Open For Business

How did a college dropout selling PCs and web hosting services build a 9-figure digital powerhouse? In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Chan Kee Siak, Founder and CEO of Exabytes Group, an all-in-one provider of business, cloud, digital, and eCommerce solutions. Founded in 2001 as a small web hosting service in Penang, Exabytes now serves 160,000 businesses across 121 countries, wi...

On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Andy Chaw, Founder of Trendz360. They’re a global lifestyle group with wholly owned subsidiaries in 8 markets, with Singapore being their central base of operations. Andy will be giving us a sense of the growth and evolution of Trendz360 from inception to the global brand distributor that the business is today, the challenges of managing a global...

How did a Silicon Valley property play become a global corporate innovation driver and VC firm? In this episode of Open For Business, Jojo Flores, Co-Founder of Plug and Play, shares how a Silicon Valley real estate play in 2006/2007 has turned into a global innovation platform and early-stage startup investor. Plug and Play now operates across 50+ locations, running accelerator programs, corporat...

Today on Open For Business, Augustine Edwards talks about how he founded AES Academy. From a kid fascinated by loudspeakers his brother gave him, he turned his passion into a full-blown career, mastering the art of audio engineering. AES Academy is a launchpad for the next wave of audio wizards, blending technical expertise with creative innovation. He shares the ups and downs of starting an acade...

BookXcess began in 2007 with just 5,000 remaindered books. Today, it’s on track to hit RM100 million in sales, working directly with publishers to fulfil its mission of making books more affordable and accessible. In 2009, Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng launched the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, which has since become a global cultural phenomenon and has expanded to 37 cities in 14 countries, attracting 3...

No entrepreneur left behind? That seems to be the driving force behind GUIDE, an early-stage venture studio and advisory firm founded by Neil Cheong and Alvin Chin. In this episode of Open for Business, we explore how GUIDE aims to provide venture education, hands-on support, and mentorship to founders and entrepreneurs, all while building a scalable business for themselves. We delve into their tr...

We speak with Ting Mao, Founder at Sunnystep, a science-based footwear company for walking enthusiasts, active travellers and urban families. We’ll be discussing the story behind Sunnystep and how it all started after a horrible injury, the differences between their products with other more renowned footwear brands, the challenges faced and opportunities ahead for the business. Image Credit: mysun...

“A lot of studio owners are very distracted. So when it comes to looking at who are our worthy rival, I will look at the founders. Then I will kind of know whether or not they will still be our rival in a year’s time. ” Curious how a small 1200 sq ft fitness studio in Melaka expanded into Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, and the larger ambition behind these moves? In this episode of Open For Business, we...

This morning on the show, we speak with David Ng, Founder at Savor, a local F&B outlet aiming to encourage healthier lifestyles with their plant based meals. David started the business with his wife, Beverly, and business partner, Peter back in 2019 after originally starting in the lifestyle coaching field. Their commitment to health and wellness goes beyond the plate as they have not only est...

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Casper Foo and Lye Yu Min, the co-founders of co-working space Sandbox. Launched in 2017 with an initial RM300,000 investment, Sandbox has grown into a community-driven space attracting freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs. As they compete with larger players like WORQ and Common Ground, Casper and Yu Min share the challenges they’ve...

What does it take to build a localized large language model (LLM) in Malaysia? In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Khalil Nooh, Co-Founder & CEO of Mesolitica, about how his startup is developing Malaysia’s own LLM, MaLLaM, and the challenges of AI sovereignty in the region. Khalil dives into his journey from early Natural Language Processing projects to creating an LLM tailore...

Be it in the morning, evening, or throughout the day, tea has never been left out of the list of Malaysian staples, with a variety of flavours for everyone to enjoy. In this episode, we bring you one of the flavours with Kavievanan Subramaniam, the Founder of Tea Thambi, a local name that has become renowned for its distinctive and pleasant masala chai in Kuala Lumpur. Kavievanan started his journ...

