Driven to start his own businesses so that he can invest in them

CEO of EV solutions business has tried his hand at firms ranging from cars to furniture

- Sue-Ann Tan

For Mr Rayson Lee, investing is about putting money into his own businesses, and not in other companies' stocks.

It is no surprise he became his own boss when he was 23, starting The Wheelers Auto, an automobile distribution business.

"No stocks, no bonds - just me, my instincts, and a willingness to hustle," he said when asked what his first investment was.

A decade on, the 33-year-old has since tried his hand at a range of companies, from cars to furniture. He is currently the chief executive of Novowatt, which provides charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs). This supports Singapore's shift to sustainable mobility, he added.

"Our goal is to accelerate Singapore's transition to sustainable mobility by solving infrastructure pain points and making EV ownership as effortless as possible," he said.

The company's primary business is installing EV chargers in condominiums and landed properties across Singapore.

Mr Lee credits his father for his entrepreneurial spirit.

"My dad was my first teacher when it came to money," he said. "He ran a logistics business, and I saw at first hand how money wasn't just something you saved - it was something you had to put to work. I learnt that it's not about how much you have, but how you use it."

Mr Lee also turned his childhood hobby of collecting toy cars into a business.

"I guess I've always been drawn to things that involve movement - maybe that's why I ended up in mobility and transportation," he said.

Before starting his own business, he also cut his teeth as a sales executive at Swee Seng Motors, where he learnt the ins and outs of the automobile industry.

"It was there that I truly understood how to sell, negotiate, and build relationships with customers. That experience laid the foundation for my own automobile trading business, which I later started," he said.