Business career
After fulfilling his military service, he worked in the finance sector, focusing on business operations. [6] [7]
In 2004, Zou conceived the idea for a carpooling application while serving in the Navy, although it was not until 2014 that he left his finance position to establish Ryde Group Ltd. [3]
Ryde Group Ltd
In 2014, Zou founded Ryde Group, a company providing ride-hailing and carpooling services. In 2016, [8] the company secured S$1 million in funding from a venture capital firm, [9] followed by an additional S$2.5 million. By 2017, the company entered into a strategic partnership with ComfortDelGro, a Singapore-based transport operator. [10] [11] By 2020, Ryde had raised US$9.5 million from several investors, including SEA Ltd, the parent company of Shopee, which led two of the funding rounds in 2016 and 2017. [12] [13]
In 2020, Zou introduced the Ryde Education Merit Awards to recognize the academic achievements of driver-partners' children, later expanding the program to include scholarships. [5] In March 2024, under Zou's leadership, Ryde went public on the New York Stock Exchange, raising US$12 million through its initial public offering (IPO). In September 2024, the company raised an additional US$4.5 million through a public offering. [2]
In 2025, Zou oversaw Ryde's partnership with Tencent Cloud to integrate its AI ecosystem, into the app to support customer and driver interactions. [14] [15] The same year, the company partnered with MooVita, an autonomous vehicle technology firm, to propose a driverless shuttle service in Punggol in the fourth quarter of 2025. [16] On 8 September 2025, Ryde announced a securities purchase agreement intended to raise approximately US$1.6 million. [17]
