Emergency Power
on Demand

A handheld, cobalt-free kinetic power bank delivering instant, clean energy anywhere — fast, sustainable and portable.

See the charge data The patents

Visual images of Smart Charj are for illustrative purposes only. The final design (dimensions, shape, colour, size etc.) is subject to change as we optimise for ergonomic and aesthetic appeal.

A Full Phone Charge in
Five Minutes

Approximately 5 minutes of gentle winding fully charges a smartphone. Tablets and laptops take longer.
750,000
Charge Cycles

Hybrid supercapacitors last over ten years — lithium-ion power banks last 1–3 years.
Cobalt-Free
by Design

No cobalt, less than 2% lithium, and zero CO₂ emissions in use.
Patented
Technology

UK patent granted, international patents pending.

How it works

Simple, Reliable
Power in Your Hands

Turn the handle to generate effortless ultra-fast power on demand to charge your devices as and when needed.

1

Crank to Generate Power

Turn the retractable hand crank to generate electricity and store it in the built-in battery.
2

Power Is Stored

High-efficiency charging stores power for when you need it.
3

Charge Your Devices

Use the USB-C or USB-A ports to charge phones, lights, radios and other essentials.
4

Stay Connected and Safe

Keep your essential devices powered during outages, emergencies and off-grid situations.

Charge performance

Thirty Seconds
Buys You Peace of Mind

In as little as 30 seconds of effortless winding, Smart Charj can generate a battery charge of approximately 10% from empty.

Device	Typical battery	Cranking time to 10%
Smartphone	~10–15 Wh	~30 secs
iPad / iPad Air 11″	~29 Wh	~1.5–2 min
Large iPad	~37 Wh	~2–2.5 min
Lightweight laptop	~50–55 Wh	~3–3.5 min
Larger laptop	~70 Wh	~4–4.5 min

Target figures for 10% of each device’s battery, subject to confirmation by prototype testing.

The design

More than a Charger

Smart Charj is being designed around how households actually cope in an outage — not just around the battery.

Smart Charj laid out alongside a smartphone and a smartwatch, showing its size relative to the devices it charges — Shown with a phone and a smartwatch for scale.

Torch and Siren

An integrated light and an audible siren, so one device covers power, visibility and raising the alarm.
Modular by Design

A detachable power pack, so stored energy can be carried, shared or swapped independently of the crank unit.
250 mm Crank Arm

Fully extended, the arm is long enough to keep the force at the hand low — and it turns with either hand, so cranking can be shared and sustained.
Two or Three per Home

We expect households to keep more than one — by the door, in the kit, and one left in the car.

Why it’s different

Off-Grid Power
Accessible in Seconds

Smart Charj stores energy in hybrid supercapacitors instead of in lithium-ion batteries. This single strategy changes how fast it charges and discharges, how long it lasts, what it is made of and, very importantly, how safe it is.

Measure	Smart Charj	Conventional power bank
Energy store	Hybrid supercapacitors	Lithium-ion battery
Cobalt	None	Typically required
Charge cycles	Over 750,000	Far fewer
Expected lifespan	Over 10 years	1–3 years
Power source	Your own hands	Mains electricity
Time to a full phone charge	Approx. five minutes of cranking	Hours on mains
Works off-grid	Always	Only if charged beforehand
Suitable for tablets and laptops	Yes — designed for them	Varies; many lack the output
Fire risk	Negligible	High
CO₂ in use	Zero	Grid emissions

Target specifications

Smart Charj shown at an angle with the crank handle extended

Energy store	Hybrid supercapacitors — cobalt-free, minimal lithium (<2%)
Power source	Hand-driven kinetic generation. No mains, no fuel, no sunlight needed
Charge time	Approx. five minutes of cranking for a full smartphone charge. See the charge table for tablets and laptops.
Charge cycles	Over 750,000
Expected lifespan	Over 10 years
Emissions in use	Zero CO₂
Charging ports	1 × USB-C (PD) 1 × USB-A
Power output	Up to 100 W to connected devices
Charging input	Up to 120 W over USB-C
Generator	Rated for 120 W, 90.6% efficient at full load
Crank arm	Approximately 250 mm fully extended — leverage to keep the force at the hand low
Dimensions	Approximately 14.5 × 5.5 × 5.5 cm (5.7 × 2.2 × 2.2 in)
Weight	Approximately 850 g (1.9 lb)

Use cases

At Home

Keep your essential devices powered during outages.
For Travel

Reliable power wherever your adventures take you.
For Emergencies

Be prepared when the unexpected happens.

Supporting the UK’s Be Ready campaign

From a ‘Nice-to-Have’
to a Global Necessity

Koitech were originally developing Smart Charj to help mobile phone users who unexpectedly run out of battery with no other way to charge.

On becoming aware of the Cabinet Office’s Be Ready campaign, launched on 22 October 2026, and its National Resilience Campaign, we decided to pivot and develop Smart Charj as a disaster recovery device for emergency preparedness.

Once developed, we are confident it belongs on the Be Ready checklist — which already includes the likes of wind-up torches and wind-up radios.