What Does ChargePoint Do? — The Network Behind the Plug at Your Local Mall

Ever pulled into a grocery store parking lot, seen a row of EV charging stations, and wondered who actually runs them? Odds are decent it's ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CHPT). It's not a household name the way Tesla is, but it's one of the largest players in North American EV charging infrastructure, and its stock jumped nearly 75% in early September 2026 after an earnings report that looked, for once, genuinely encouraging.

What Does ChargePoint Actually Do?

ChargePoint was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Campbell, California. It doesn't just sell charging hardware — its business rests on three legs: networked charging systems (the physical stations), a subscription software platform that runs and monitors them, and support services layered on top. For fiscal year 2026 (ended January 31, 2026), the company reported total revenue of $411.2 million, split roughly 53% hardware, 40% subscriptions, and 8% other services.

The more recent number is the one that moved the stock. In its Q2 fiscal year 2027 report, released September 2, 2026, ChargePoint posted revenue of $116.1 million, up 18% year-over-year, with GAAP gross margin climbing to 36% (helped in part by tariff refunds). Just as notable: the GAAP net loss narrowed to $35.6 million from $66.2 million a year earlier, and the non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA loss shrank 78% to $4.8 million. For a company that's spent years burning cash, that kind of improvement is what actually moves a stock price — not just top-line growth, but proof the losses are shrinking too.

Who Builds the Hardware, Who Sends the Drivers

ChargePoint doesn't manufacture every charger itself. A good example is its partnership with Schneider Electric, which manufactures the EVlink line of chargers at ISO-compliant facilities, while ChargePoint supplies the cloud software, the driver-facing app, and the network that ties everything together. Fuji Electric Corp of America is another hardware partner, supplying DC fast-charging equipment for higher-speed sites. On the demand side, automaker partnerships with BMW of North America, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz effectively funnel new EV owners straight into ChargePoint's network from the moment they buy a car.

Where You'll Actually Plug In

This is the part that's easy to miss: ChargePoint's customer base isn't just other tech companies — it's an enormous, unglamorous mix of everyday locations. Grocery chains like Mollie Stone's Markets, hotels such as Pine Inn, auto dealerships like Connell Nissan, and commercial property operators including Cousins Properties and Brookfield Properties all host ChargePoint stations. So do public institutions — the City of San Jose runs municipal charging through the network, and the San Francisco Giants have installed stations at their stadium. Add in workplaces, multifamily housing, fleet operators, and universities, and you get a network that ChargePoint says now connects drivers to more than 1.37 million public and private charging ports worldwide, having facilitated over 21 billion electric miles to date.

Quick Facts

Ticker: NYSE: CHPT | Founded: 2007 | HQ: Campbell, California | FY2026 revenue: $411.2M | Q2 FY2027 revenue: $116.1M (+18% YoY) | Cash position (July 31, 2026): $95.7M | Q3 FY2027 guidance: $105M–$115M

This article is put together from ChargePoint's own public filings, investor announcements, and company press materials, to explain what kind of company ChargePoint actually is. It isn't a recommendation to buy or sell the stock — think of it as background reading if the ticker crossed your feed and you were curious what's behind it.