Battery Boss: Stephen Chan's Rise to the Top

Stephen Chan, founder and CEO of Inforich, is a rare example of a musician-turned-executive who has successfully transitioned to a leadership role. Born in Hong Kong to a Hakka-Chinese father and a Japanese mother, Chan's multicultural background has been instrumental in shaping his business philosophy of 'bridging beyond borders.'

Before founding Inforich, the parent company of portable battery sharing service ChargeSpot, Chan consulted for Japanese consumer brands like Kagome and Ichiran. He helped them establish footholds in Hong Kong by understanding their core needs and not just language.

ChargeSpot has grown rapidly since its debut in Japan in 2018, with nearly 96,000 rental stations across ten markets. The company's success can be attributed to Chan's simple and direct business model, which relies on light blue kiosks at street corners and shopping centers waiting for passers-by to run out of battery.

In February 2026, Inforich agreed to a management buyout backed by Bain Capital in a deal valued at roughly 50 billion yen. The move was about giving the business room to invest ahead of growth, without the constraints of quarterly shareholder expectations, Chan said.