Jamie France, an early Rocket Lab employee who until recently served as the global director for its Electron launch vehicle.
Jamie France, an early Rocket Lab employee who until recently served as the global director for its Electron launch vehicle.
Hamilton’s FTN Motion - the maker of the Streetdog series of electric motorbikes - has brought two heavy hitters on board as key advisers, one of whom has also become a financial backer.
The first is Roland Krueger, who was chief executive of Dyson for four years until late lastyear. In February this year, he was appointed to the board of Sir James Dyson’s iconic firm.
Krueger also chipped in for FTN’s recently closed $2.6 million raise.
The other is Jamie France, an early Rocket Lab employee who was until recently global launch director for its Electron rocket, responsible for a team of 330 engineers and technicians across NZ and the US.
FTN built up to making 25 bikes a month in Wellington, where it assembled its first prototype in 2020.
The $12,000, 82kg Streetdog (pictured) is rated the equivalent of a 50cc petrol-powered motorcycle and has a top speed of 50km/h and a range of 80-100km in mixed driving conditions. A faster model, the Streetdog80, capable of up to 80km/h (but 20km less range), is due this year at a price of about $14,500. Photo / Alastair McKenzie
With its recent shift to larger digs in Hamilton, FTN is gearing up to produce 70 bikes per month - including the first production run of its $14,500 Streetdog80, capable of hitting 80km/h (the current model tops out at 50km/h).
The new funds will help accelerate delivery times, and also go toward the firm’s first sales push across the Tasman.
Co-founder Luke Sinclair says while NZ Trade and Enterprise brokered an introduction to Krueger, the ex-Dyson boss has a house in New Zealand so was already familiar with the firm and had been following its progress for some time.
Dyson director and new FTN financial backer and adviser Roland Krueger.
Sinclair says Krueger brings a blend of design and executive experience from Dyson and his earlier automotive career, which included senior roles at BMW and Infiniti.
In France’s case, he saw FTN was advertising for a chairman (when it moved to Te Rapa, the founders decided to go with a local). While he wasn’t interested in that role, he did want to come on board as an adviser. Sinclair said given France joined Rocket Lab in 2014, when it was still essentially in start-up mode, then oversaw huge growth in its operations, he’s well-placed to whip FTN’s structure and systems into place as it seeks to scale up.
FTN Motion founders Luke Sinclair, Kendall Bristow and Saskia Thornton with a selection of Streetdogs. Photo / Alastair McKenzie
Unlike many start-ups, Sinclair isn’t promising rampant growth, however. He says while eventually FTN wants to expand further afield, its immediate focus is on producing 700 to 800 bikes per year for the Australasian market.
He wants to keep manufacturing local (key components are made in Te Rapa, where final assembly also takes place).
“It gives us more control over quality, reduces lead times and makes it easier to fix things,” Sinclair says.
“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,” France says.
“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.
“The Streetdog is brilliant in its simplicity,” Krueger says.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
