author: Michael Cheng

In highly congested countries and cities worldwide, such as India, China, the UK and Vietnam, private cars are not the main option for daily commuting and transportation. For busy residents in such locations, narrow roadways, bumper-to-bumper traffic and lack of parking spaces make it impossible to navigate around the area in an efficient manner using bulky vehicles.

This is why many individuals living in urban locations prefer to travel using scooters or bicycles. In India, Twenty Two Motors is spearheading the disruption of the local billion-dollar industry, with an AI-powered, all-electric scooter. The startup is currently making final arrangements to reveal its first prototype before Diwali (October 19). Its first model will be released early next year.

Bringing AI to Transportation

The company's first electric scooter is designed to cater to the needs of local consumers. To address the lack of charging infrastructure in the country, the business will make its batteries detachable, allowing users to charge the power cells at compatible mainstream outlets. Like its competitors, the startup will create a battery management plan for its customers.

Through the program, individuals could rent batteries, have spare power cells delivered to their homes and request for maintenance. The scooter-maker is focusing on making its lithium-ion batteries more powerful.

"High running cost of gasoline vehicles and significant pollution led us to enter the segment. We decided to make this segment easy to afford, both in terms of acquisition and running cost, by developing the latest technological product indigenously," said Co-founder and CEO, Parveen Kharb.

As one of the country's first AI-powered scooters, the vessel will be capable of learning about the rider's habits and personal preferences over time. So far, we know the units will come with GPS features for tracking or mapping. The business clarified that its AI-powered platform could gather data about an entire household's riding behavior.

When it comes to price, the startup conveyed it wants to meet price points that can effectively compete with petrol-powered scooters, which starts around $1,000+.

Angel Funding Round

Earlier this year, Twenty Two Motors completed a successful Angel funding round (pre-Series A). The startup was able to raise $1.6 million during the event, which was led by Ishwar Singh, CEO of Haryana Industries. Farhaan Shabbir, ex-director of Harley-Davidson also participated in the financing round. Shabbir previously joined the business, taking on a founding member role.

"We have been able to attract the seasoned and quality talent from major auto companies. Major hurdles of developing lithium-ion battery, battery management system and smart electronics has also been resolved," said Kharb. "Investment will be used meticulously to build and prove the product, apart from strengthening startup's human resource capabilities."

According to Vijay Chandrawat, co-founder and chief operating officer of the company, the newly acquired funding is in the process of being distributed across various channels for growth and expansion. With the cash injection, the startup intends to improve testing for its highly anticipated prototype, boost talent acquisition campaigns and complete the initial setup phase for its factory.