In each interview, there are matters which might be simple to debate and matters that don’t come as simply to the desk… and that’s the way it needs to be. The aim of any respected little bit of content material within the Powersports trade is to align the reader with the producer and the corporate’s archetypes, targets, and intentions in an effort to realize readability and perspective within the pursuit of clear comprehension. Anything past this, to me, does a disservice each to the interviewer and the interviewee – which is why, when main strategic adjustments happen at corporations like Damon Inc. (previously Damon Motorcycles), it’s value taking a second to listen to immediately from the folks behind the selections.
Dominique Kwong was beneficiant within the time put aside to offer these solutions for us, and it’s been a pleasure constructing out from this interview, each for the ultimate product and our additional news list. As Damon Inc. pivots to an “asset-light” enterprise mannequin, the corporate pans out from a front-and-center view of the HyperSport to the entire ecosystem: the car itself, the funds, and the general expertise.
Let’s get into it.
Inform us the way you got here again to Damon Inc., and what you had been as much as within the years that you just left.
My former enterprise accomplice Jay and I, we wished to make motorcycling protected for everyone – for our mates right this moment, for the riders of tomorrow… We went on that journey and developed these applied sciences, and the bike was all the time part of the image. It was all the time a platform that we wished to make use of to advertise our security programs. Time went on, and I made a private determination to proceed to give attention to security in a much wider scope. As luck would have it, I met the CEO of Alpinestars in 2022 at CES. He and I had a unbelievable dialog, we aligned one hundred percent on making riders safer; after that I accepted a task as an government marketing consultant of Alpinestars, changing into their head of electronics for 2 years earlier than I rejoined Damon.
To today, I’m very happy with the swimsuit that they gifted me as a result of my household is every little thing to me, and all of the symbols and the characters on my swimsuit symbolize all my aunties, uncles, my cousins… each time I journey a bike, I carry my household with nice accountability on my again, and I’m all the time fascinated with that in my work with Damon’s security tech.
Are you able to inform us extra about how your work at Alpinestars tied into your return to Damon?
Plenty of folks inform me, “Alpinestars is an attire firm. Why electronics?” I used to be in a position to work as their head of electronics as a result of they make airbag programs, that are in and of themselves advanced data-gathering programs to profit the consumer for the sake of security. I don’t know if many know this, however I got here from a background as a radio engineer. I used to make smartphones earlier than they had been sensible, and I’ve had virtually 30 years in issues like manufacturing, client electronics, automotive… I used to additionally make issues for safety in varied governments, huge information facilities, all of that. The tie-in to Damon was my indoctrination into the world of information or, extra particularly, info and the way it pertains to an finish client/producer/trade. Information was all the time king, and information nonetheless is every little thing.
In any case, whereas I used to be working with Alpinestars, I averaged 165 days a 12 months, travelling 320,000 miles all around the world as a model ambassador for Tech-Air to all their sellers and distributors. I used to be the contact who understood the nuances of those newly developed applied sciences. I helped them of their product coaching and servicing, and, unbeknownst to me, as I used to be doing all of this for Alpinestars, I used to be additionally gathering market intelligence for my return to Damon.
In December of 2024, I acquired a name. “Hey, we want you again.” I got here again and noticed the place we had been at with the corporate, and I used to be in a position to convey the entire years of information that I had accrued from Alpinestars to Damon in the course of a altering market.
The place do you are feeling Damon Inc. is at within the race that’s EV expertise right this moment?
It sort of feels like working a marathon, particularly on this planet of EVs. Everyone began so fired up, then some runners dropped off as a result of the highway was actually exhausting, the race was lengthy, and so on. With Damon’s preliminary concept, I understood the group’s “head down” strategy, however we didn’t understand that everybody had turned proper whereas we stored on going straight. Fortunately, we didn’t fall up to now behind that we couldn’t catch up and be a part of the pack right this moment.
I give the group previously a variety of credit score for having that “let’s simply go” mentality and conviction to proceed to do what they did… however coming again, we needed to undertake the concept of “eyes up,” too. If we, as an organization, don’t see and adapt to alter available in the market, then we could also be left behind.
What adjustments are occurring at Damon Inc.?
To start with, Damon is now a publicly traded firm; as such, I need to be as clear as I probably can, however I additionally must be cognizant of the general public curiosity. Not everyone who’s on the management board can vote on what I’m about to say right here, so I need to be respectful. For the report, they’re all conscious of this interview I’m doing, and so they’re actually eager on me telling the story. 🙂
We’ve positively had a change in firm focus. Our dedication is not simply to supply nice autos; now greater than ever earlier than, we stay dedicated not simply to the journey however to opening up a digital platform and enhancing the digital expertise for the rider. This enables us to not solely sustain with the route of that “EV marathon,” however to search out an avenue to tug forward as a result of that’s our differentiator in a pack rooted in custom.
