153: The Mega (and Profitable!) Micromobility Market of South Korea - the story of Swing with founder San Kim

153: The Mega (and Profitable!) Micromobility Market of South Korea - the story of Swing with founder San Kim

Author: Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu October 25, 2022 Duration: 1:03:17

This week Oliver interviews San Kim, founder and CEO of Swing Scooters, the largest shared micromobility operator in South Korea. 

South Korea is one of the worlds biggest shared micro markets and also one of the most underreported. This interview lifts the lid on the growth of the space and why the unique regulatory environment, high incomes, dense urban environment and other factors has contributed to one of the highest levels of penetration per capita for shared than anywhere else on the planet. 


In this great first exclusive interview with San, they unpack:


  • The background of San at Softbank and auto companies and how that perspective gave him the idea for Swing
  • How they got into the scooter game initially
  • The South Korean landscape - players, regulations and other contributing factors
  • How they’ve managed to build such a strong operational team and how that compares relative to other companies around the world
  • How he’s thinking about growing the company - focus on competition vs expansion
  • How they’ve raised capital over time

To learn more about San and Swing Scooters, visit his LinkedIn page.


Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.

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Ed Niedermeyer, an author and analyst with a sharp focus on the automotive world, guides Ride AI alongside co-hosts Horace Dediu, Oliver Bruce, and James Gross. Together, they navigate the complex intersection where artificial intelligence meets transportation, a space that's rapidly reshaping how we think about movement, business, and urban life. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a deep exploration of the forces driving change, from autonomous vehicles and electric scooters to the broader economic and societal shifts they trigger. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the strategies and struggles of founders, investors, and engineers who are building the future of mobility. You'll hear candid discussions that go beyond the hype, focusing on the practical realities of investment, the nuances of technological adoption, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in the field. For anyone curious about the business models behind the tech or the investment theses shaping this volatile sector, this podcast offers a grounded, insightful perspective. Tune in for conversations that are as much about the journey of innovation as they are about the destination.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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