On 8th March 2024, I sat down for lunch with Julie, curious to hear about her new project but unaware of how life-changing that conversation would be. I’d been thinking about how I could contribute something meaningful to society—something with real impact—but hadn’t figured out what that might be. Julie’s vision for Ivygo turned out to be the spark I didn’t know I was waiting for.
She described her idea: a platform to make EV charging accessible and convenient, where hosts could share their chargers with drivers based on availability and cost. It was a simple yet powerful concept, and as Julie spoke, I could already picture the positive impact it could have in accelerating the shift to sustainable transport. She explained that she was validating the idea through an accelerator program with the Founder Institute and was searching for a tech co-founder to bring it to life.
Julie and I had worked together at ASX for two years before and had always shared a strong working relationship built on mutual respect and complementary skills. When she mentioned I was the first person she thought of, I felt both honoured and proud. That lunch marked the beginning of an incredible journey.
As a first-time co-founder of a climate tech startup, I felt equal parts excitement and nerves about the challenge ahead. Looking back now, I couldn’t be more grateful for that moment and everything it set into motion.
By the end of April 2024, Julie and I had completed 40 user interviews, validating the problem’s scale and confirming that people were willing to pay for our solution. With that validation, we kicked off our first MVP sprint—a crucial step in turning our vision into reality.
It wasn’t just about writing code or configuring servers; it was about bringing an idea to life. Every meeting, every brainstorming session, and every late-night Slack message brought us closer to seeing Ivygo take shape.
Our team is small but mighty. On the development front I am supported by Gagan, Shivam, and Emi—a group of passionate developers determined to create something meaningful. Each of us brought unique strengths to the table, and together, we poured our energy into solving the challenges of building a platform from scratch.
By October, we hit a major milestone: the alpha launch. We invited a select group of users to test the app, and their feedback was invaluable. Some days, it felt like for every feature we launched, there were ten more things to fix or improve. But that’s the nature of building something new, isn’t it? Each bug squashed and every user story completed brought us closer to our vision.
And now, in December 2024, I’m thrilled to share that Ivygo is live on both Android and iOS! It’s hard to put into words the feeling of seeing the app available for download, knowing the countless hours of work and collaboration that went into it. What started as an idea over lunch has turned into a fully realised platform, one that I believe will make EV charging more accessible and convenient for everyone.
This journey has been about more than just technology; it’s been about people. Julie’s vision, the dedication of my team, and the feedback from our early users all played a critical role in getting us here. As a first-time CTO, this experience has taught me the power of perseverance, teamwork, and embracing the unknown.
To anyone with an idea in their heart: take that first baby step. The road ahead might be challenging, but every steps brings you closer to something amazing. Here’s to IvyGo’s launch and the many milestones the to come!
