The Vietnam Lawsuit - A Timeline of Wrongful Termination (SAND - Part 11)

In the previous story, I shared the transition from the Sand Battery journey to the launch of Thermion ICE Battery, focusing on the future of thermal energy storage. However, the past continues to cast a long shadow, particularly concerning the events that unfolded in Vietnam and led to a legal battle over my employment with Alternō Vietnam.

This part delves into the timeline of that dispute, outlining the sequence of events that culminated in what my legal team and I firmly believe was a wrongful termination act. A story of shifting roles, broken communication, and actions taken behind the scenes that ultimately forced me to seek legal recourse.

✍🏻 Shifting Roles and Future Plans (July 2024)

By early July 2024, it was clear that the internal dynamics within Alternō were becoming increasingly strained. Recognizing the deteriorating situation and wanting to refocus my energy on what I do best: crazy innovation, I made a difficult decision. On July 9th, 2024, I formally proposed stepping down from the CEO role of Alternō Singapore to become the Chief Scientist Officer (CSO). My intention was clear: remove myself from the day-to-day operational conflicts and dedicate my time purely to research and development. The scope for CSO was not determined then.

Crucially, this change only applied to Alternō Singapore. I remained a full-time employee of Alternō Vietnam under a permanent contract. My commitment to the technical vision was unwavering. I even proposed a detailed research plan to Hai Ho and Nam Nguyen: a budget of approximately USD $120,000 per year to conduct ten distinct experiments focused on developing consumer and domestic applications for the Sand Battery technology. My hope was that one or two of these experiments would prove viable for production, a phase where Nam’s strengths lay, complementing my focus on new innovation.

I envisioned relocating to Da Nang to establish a dedicated research space, potentially including a Digital Farm experience center to showcase practical applications, away from the operational center but deeply focused on advancing the technology. Well, all my plans were flushed down the drain because of what happened next.

😡 Actions Behind the Scenes (July 2024)

What I didn't know was that just one day after my reassignment of role, on July 10th, 2024, Hai Ho and Nam Nguyen met with Erik Jonsson of Antler Vietnam. I was not invited nor informed about this meeting, remember that I was still CEO of Alterno Vietnam then. In hindsight, knowing what I know now, it seems probable that my decision to step down as CEO of the Singapore entity was misrepresented, perhaps portrayed as a complete departure, despite my continued employment in Vietnam and my detailed research proposal.

Read carefully, I did not quit! Indeed, I have never given up the dreams.

At the time, however, my mind was elsewhere. My wedding was scheduled for July 22nd, 2024, in Hoi An. In the lead-up, preoccupied with personal arrangements and needing to travel, I signed over the necessary legal and tax representation authority for Alternō Vietnam to Hai Ho, who was acting as CEO of the Vietnamese entity. It seemed like a standard administrative step given my upcoming absence. I had no reason to suspect this trust would be misplaced or that a setup was already in motion.

🫥 The Blindsided AGM and Subsequent Efforts (August - September 2024)

After my wedding and a brief break, I returned, ready to define my new role as CSO. The first Annual General Meeting (AGM) ever was scheduled for August 8th, 2024. This was an offline meeting held at the Alternō Lab in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City. Tu Ngo and Trang Nguyen from Touchstone VC were present, representing the 4th Board member on the board.

During this meeting, I was completely blindsided. It became apparent that my scope as CSO had not been defined or even seriously considered. Key issues were glossed over. Feeling ambushed and realizing the lack of clarity around my role and the research direction, I formally requested another meeting involving the full board including the eight observers to properly determine my responsibilities and the strategic plan for the research I had proposed.

Despite initiating an email chain to arrange this crucial follow-up meeting, it never materialized. My attempts to formalize my role and research mandate were consistently stonewalled by Hai, Nam. This was followed by calls for "extraordinary meetings" scheduled at highly inconvenient times and, perplexingly, in locations like Bangkok – far removed from our operational base in Vietnam and seemingly designed to make attendance difficult or impossible for me. It became increasingly clear that these were not good-faith attempts at resolution but rather procedural steps in a pre-planned setup.

Some of the board members knew about it, including Touchstone, The Radical Fund, Antler teams. Tu Ngo from Touchstone questioned Hai and Nam on these meetings, and I never got a proper answer because ... they didn't cc me in the response.

