Meet Matt Fisher, the driving force behind Gridspot, developed to sell affordable electric vehicle chargers, services, and maintenance, while building the EV charging community. Gridspot also allows its users to locate and reserve nearby EV chargers on the go.  

‍

Read to learn more about Matt’s journey in developing Gridspot.

‍

How did you first learn about the Raleigh Founded community, and what led you to join?

Matt first learned about Raleigh Founded through a meet up in 2018 for Hyperledger at what used to be HQ Raleigh at the former Warehouse location. 

‍

“I thought it was really cool, I liked the art and the vibe of all the startups and people. That’s what drew me initially to the community here [in Raleigh].”

‍

After COVID, Matt was working alongside his co-founder on a startup. Getting fed up with working from home, he waited until things were a bit safer before reaching out and getting a coworking membership at Founded. 

‍

Can you share more about Gridspot and the motivation behind starting this business?

With his scientific background and personal interest, Matt has always been passionate about climate change and the future of our planet.

‍

“I’m worried about…burning all this oil within internal combustion vehicles, let alone the damage it does to [our] health. Breathing in those polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and things like that – it causes cancer, so it’s not great.” 

‍

How did you get involved with the charging aspect, and what pushed you into that industry?

Matt’s primary focus was, and has remained, easing the transition from fossil fuels to electric vehicles. Ideally, through public transportation, but the expenses and timeline were vast. The next best idea? Electric vehicle chargers. 

‍

“I saw that Chargepoint chargers at the time were costing $20,000 for a commercial charger. Having an electrical engineering degree, I knew that was way too much. There’s no reason that an electrical vehicle charger needs to cost that much [...] I figured I could do it for cheaper and better, and that’s what sparked that idea.” 

‍

Matt’s first foray into EV chargers manifested as an app where users could list their chargers for rent – kind of like an Airbnb for EV chargers. 

‍

“I ran ads on it and everything,” Matt shared. “No one cared. People didn’t want strangers on their property, they didn’t want people asking them to use their bathroom, and they didn't want strangers around for those who had kids.” 

‍

This redirection led Matt to a new idea for Gridspot: designing his own EV charger. This came with its own unique obstacles. People disliked that the EV chargers were still being tested, as every potential user required something specific – such as the chargers being waterproof. 

‍

Eventually, Gridspot found a solution: a manufacturer who made EV chargers with all the required testing and certifications. This final version of the product is what’s out in the market today. 

‍

Beyond reducing emissions through EV adoption, are there other ways Gridspot is working to make a positive environmental or social impact?

Matt’s long-term vision for Gridspot is to have solar and renewable energy-powered electric vehicle chargers, fully eliminating the related emissions that come with EV charging. 

‍

He’s also working on making a social impact outside of Gridspot by tackling the loneliness epidemic, one real conversation at a time. 

‍

Friendzone, Matt’s second project, could be described as speed dating for friends. Guided icebreakers are used at intentionally designed events to spark engaging conversations. 

‍

“Every five minutes, there’s an alarm, and you switch to a new person for another five-minute rapid-fire discussion.” 

‍

The hope is that without enough five-minute conversations with the strangers around you, you just might leave the evening with a new friend! 

‍

You were part of the 2024 Cohort for FCAT Fellowship with American Underground. Can you tell us about your experience and how it impacted your journey with Gridspot? What aspects of the fellowship did you find most valuable?

“It was really great,” Matt says of his experience as part of the 2024 Cohort of the FCAT -Fellowship at American Underground. 

‍

“They had a bunch of speakers from all different backgrounds, from sales to marketing-investor pitches. They each trained us on different aspects of our businesses [...] it was very valuable.” 

‍

A standout aspect of his experience was his fellow cohorts, who even had a hand in helping Matt with his development of Gridspot. 

‍

“The group of individuals that were attending with me, my peers, were very helpful and we still meet to this day every Friday to discuss problems and help each other. I feel like I could reach out to any one of those members…and get their help. They’ll be there for me and I’ll be there for them too.”

‍

What’s next for Gridspot? Are there any exciting partnerships or expansions for the future?

There’s a lot Matt is looking forward to for Gridspot in the future — updating the power sources of the chargers, examining the ways AI will come into play, and eventually, closing the gap in access to EV chargers in rural areas.

‍

“People are not buying fully electric vehicles because they don't have access to an EV charger. Especially those in shared home communities,” says Matt of charger accessibility. “Right now, it’s about just selling the units I already have.” 

‍

We’re excited to see what Gridspot’s future holds. For now? You can find a GridSpot charger at Raleigh Founded’s North Street location!