Building a bridge for SEA’s EV retail ecosystem

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

While working in financial services for auto manufacturers, Hannah Ried saw a major disconnect. Automakers were building innovative electric vehicles (EVs), but fragmented distribution and slow financing made it difficult to reach buyers.

She realized the solution was a unified platform, and after the model was proven in Australia, she founded Evio to bring this digital retail engine to Southeast Asia.

😟 Problem

Digital penetration in Southeast Asia’s auto retail is below 3%, far from the 30% to 50% in mature markets. This leaves billions in potential online sales untapped. The core issue is the lack of a single platform connecting dealers, manufacturers (OEMs), and banks.

For banks, acquiring a single auto loan can cost between US$1,000 to US$3,000. For dealers, sales cycles can take weeks, with conversion rates from foot traffic as low as 10%. OEMs lose 10% to 20% of their margin to dealer markups and lack direct customer relationships or data.

💡 Solution

Evio provides an all-in-one digital platform that unifies the fragmented electric vehicle EV and e-motorcycle buying journey. It is designed as a B2B infrastructure solution for OEMs, dealers, and financial partners.

Evio’s core features include:

• Omnichannel marketplace: A platform with real-time inventory, digital showrooms, and integrated test drive booking.
• Embedded finance: Instant pre-approvals, diverse payment models, and automated detection of government subsidies across six SEA markets.
• Dealer operations tools: A mobile-first sales hub with CRM, inventory management, and real-time analytics.
• Ecosystem management: An API-first architecture that supports white-label microsites for partners and battery-swap integrations for e-fleets.

Image credit: Evio

📊 Market size

Evio is targeting an annual transaction opportunity of US$5 billion to US$15 billion in Southeast Asia. The region’s EV market is growing at a 38% compound annual growth rate. This growth is driven by government incentives, increasing fintech maturity, and a robust digital payment ecosystem.

🤝 Team

• Hannah Ried. CEO and founder. She has a background in finance and sales with luxury auto brands and holds an executive MBA.
• Brendon Wright. COO. He has over 20 years of experience in auto tech engineering, vehicle testing, and OEM integrations.

🚀 Traction

The company’s model was validated in Australia with several key strategic partners.

🏆 Competition

💰 Financials