Open For Business

How does a magic producer pivot to the wellness industry and build a business generating nearly half a million ringgit in monthly revenue in just over a year? For David Lai, founder of Warrior Plunge, the secrets of the stage are the same secrets to selling high-ticket products. David joins us to share his entrepreneurial journey, from producing shows for magic's biggest stars to selling premium c...

Co-owners Sam Fakhoury and Moustafa Elbaadwihi took over a struggling barbershop and transformed it into Kingsmen Barbershop, a premium grooming brand fit for kings. At their Bukit Damansara location, Kingsmen is redefining what it means to step into a barbershop, with an experience designed to relax, refresh, and recharge the modern gentleman. In this episode, Directors Sam (CEO) and Moustafa (CF...

What if your daily coffee was served not by a person, but by a vending machine? Malaysian startup Otter Barista is deploying its "cafe in a box" vending machines across the Klang Valley, aiming to solve the demand for affordable, consistent, and convenient coffee, especially in high-traffic locations like hospitals. Founder and CEO Eeyong Ho joins us to share her journey of building a seven-figure...

Bilingual education demand is surging and MapleBear is tapping into Malaysia’s multicultural market with its globally respected Canadian curriculum. With Malaysia’s growing parental focus on cognitive development and future employability, and government plans for a bilingual preschool curriculum by 2026, MapleBear’s entry is perfectly timed. This episode with Rafael Mangini, Marketing Director of...

Processing over $2 billion in annual transactions, Aleta Planet has carved out a powerful niche in the crowded fintech space. Their secret? A laser focus on solving the complexities of cross-border payments with China, particularly in the challenging perishable food and fruit sector. Founder and Group Chairman Ryan Gwee joins us to share his journey of building a profitable payments powerhouse. He...

As enterprises rush to adopt AI, many are inadvertently creating "AI chaos", a complex mess of disconnected tools, data silos, and major governance blind spots. Startup Shieldbase AI aims to solve this with a new kind of platform: a unifying operating system for enterprise AI. CEO and Co-Founder Diego Rojas joins us to explain his mission to provide a single layer for AI governance, security, and...

Singapore-based SynVista Energy is investing US$50 million to build a large-scale energy storage manufacturing facility. But what makes Malaysia the right hub for their regional ambitions, and what does this mean for the future of clean energy in Southeast Asia? Executive Director Peter Phang joins us to break down the strategy behind this major investment. He explains their core product, AI-power...

Having surpassed $1 billion in assets under management and serving nearly 450,000 customers globally, Wahed is a key player in the Islamic wealth tech space. But as the company scales, how does its leadership team avoid common missteps while staying true to its core mission? Group CEO Mohsin Siddiqui discusses his role as the operator tasked with taking the company to the next level, their strateg...

Wellness used to be a yoga mat and a green smoothie. These days, it's a billion-dollar industry, a tourism strategy, and, in the case of one Singaporean festival, a full-blown fitness concert. Today, we’re talking about GLOW Festival, the wellness and movement event that’s grown from a niche fitness gathering to Southeast Asia’s biggest stage for sweat, beats, and short-haul getaways. It’s also ca...

After a personal family crisis involving his goddaughter's mental health struggles, this founder set out on a new mission. His startup, Zoala, built an AI-powered mental health platform to provide a crucial early warning system for schools and workplaces, backed by $1.5 million in funding. Founder and CEO Jeff Lee joins us to share his journey and explain how Zoala aims to supplement, not replace,...

Traditional hiring is broken, rewarding polished resumes over actual skills. Singapore-based startup LeapIn aims to fix this by replacing CVs with an "AI recruiter" that assesses skills and potential, not just keywords. Founder and CEO Sara Zhu joins us to share her journey of building a profitable, seven-figure HR Tech company. She explains how their AI-powered platform uses video interviews to a...

Founded in 2004, Summer Academy has grown from a single learning centre into a full education network. And now, it’s launching Malaysia’s first Dutch-inspired secondary school, with happiness as the foundation for lifelong learning. We speak with its Directors, Yanesly Widjaja and Julie Lee, about the evolution of Summer Academy and the opening of Summer International Secondary School (SISS) in Ma...

Angeline Mahsuri Cheah left a career in B2B tech sales to start her own venture from scratch, sparked by a single client request. Five years later, her technology consulting business, Citrus Cloud, is generating multi-million ringgit revenues serving major clients in the telco and financial sectors. Angeline shares her founder journey, from the early days of freelancing to forming a joint venture...

