I had a $1M dream, and the universe answered.

A lot of people asked me how I came up with the First-Of-A-Kind Sand Battery, and the answer to that is not straightforward. Let me begin.

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟵-𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟭: I had a small team of fewer than 10 people doing software outsourcing for startups. This marked the beginning of a small-scale “software lab.”

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯-𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲: I successfully grew another software company, with 100 full-time employees doing software and some early IoT projects. I personally built and operated over 100 teams, small and large, for different businesses. 99% of those projects no longer exist; the 1% that does, did really well. This is the first full-scale lab that I’m proud of establishing. We had a crazy run, and unofficially became known as the SSS “mafia,” ending with the Grab acquisition.

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟳: Joining Grab was one of the most disruptive decisions ever. It lasted briefly for 8 months, but then I was labeled as the “Grab CTO guy.” I never liked it, as what I learned in the corporate environment was the opposite of how I envisioned an innovation lab. So I quit and broke the golden handcuffs. Not a single regret, except that people still refer to me as the "ex-Grab guy" =/

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭: Tired of software development, I tried my hand at investment. Seeing the startup world from the investor’s lens was interesting yet not rewarding. I did get to see a lot of startups in their early stages. With my previous experience in building startups for others, I really wanted to guide them, but I could not help all of them on their journey scaling up technology. I realized that despite my best intentions, the hand-holding effort was just too much.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮: Getting bored again with investment, I ventured into the lowest layer of software technology (data layer) just when the pandemic came. We remained a small team after 2 years due to the working conditions and various external factors that led to a less-than-ideal hybrid work culture. I knew it had to change, but given the nature of Business Intelligence consulting work, it was not the same environment as a true technology innovation lab.

So… this is where it truly begins. At the end of 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, out of a moment of frustration, I casually shared my idea with a colleague over the phone: I said that I wished someone would just loan me 💰 $1M to start my lab and make money because I knew exactly what I needed to do with that money.

At the start of 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, I registered a company called Alpha Bits, with the hope that we will always be at the forefront of technology, the alphas in the tech space. The “Bits” refers to everything that powers the technology world today, including software, hardware, IoT, embedded, AI, Industrial machinery… you get the idea. I wanted to bring a data-driven approach to IoT/manufacturing in nearby Binh Duong city, and yes, it sounded crazy back then. My cofounder didn’t see the changing world order, while I clearly saw the shift in global manufacturing with Vietnam being one of the centers of attention.

Shortly after that, in 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, I registered another company called Alternō to receive funding for one of the IoT projects I was working on personally at home, literally out of my apartment's balcony with a single solar panel. The initial intention is just to separate the finances with other projects clearly.

Did you get the story yet? If not, allow me to elaborate further.

Given my background and how technology runs in my blood since a young age, I learned deeply about every technology I worked with. I can remember every piece of tech I touch. By first principle, the lowest layer of software is already data. I could not go any lower unless I wanted to go into the Data Center business, which I didn’t like. So I looked into lateral domains, which led me to IoT. I realized that Vietnam has a great pool of raw hardware talent. Most of them are underpaid and under-appreciated, at all levels, from fresh graduates to esteemed professors. What they lack in common is a business leader, someone to help them with the abstract business side of things. They needed a 3-way bridge between science, technology, and business.

Gradually, over the past year growing Alternō, I started to see the gap with clarity—the gap between Science Innovation, Production-grade Technology, and the Business Commercialization aspect. It is a wide gap that has been bridged in various countries such as Singapore and the US. Despite such, this gap in less developed countries is almost impossible to cross.

Knowing that only solidified my ultimate dream in life, something that I have actually done the entire time: building a bridge to fill the gap, allowing scientists to break the innovation boundary, followed by a solid plan to bring the ideas into commercialization, all while having a sustainable space to work and be creative.

𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, Alternō received our Seed funding of $𝟭.𝟱𝗠 to fuel our next stages. No doubt it was a whole team effort. I started the idea, but I was not the actual person to build the physical production sand battery; my team did. Finally… if you didn’t catch my story until now: I did ask the universe for a big cheque, and somehow it came true.

What’s next, you might wonder. What’s bigger than a lab? What can hold 100 scientists in one place? Where can I hold an event of 1000 people to showcase applications of Sand Batteries?

Here is my manifesto and my ask from the universe in the next 10 years:

• I envision building a Center for Thermal Energy Applications in Vietnam.

• This will be located next to the top Agricultural Universities across the three cities: Saigon, Da Nang, and Hanoi.

• I want to host 100 working scientists in this space.

• I want to host 1000 students and interns in various projects doing real product development work for thermal applications, not just research.

• I want to replicate this in all S.E.A countries in the next 10 years.

Here is an illustration made in 2016 by my SSS team. This cartoon strip depicts my journey all along. Looking back, maybe my team saw this even before I believed in myself years later.