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Inbaraj Suppiah, Founder of JomHack, to explore his journey from running a creative agency (Pixaworks Creative Sdn Bhd) to leading hackathons that help businesses foster innovation, acquire talent, and solve complex challenges. Tune in to learn how JomHack and Inbaraj have become a key players in corporate innovation and community building, an...

In this episode, we sit down with Peter Vesterbacka, the visionary entrepreneur best known for his role in turning Angry Birds into a global phenomenon during his time at Rovio Entertainment. Beyond gaming, Peter has been a key figure in the startup and education ecosystems, driving innovation and future-thinking in a variety of fields. We explore his journey from building one of the most recognis...

From a pregnancy craving to a multi-million ringgit business, in this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Rosli Manaf, Co-Founder of Homebaker@Clover, to explore the journey of building a successful bakery chain specialising in cinnamon rolls. Rosli shares how this passion project grew into a thriving business with 11 outlets across the Klang Valley, the challenges of scaling in the eve...

In this episode of Open For Business, we speak to Cindy Woon, Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Belly Happy, a business offering a range of snacks, homemade drinks, and ready-to-eat meals. Cindy shares how she left her corporate job to pursue her entrepreneurial journey, the early challenges of starting Belly Happy, and how the business has grown from bazaars to partnerships with hotels. Tune...

Today on the show, we speak with Ilyas Alsagoff, Co-Founder and Director at Sugar and I, a local bakery outlet that sells homemade desserts and are famously known for their bomboloni. Founded in 2013 by Ilyas and his sister, Sharifah Nur Ilisa, Sugar and I began when the siblings started baking brownies for their parents with a heartwarming mission: to bring joy through baking. 9 years later, thei...

In this episode of Open For Business, we delve into the story of Katch, a platform aiming to simplify the health, fitness, and wellness industries by integrating booking management and other backend processes with platform services (think ClassPass), and marketing. We explore how Katch is trying to address the sector's challenges like improving visibility, reducing high commission fees, and unifyi...

The pet tech market, according to reports by Research Nester and Global Market Insights, is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 16% from 2023. This growth is driven by increasing pet ownership, technological advancements, and a rising focus on pet health and wellness. Today, we speak with Richard Nilsso...

Today on the show, we speak with Seth Casden, CEO & Co-Founder at Hologenix. They’re a material science company that develops products that amplify human potential, including their flagship product CELLIANT. It’s a bio-responsive infrared textile that transforms body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy. Seth founded the company back in 2002 after previously working as a financial analyst a...

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Ian Wong and Kimberly Law, co-founders of Uno Advisers, a financial planning firm with a mission to empower women through personalised financial planning. Founded in 2021 and officially launching in 2023, Uno Advisers says it is taking a fresh, client-focused approach to the traditionally product-pushing financial services industry. Ian and Ki...

Co-founded by the twin brothers, Andy Gan and Chris Gan, back in 2014, TWINS Education has earned a reputation for excellence over the years, offering personalised learning experiences for student’s needs. With a focus on International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A-level tuition. Additionally, TWINS Education also offers IELTS preparation courses, and enrichment programm...

Today on the show, we speak with Melly Ling, CEO and Co-Founder of Mole, a local startup that has built an all-in-one networking platform with their very own business card and networking app. They are essentially a networking tool that connects people at events and conferences, with the aim of turning every interaction into lasting insights. To tackle the downsides of networking events, Mole has i...

In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Kristoffer Jacek Soh and Benjamin Long, co-founders of Beep Technologies, a company that started by enabling cashless transactions for vending machines and has since evolved to address Southeast Asia’s fragmented EV charging ecosystem. Founded in 2018, Beep now operates Southeast Asia’s largest EV roaming network through its Voltality platform, c...

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Chang Lih Yen and Chan Qi Yang, Co-founders and Managing Directors of FinKnight, a Malaysia-based financial advisory startup. Initially launched as Beetle Knight Advisory, the company rebranded to FinKnight in 2023 to better reflect its mission of simplifying financial management for startups and SMEs. To support this ambition, FinKnight secur...