TT1 | From Idea to Execution w/ James Chan, ION Mobility | EV, Hardware

TiE Talks

We talk to James Chan, founder of ION Mobility, about the challenges and triumphs of building an electric motorbike company in Southeast Asia. We discuss everything from the inception of the company to the unique challenges of hardware development as well as the secret sauce that makes them special.

In This Episode

(01:47) Inception of ION Mobility

(03:26) Finding a co-founder

(05:10) Assembling the early team

(08:12) The day things started to get real

(09:48) Doubt and uncertainty

(12:56) Thoughts on fund-raising

(17:01) The unique challenges in hardware

(19:24) Next steps for ION Mobility

(21:14) Advice for angel investors and founders

(22:04) Innovation vs other EV companies

(25:20) ION Mobility through an investor lens

Our Guests

James Chan is founder and CEO of ION Mobility, an electric mobility technology and lifestyle brand focused on Indonesia and Southeast Asia. ION's products combine advanced hardware and software with human-centered design to deliver smart electric motorcycles and charging and energy storage solutions. The company launched its inaugural “Mobius” M1-S electric motorcycle for Indonesia in November 2022.

James started his career as a public servant with the Singapore government, then moved on to become a venture capitalist and angel investor. He subsequently switched hats to become a venture builder and serial entrepreneur at Silicon Straits, GreyOrange, and Wecash before founding ION Mobility amidst the pandemic.

A recipient of the EDB Singapore Inc. scholarship in 2002, James holds a Bachelor of Science (Double Major) in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University (Class of 2005) and a Master of Science in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University (Class of 2006).

Links

Show notes and full transcript for the episode here: crztk.co/tt1-htr

Your Host

Ritu G. Mehrish is an Executive Coach, the founder of The Leadership Troubleshooter and the celebrated author of ‘Leader’s Block’. She is a former business leader, who managed a multi-million-dollar business vertical with over 1,000 people across 8 countries and 5 continents.

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TiE Talks is brought to you by TiE Singapore, a vibrant eco-system of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. It is a non-profit that inspires entrepreneurs through its training, mentoring, and networking programs.

From its beginnings in the Silicon Valley back in 1992, it has transformed into a global network with over 10,000 members across 60 chapters in 17 countries.

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