Ian Alexander Ang Zheng Wei (born c. 1992) is a Singaporean entrepreneur and businessman. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of gaming chair company Secretlab.
Ian Ang | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ian Alexander Ang Zheng Wei c. 1992 (age 31–32) Singapore |
| Title | Co-founder and CEO of Secretlab |
Career edit
In December 2014,[1] while enrolled in an Information Systems undergraduate course,[2] Ang partnered with fellow competitive esports player Alaric Choo to found the startup company Secretlab, which would design and produce gaming chairs.[3] According to Ang, he decided to venture into the gaming chair industry because he could not find a chair "that would be comfortable, functional, look good and have a local warranty".[4] Ang became the company's chief executive officer (CEO), overseeing engineering, marketing, and product strategy,[5] while also adopting the informal Game of Thrones-inspired corporate title of "Protector of the Realm".[6] With a starting capital of S$50,000 derived from his and Choo's personal savings,[6] Secretlab quickly found success and reached a reported market capitalisation of S$200–300 million in August 2019.[7] In 2020, Secretlab sold its millionth chair.[8]
Personal life edit
Born around 1992 in Singapore, Ang was the second of two children. While his parents tended to their automobile repair shop, he spent much of his childhood in Chong Pang with his aunt. He attended Chongfu Primary School and Orchid Park Secondary School, later graduating from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in business studies.[2] In his teenage years, Ang was also a competitive esports player who won a regional StarCraft II competition.[6] In June 2021, Ang spent S$36 million on a 23,424 square foot (2,176.2 m2) bungalow near the Singapore Polo Club, as well as S$15 million on a 7,007 square foot (651.0 m2) triplex flat at Leedon Residence near Farrer Road.[9]
Recognition edit
Ang was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2018.[10] In November 2020, he was named Singapore's Entrepreneur of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year for consumer products by Ernst & Young,[11] becoming the award ceremony's youngest-ever winner.[1] The same year, Ang was nominated for the Singaporean of the Year award presented by The Straits Times.[12] In September 2022, he was named Young Business Leader of the Year at the 37th Singapore Business Awards.[13]
References edit
- ^ a b Tee, Karen (1 January 2021). "Secretlab Co-Founders Ian Ang and Alaric Choo on the Meteoric Rise of Their Gaming Chair Company". Tatler Singapore.
- ^ a b Tan, Sumiko (29 November 2020). "Lunch With Sumiko: One great idea later, Secretlab CEO Ian Ang has 70% stake in multimillion-dollar business". The Straits Times.
- ^ Lee, U-wen (27 April 2020). "Game on: Secretlab goes from startup to global brand in 5 years". The Business Times.
- ^ Goh, Yan Han (21 December 2020). "Secret to their gaming chair success? Grit and passion". The Straits Times.
- ^ Salim, Zafirah (23 July 2020). "These S'poreans Started Secretlab In Their 20s, Now It's A $300M Global Gaming Chair Company". Vulcan Post.
- ^ a b c Yap, Cara (28 October 2020). "'I was definitely not a good student': Secretlab co-founder Ian Ang". Channel News Asia.
- ^ Choo, Yun Ting (13 August 2019). "Temasek's Heliconia to invest millions in local gaming chair company Secretlab". The Straits Times.
- ^ Lai, Leila (11 February 2021). "Secretlab: Gaming chairs draw new following". The Business Times.
- ^ Leong, Grace (30 June 2021). "Secretlab gaming chair co-founder Ian Ang snaps up GCB, penthouse for $51m". The Straits Times.
- ^ Sregantan, Navin (28 March 2018). "24 in Singapore make it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list". The Straits Times.
- ^ Ng, Charmaine (9 November 2020). "Secretlab co-founder Ian Ang named Singapore's Entrepreneur of the Year". The Straits Times.
- ^ Goh, Yan Han (25 December 2020). "ST Singaporean of the Year 2020: Secretlab co-founders take gaming chairs to the next level". The Straits Times.
- ^ See, Sharon (23 September 2022). "Local business leaders celebrated at Singapore Business Awards". The Business Times.
