According to CEO and co-founder Dafna Langer, the company was created precisely to solve one of the rail industry’s biggest problems: the cost of energy.

She says that the platform developed by Voltify would allow operators to switch to clean, cheaper energy without changing their operating methods, and a cost reduction of over 20% could fundamentally transform the economics of rail operations.

Pilot agreement already signed

In addition to developing the technology, the company states that it has already signed a paid pilot agreement with one of the world’s largest rail operators, and implementation is set to begin soon.

Voltify also says it has a growing portfolio of orders from regional operators in the United States and plans to launch its first full-scale system next year, which will include a locomotive, the charging system, and the associated power grid.

Environmental and Market Ambition

In addition to the economic argument, the company links its strategy to emissions reduction. According to its estimates, the technology could reduce, in less than a decade, over 50 million tons of annual carbon emissions from rail operations alone.

This would be achieved in part through the use of local microgrids based on solar energy and storage systems, which would reduce dependence on polluting power grids and the volatility of energy prices.

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