During this uncertain period in August and September, while trying to navigate the internal roadblocks, I proactively engaged with stakeholders. I spoke individually with every.single.one the investors involved, sharing my side of the story, reiterating my commitment, and outlining my vision for Alternō's future, including the potential Digital Farm experience center in Da Nang. I also reached out to potential partners in related fields, exploring collaborations with rice farms for agricultural applications and even discussing possibilities with companies like VOX Cool (based in Da Nang), who were working on Cold Battery technology, trying to chart a balanced path forward for myself and Alternō.

It was during these conversations that I accidentally stumbled upon confirmation of the July 10th meeting. When speaking directly to Erik Jonsson and Anh Hoang on 12nd September 2024 at Sentry office, I asked about any recent discussions regarding Alternō. He briefly acknowledged the meeting with Hai and Nam but avoiding any details (simply forgot). Not knowing the full context then, I didn't press further, but the seed of suspicion was planted.

Adding to the disconnect, throughout the entire journey since beginning and even until today, Nam Nguyen, the co-founder focused on production, was mostly away from the physical workspace. He was working remotely from Hanoi and seldom visited the lab in Ho Chi Minh City where the core technical work and team interactions were happening.

On another side note both Hai and Nam took some time off to care for their newborns in the months of May-July 2023, during this time I had to work extra hard to cover up for them for weeks, not letting investors know that they are having personal matters. I thought that when finally I took some time off for my weddings, they will cover for me. Oh boy, i was so wrong....

🔪 The Termination Process Begins
(September - October 2024)

The situation escalated rapidly despite my efforts to engage constructively. On September 10th, 2024, I received an official notice from Alternō Vietnam. Shockingly, it claimed the company had been unable to contact me since August 1st, 2024. This was demonstrably false, given my physical presence and active participation in the AGM on August 8th, and my documented communication attempts and investor conversations throughout August. This notice felt like a manufactured pretext, laying the groundwork for further action, indeed it was.

What made this even more disconcerting was the apparent awareness and subsequent silence of the investors. Having spoken to them directly during August and September, outlining the situation and my concerns, it's hard to believe they were unaware that these meetings were part of a setup. Yet, they remained silent, perhaps choosing to hide behind the justification that this was an internal Alternō Vietnam matter in which they could not or chose not to intervene.

Despite protests from both myself and my attorney challenging the validity of these claims and the process being followed, the company proceeded. On October 16th, 2024, my company email account ([email protected]) was terminated, cutting off my access to critical communications and company information. As detailed in Part 8, this termination occurred just 13 days before the USPTO patent was officially approved on October 29th, 2024, a fact I would remain unaware of for another six months.

📣 Crafting the false Narrative: Context is Everything

Recently, an article surfaced attempting to present Alternō's side of the story, quoting an email I sent in September 2024. Predictably, the quote was presented without its crucial context, painting a misleading picture of my contributions and intentions. Let's set the record straight.

The article quotes me saying: “I have found myself contributing very little in terms of scientific advancements to the company, focusing instead on minor financial contributions... If I find that I’m unable to contribute meaningfully to the very creation that I helped build, I would prefer to continue my journey independently... In that scenario, I ask the full board to decide my responsibilities moving forward and will fully accept the decision then.”

This email, titled “Important Board Meeting September 2024,” was sent precisely because I was being systematically sidelined and prevented from contributing meaningfully after the August 8th AGM. My role as CSO remained undefined despite my requests for a simple board meeting, my research proposals were ignored, and the board meeting never happened in September. I simply wanted to ask for an independent budget to continue my work independently in Da Nang, like I said above.

I knew back then that this situation was untenable and that my words might eventually be twisted. The article and premature reporting proves that prediction correct. They have indeed copied my words without giving the proper context, like always.

The irony is profound now. By pushing me out and continuing with unethical & illegal acts, they have inadvertently freed me. While Alternō remains entangled in legal battles and faces growing questions about its conduct and governance, I am now fully focused on building Thermion.Energy, pursuing my vision for Thermal Energy storage independently, and contributing positively to the community. I'm working with angel investors now to make that happen.

Time will tell which path leads to genuine progress.

⏩ The Intervening Months
(October 2024 - March 2025)

The period between my email termination in October 2024 and the first formal mediation session in March 2025 might seem like a quiet gap in this timeline, but it was far from uneventful behind the scenes. While I was locked out of company communications and navigating the initial shock and legal preparations for the wrongful termination case in Vietnam, other issues were brewing.

