The federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide $2 million in co-funding for Alchemy Charge, a Sydney headquartered start-up that has developed a pay-per-use power outlet for EV and e-mobility charging designed specifically for strata buildings, short-term rentals, and car parks.
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Sydney’s northern suburbs, Alchemy Charge’s SmartPoint is an individually metered smart power socket supported by cloud-based load management that is designed to make home electric vehicle (EV) charging more accessible for apartment residents.
According to the UNSW City Futures Research Centre’s Australasian Strata Insights 2024, revised October 2025, 15 per cent of Australians, or around 4.1 million, live in strata – including housing such as apartments and townhouses.
But many of these strata arrangements lack easily accessible or any EV charging infrastructure due to a few common hurdles – securing approval, installation requirements, and costs. These hurdles often stymie effort to install EV charging in strata communities, subsequently discouraging purchasing an EV in the first place.
Now, backed by $2 million in funding from ARENA, Alchemy Charge plans to deliver Strata Assist, a $7.4 million national program that combines a standalone digital platform with smart charging technology to specifically address the hurdles that stop EV charging being installed in strata locations.
“People shouldn’t have to become experts in strata processes or electrical infrastructure just to work out whether they can charge an electric car at home,” said Yasemin Selvi, CEO of Alchemy Charge.
“Whether you already drive an EV or are thinking about buying one, the questions are often the same: Can I get approval? How difficult will installation be? And what will it cost?
“Strata Assist is about helping people work through those questions, bringing the right parties together and giving apartment communities a practical way forward.”
Set to launch on 1 February 2027, the standalone and free Strata Assist digital platform will give residents, landlords, strata managers, and owners corporations a clearer pathway to home charging, supplying information, communication, quoting, and approval workflows into a shared digital process.
Strata Assist will provide information on installation options, costs, and building requirements, in order to reduce administrative delays and support informed investment in charging that is suited to each building’s needs and available electrical capacity.
The system will also installation tracking and compliance processing, guiding participants including electricians through the permissions and technical assessments that are required to move projects forward.
Alchemy Charge will also deploy alongside the platform its SmartPoint charging infrastructure to help buildings accommodate EV charging and make better use of their existing electrical capacity.
SmartPoint chargers are available in 10 amp and 15 amp configurations and utilise lower power charging and load management so as to allow more charge points to be installed within the same electrical capacity compared to conventional AC charger (Level 2), avoiding the need for major electrical upgrades. SmartPoint has also been designed for both existing buildings and new developments.
Each SmartPoint charger measures its own electricity consumption, ensuring charging costs can be accurately allocated to each individual user.
Origin Energy will act as the charge point operator for participating buildings, integrating SmartPoints and supported Level 2 chargers with its Origin 360 EV Charge Platform, while also supporting project delivery, maintenance, and ongoing operations.
“Building a more sustainable future starts with making change practical,” Selvi said.
“We’re helping apartment communities understand their options, make the most of the infrastructure they already have and invest confidently in what they need.”
Apartment residents, EV owners, prospective buyers, landlords, and strata representatives can find out more and register their interest at alchemycharge.com.au/strata-assist.
The Strata Assist program will also generate and share findings on charging costs, governance barriers, and installation approaches in order to help strata managers, owners corporations, installers, charging operators, and policymakers make more informed decisions about apartment EV charging.