Heirloom vanilla once grew in Malaysia, and Alfred Phua is on a mission to bring it back. Through Vanilla Impact Story, he’s building more than just a business — he’s restoring a forgotten crop, empowering rural farmers, and preserving a slice of agricultural heritage. In this episode, Alfred shares what drew him to vanilla, what it really took to get the business off the ground, and why he believ...

Indonesia's healthcare system faces a critical staffing gap, leaving hospitals under-resourced while many medical professionals seek flexible work. Healthpro.id , an on-demand platform connecting facilities with vetted healthcare workers, is tackling this challenge head-on, having already deployed over 32,000 shifts since its launch. Co-founder Rendy Alfuadi joins us to share their journey of find...

After a family member fell ill from an unregistered supplement, Nash Mohamad set out to fix a broken industry. His biotech startup, Alt Synergy, is now building an AI-powered platform to help brands, especially micro-influencers, launch compliant functional food products without needing a scientific background. Co-founder and CEO Nash Mohamad joins us to explain how their platform acts as a bridge...

Large-scale productions used to dominate the animation industry, but a new wave of creators is proving otherwise. We speak with Charlie Chan, Managing Director of Metal Brain Studio, about how Malaysian-made Oko Lele became a worldwide sensation on YouTube, amassing 3.6 million subscribers and over 4 billion views. From monetising content like an independent creator to licensing IP and launching m...

In a "red ocean" flooded with digital marketing agencies, how does a new player stand out and deliver results that go beyond just creative ideas? For Kredence Creative Solutions (KCS), the answer lies in a results-driven, full-funnel strategy that has seen them grow from a small startup to a seven-figure agency purely on the back of client referrals. Co-Founder and CEO Tan Suet Keem joins us to sh...

Finding a reliable and trustworthy handyman in Malaysia can be a frustrating gamble of opaque pricing and uncertain quality. Handibee is trying to fix this broken market with a different approach: a membership-based home warranty service that offers homeowners peace of mind. Founder and CEO Mohamed Shakir joins us to share how a personal negative experience inspired him to launch Handibee. He brea...

Approaching the RM1 billion milestone and serving over 320,000 users, wealth tech platform Versa is a key player in Malaysia's wealthtech scene. But in a competitive market, how do you build a business focused on fostering long-term financial habits, not just facilitating short-term transactions? Founder and CEO Teoh Wei Xiang joins us to share Versa's journey and its strategic evolution. He discu...

Most people think vegetarian food means salad bowls, grain bowls, and the occasional tofu stir-fry. But what if it could also mean laksa, sambal petai pizza, or even orh-luak – all without the meat, and still full of flavour? That’s the idea behind Roots, a modern vegetarian fusion restaurant founded by Ian Tan and his brothers. Ian shares how he turned familiar Malaysian favourites into plant-bas...

As the pickleball craze sweeps Malaysia, creating a crowded market and talk of a potential bubble, how does a first-mover build a brand that lasts? For Pickle Social Club (PSC), the answer isn't just about courts, it's about creating an integrated wellness ecosystem, a "fourth space" for play, recovery, and community. Founder Mark Choo, who also co-founded Tribe Boxing and is Executive Director of...

Not all innovations are about speed or convenience. Some are about dignity, access, and independence. eBrelle is a Braille-based smart device that lets blind and visually impaired users read, learn, and work, turning digital files into real-time Braille. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Nor Afifah Shabani, Founder and CEO, and Md Fadzli Mohamed, the Non-Executive Director of Edote, the company b...

What began in 2017 as a side hustle to solve Kuala Lumpur's parking shortage has evolved into a B2B2C technology company targeting RM15-20 million in revenues this year. ParkIt is no longer just a marketplace connecting drivers to empty bays; it's an end-to-end parking solutions provider for major asset owners, including Sunway Malls and the Kajang MRT line. Founder and CEO Kyan Liew shares the ei...

How do you make complex STEM subjects like robotics and coding engaging for students, especially those in underserved communities who feel left behind by technology? Malaysian edtech startup GoTechUp believes the answer is gamification, turning learning into a series of captivating missions and simulations. Ainaa Rosli, CEO and Co-Founder of GoTechUp, joins us to share their journey from a single...