During these months, based on information that came to light later, it appears Alternō also violated the terms of the Singapore share transfer contract established earlier. The specifics of this are incredibly complex, involving multiple jurisdictions and contractual obligations that deserve their own detailed explanation. The short version: Alterno did not follow the terms of the contract and did not fulfill their payment since 31st March 2025.

Rest assured, I will dedicate a future post to unraveling this particular issue. (As I said, it's complicated.) For now, suffice it to say that the actions taken regarding my employment in Vietnam were happening concurrently with other questionable activities related to the Singaporean entity and shareholder agreements.

🧑🏻‍⚖️ Seeking Resolution: Mediation and Court
(March - April 2025)

With communication channels severed and my employment status unilaterally terminated under false pretenses, legal action became the only recourse.

Fast forward several months. On March 19th, 2025, a formal mediation session was held, attended by my attorney and a representative from Alternō Vietnam, Le Nguyen Cam Trang. The mediation proved unsuccessful in reaching a resolution. Tellingly, Ms. Trang refused to sign the official mediation document, although the document itself remains a valid record of the proceedings.

Following the failed mediation, the path led directly to the courts. On March 20th, 2025, the Vietnamese court officially accepted the case concerning my wrongful termination claim and began its investigation.

A court date was set, and both parties were summoned for April 15th, 2025. My legal team and I were present, prepared to present our case. However, Alternō Vietnam failed to appear.

⌛️ The Wait for Justice

As of today (early June 2025), we are awaiting the scheduling of the next court date for the Vietnam lawsuit. The legal process, particularly when one party seems reluctant to engage, can be frustratingly slow. While I am committed to fighting for my rights and seeking justice through the legal system, I’ve also had to start over, pouring my energy into my other startups like Thermion.

Meanwhile, it appears the Alternō team continues to spread misinformation about my situation and attempts to diminish my contributions to the very technology they now control. It’s a disheartening reality.

⁉️ Questionable roles of Investors

This situation, however, raises broader questions about the role and responsibilities of shareholders and investors when disputes arise within their portfolio companies. The core idea for this technology originated from my work in 2022. I built the initial prototypes, secured early interest, and laid the foundation for Alternō. Yet, the company now seems focused on protracted legal battles rather than innovation.

Throughout the critical months leading up to and following my termination, shareholders were made aware of the escalating situation, the lack of defined roles, the questionable meeting practices, and the breakdown in communication. Despite this awareness, there appears to have been a significant failure to mediate or intervene effectively over a prolonged period.

Investors who backed this venture:

• Antler Vietnam team, lead by Erik Jonsson. The most important people across all lawsuits, yet they have been silent for the last 6+ month. Zero help, zero comm – Still promoting Alterno as of 31st May 2025. I believe that the role (or lack thereof) of Antler team is the greatest factor contributing to the downfall.

Followed by the silent observers:

• Touchstone Partners (Singapore/Vietnam).
• The Radical Fund (Singapore).
• GlocalLink (Singapore) & Impact Square (Korea).
• Leave a Nest Group & Tech Planter (Philippines/Japan).
• Schneider Electric Impact investing fund (Singapore).

And then the newcomers – I guess a proper Due Diligence was not conducted:

• UntroD Capital (Singapore/Japan) joined in early 2025.
• ADB Ventures (Singapore) joined in early 2025.

The role of investors extends beyond providing capital; it inherently includes stewardship and ensuring ethical governance. When presented with evidence of questionable actions, when a founding innovator is pushed out under dubious circumstances, and when a portfolio company becomes embroiled in legal conflicts that hinder its growth, proactive engagement from shareholders is reasonably expected.Instead, a prolonged silence or inaction from those with governance influence allowed the conflict to escalate. This raises serious concerns about the commitment to principles of fairness, ethical oversight, and fostering a healthy innovation ecosystem. Choosing non-intervention, whether actively or passively, in the face of such disputes can implicitly enable detrimental behavior and ultimately harm all stakeholders, including the company itself.

Effective governance and timely mediation are crucial for resolving founder disputes constructively. The failure to exercise this responsibility has contributed significantly to the current situation, diverting resources and attention away from the company’s mission. The innovation ecosystem requires investors who actively uphold ethical standards and ensure accountability, not passive observers when conflicts fester.

This chapter is still being written, dictated now by legal filings and court schedules. It’s another unexpected turn in the Sand Battery saga, highlighting the complex interplay between innovation, business, and the crucial role of effective, responsible governance from shareholders and investors.

[To be continued in Part 12]