As for what’s happening at Damon, I’ll say this: {Hardware} – notably the manufacturing aspect of issues – is a really capital-intensive enterprise, and tariff methods and commerce winds are presently transferring round like a cyclone. We initially had a extra conventional imaginative and prescient: Construct the manufacturing unit, construct the bikes, rinse and repeat. Then, we stepped again and realized that if we need to compete on this market, we should be capital lite and be open on how and with whom we produce our merchandise. Coming from the world of client electronics initially, contract manufacturing is a lifestyle as a result of it offers a great way of flexibility scalability with out the burden of excessive capital expenditure. I take Apple as a very good instance; this can be a firm that makes hundreds of thousands of merchandise and makes use of a contract manufacturing mannequin.
Certain, having full possession of your factories is a part of the automotive trade; nevertheless, I might sooner select a contract manufacturing accomplice or accomplice with one other bike firm that has invested some huge cash in that infrastructure and say, “Hey, you retain doing what you do, we’ll do what we do, and collectively we will make one thing actually significant.”
The place is the HyperSport? Is It Coming?
I do need to reply prospects’ questions right here, so I’ll do my absolute best. I do know our prospects have waited a very long time for this product. I’ve been ready for a very long time as effectively.
We’re dedicated to it. Once I say this, I need to be clear that we’re dedicated to the applied sciences and the bike itself; nevertheless, that factor wants extra time. This bike has a degree of expertise that has by no means been put collectively earlier than, and our group must time to make sure that it really works the best way we and our prospects anticipate.
To advance this aim, we determined to take the applied sciences which might be probably the most mature and accomplice with Engines Engineering to create and ship the HyperSport Race, a track-focused car, as shortly as doable. We wished to point out the client the holistic expertise of mobility, which is a mix of the car, the digital expertise, and the monetary accessibility. We now have a imaginative and prescient for what your entire trifecta appears like, however we’re not egocentric, and we’d like to work with different corporations. In doing so, we’re in a position to assist what we every do finest.
If what our companions dropped at the desk is {hardware}, nice; they will go for it, and we’ll convey the software program. I don’t care if riders purchase a Damon Motorbike or one other model’s bike so long as it has “Powered by Damon” or “Intelligence by Damon” on the aspect of it.
Are you able to communicate to the fears some have voiced in regards to the potential of Damon™ I/O?
I do know some individuals are fearful about this one, particularly with regards to their private privateness, so I need to guarantee everybody: Damon is not going to use non-public information. We analyze traits based mostly on contextual information. Because of this the tech is just taking the info that somebody generates each minute they’re on considered one of these autos, including context to it, and producing insights and data that lead to a useful motion that’s particular to the person. That’s it.
Proper now, we’re offering an instance of what contextual information and automatic confidence can convey to the HyperSport Race and the Damon™ I/O merchandise as a unified ecosystem. We now have gadgets that continuously collect info whatever the exercise we’re performing, so within the context of driving, information is generated and saved. What makes Damon.io distinctive is that we’re:
- Taking this saved information
- Combining it with different information (i.e., car, setting, and so on.)
- Including context
- Creating info and perception particular to the consumer
We’re additionally engaged on answering questions like, “How can I automate your expertise?” “How can I assist you to maintain two eyes on the highway forward of you so you’ll be able to simply soak up it fairly than having to continuously take a look at a cellphone or arrange a digital camera?” This software program’s purpose is to robotically join all of your gadgets, all these islands of expertise, for you, robotically. If I’m scheduling a lunch appointment and have to know precisely how lengthy it’s going to take me to reach as a result of I don’t need to guess anymore, Damon™ I/O understands your driving tendencies and components that into the route navigation with a purpose to provide you with a real and correct journey time.
I suppose what I’m attempting to get throughout is that, finally, we’re creating expertise that offers the rider extra management of their journey in order that they’re much less distracted and their journey is extra intuitive. As I become old, the worth per unit of time that I place on time goes greater and better, and the necessity for expertise to help us (to not management us) is aimed toward offering extra of that point.
How is Damon™ I/O as an AI mannequin stored inside boundaries for the consumer’s sake? How do you plan for this product to make cash for Damon?
I need to clear some issues up right here, if you’ll enable me.
The bounds of Damon™ I/O are based mostly on the context of the actions that our prospects carry out.
That is your info, you’re in command of that info, and you’re additionally in command of the way you need that info to be contextualized again to you. The data is effective, certain, however solely within the context of your individual journey. All info is offered by consent from the proprietor, and it’s the proprietor who will all the time have the power to decide on to choose in.
Damon™ I/O has a number of alternatives to generate income. We now have a platform that not solely serves the top client but additionally enterprise prospects like OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. Finally, this contextual information offers important info to permit the patron or enterprise to make one of the best determination.
Any remaining ideas to depart our reader with as we shut this interview?
To me, again when the HyperSport got here out, folks noticed the bike and thought, “It’s all in regards to the bike, it’s all in regards to the bike,” nevertheless it was all the time about extra than the bike. It’s all the time been about how we offer info to ensure that our prospects to take care of management of their private mobility journey within the most secure approach doable.
We had been personified by a car, however right this moment, we’re greater than that. We’re a private mobility firm combining the car, digital expertise, and accessibility to create an answer for this and future generations to return.
*A BIG due to Donna Loughlin and Dominique Kwong, each of whom had been so extremely beneficiant by means of each part of this interview! Wishing you each all one of the best, and keep protected on the twisties!*
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