Tech Heavy Hitters Join FTN Motion

• Roland Krueger, former Dyson CEO joins FTN Motion as
  a shareholder and advisor alongside Jamie France, former
  Rocket Lab Head of Engineering, Production and Launch for
  the Electron rocket.
• FTN Motion has raised $2.6
  million to fund its expansion and exports

Kiwi
automotive start-up FTN Motion is welcoming Dyson’s former
CEO, Roland Krueger, as an advisor and shareholder alongside
Jamie France, who most recently led Engineering, Production
and Launch for the Electron rocket at space company Rocket
Lab.

FTN
Motion was founded in 2020 by Luke Sinclair, Kendall
Bristow, and Saskia Thornton to disrupt commuting with their
electric motorcycle the Streetdog. Earlier this year, they
moved to a purpose-built facility in Hamilton to scale for
exports to Australia and beyond; and earlier this month FTN
launched its new motorcycle the Streetdog80. In just three
weeks, more than 50 customers on both sides of the Tasman
have reserved theirs for delivery from the end of
2024.

FTN Motion is the first New Zealand-based
company Krueger has backed. He discovered FTN through New
Zealand Trade and Enterprise and has followed its progress
for some time. Before Dyson, he had a long career in the
automotive industry and has remained deeply passionate about
it.

“The Streetdog is brilliant in its
simplicity,” he says.

“The way the Streetdog’s
storage is integrated into the body of the bike is one of
those ideas so perfectly simple, you wonder why no one else
thought of it before.

“It’s a great idea that builds
on the heritage of pure motorcycle design and combines it
with the latest EV technology, allowing a new transport
method. With the Streetdog, FTN has huge potential and a
real chance of becoming an iconic brand, ”he
says.

Jamie France joined Rocket Lab in 2014 when it
was still a start-up. Now the Head of Manufacturing and
Supply Chain at Fleet Space Technologies, he says
Streetdog’s fusion of build quality, clever engineering
and style impressed him from the start.

“As New
Zealanders we all resonate with the John Britten and Burt
Munro stories of creative inventors, taking on the world and
showing what can be done with fresh thinking, determination
and excellent engineering.

“The bikes that FTN make
transform a customer’s daily commute into the most enjoyable
part of their day – bringing that experience to new
international locations is an awesome opportunity,” he
says.

Luke Sinclair, FTN Motion’s co-founder says
both Krueger and France bring invaluable experience from
production and engineering perspectives.

“We’re
stoked to have them join as we ramp up our plans to export,
beginning with Australia. They get the vision and most
critically, understand the supply chain, quality control and
cashflow challenges unique to a manufacturing company with a
technically complex product,’’ he says.

FTN Motion
also recently completed its latest capital raising round,
with an additional $2.6 million committed to the company.
Sinclair says this will help fund the completion of R&D
projects geared towards developing the Streetdog80 and
streamlining production to bring forward delivery
times.

“We’re working towards
being able to build 70 Streetdogs a month. This latest round
will help us meet our delivery targets while pursuing
best-in-class build quality. This funding has come from
investors passionate about supporting meaningful innovation,
and we’re excited to have them join the next step of our
journey,” he says.

FTN Motion has launched the
Streetdog80 in New Zealand and Australia. Built to order in
Hamilton, it’s fully customisable and has a top speed of
80 km per hour. You can find out more and reserve yours here.

About
FTN Motion:

FTN Motion is on a mission to change how
the world commutes with its electric motorcycles, which
combine performance, design, and world-class innovation.
Founded in New Zealand in 2020, founders Luke Sinclair,
Kendall Bristow, and Saskia Thornton developed the original
Streetdog motorcycle. Different by design, it pairs a
unique, classic motorbike feel with purposefully minimalist
yet cutting-edge technology and layout, delivering an
exhilarating and uncomplicated riding
experience.

Designed and built in New Zealand in
limited batches using premium components the classic
Streetdog has a top speed of 50km per hour and can be ridden
on a car license. The Streetdog80 has a top speed of 80km
per hour and requires riders to have a motorcycle license.
Both bikes come with 30L of lockable storage and a removable
battery that can be charged anywhere there’s a power
socket. To find out more, visit
ww.ftnmotion.com

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