Omoway, an electric motorcycle maker, has completed its seed and angel funding rounds, raising a combined eight-figure USD sum. The funding was jointly led by ZhenFund, HongShan, and Hui Capital, with founder He Tao and the core team also participating. The funds will support mass production and ongoing R&D efforts.
Founded in 2024, Omoway was established by former Xpeng Motors co-founder He, alongside Jiao Qingchun, a former vice president at Xpeng. The core team includes Xiao Zhiguang, former head of Xpeng’s autonomous driving unit; P7 design director Zhang Lihua; and Chen Bifeng, former head of Vivo’s Indonesia operations, who now leads Omoway’s regional market expansion.
On June 20, Omoway introduced its first smart electric motorcycle prototype, the Omo X, at an event in Jakarta, Indonesia. The vehicle drove itself onto the stage in autonomous mode.
According to 36Kr, the production version of the Omo X is scheduled to be unveiled later this year, with a market launch in Indonesia expected in 2026.
Omoway is positioning Indonesia as its entry point into the global market.
Southeast Asia represents a significant portion of the global motorcycle market. According to 36Kr, research indicates that the region accounted for 24% of global sales in 2023, with an ownership base of 250 million vehicles and 12.42 million units sold that year. Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand led the market.
In Indonesia, motorcycles serve as essential daily transport due to limited public transit options and the high cost of car ownership. The country is the world’s third largest motorcycle market, with over 120 million motorcycles in use, equating to roughly one for every two people. In 2024, motorcycle sales surpassed 6.3 million units. Internal combustion engine models, primarily from Japanese and South Korean manufacturers, reportedly dominate more than 96% of the market.
Over the past two years, Indonesia’s electric two-wheeler market has expanded rapidly, supported by a more developed local supply chain. Government policies promoting the transition to electric vehicles have helped electric motorcycle sales grow nearly 400% in 2024, although the overall penetration remains limited.
“Indonesians tend to commute long distances and ride frequently,” Omoway’s head of finance and capital Cai Yujie told 36Kr. “Many people not only use motorcycles for daily commutes, but also travel across cities on weekends, often for four to five hours each way. As a result, there’s high demand for performance in terms of load capacity, speed, range, and versatility. Current electric bike models mainly serve short distance travel, like students or stay-at-home parents. But the heavy-duty electric motorcycle segment still lacks strong contenders with robust product capabilities, supply chain control, and localization strategies.”
Founder He said the team carried out a yearlong market study in Indonesia, visiting both urban and rural areas across Java and engaging with local distributors and users. Omoway has since built preliminary partnerships with several regional dealers. Drawing on its automotive supply chain experience, the company claims to exceed traditional two-wheeler quality standards while managing production costs. Local manufacturing operations have already begun.
Omoway’s first electric motorcycle was customized for the Indonesian market, incorporating automotive-grade smart driving technologies adapted for two-wheelers.
The Omo X runs on Omoway’s proprietary Halo full-domain smart development architecture. Its Halo Pilot system uses visual sensing and self-balancing features to support stability at low speeds. The system also offers adaptive cruise control, one-touch parking, and remote summon functionality.
On the safety front, Halo Pilot uses advanced sensing algorithms, artificial intelligence, and big data models for real-time environmental monitoring. It includes multidirectional collision alerts and a collision assist brake (CAB) system, which applies braking when it detects imminent threats the rider does not respond to, reducing potential impact severity.
In terms of design, the Omo X introduces a convertible frame that enables users to switch between step-through, straddle, and touring modes.
Omoway maintains two headquarters: one in Guangzhou for R&D, and another in Jakarta for production and sales.
“Indonesia is just the beginning,” He said. “Our ultimate goal is to bring highly intelligent products into every household. In the future, our self-developed automotive-grade technologies will be deployed across broader mobility applications. Localization will be the cornerstone of our global expansion strategy.”
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Leslie Zhang for 36Kr.