Open For Business

We hear from Big Tiny, a property development company transforming the dream of serene, nature-immersed living into a reality. Founded by Jeff Yeo and his co-founders Adrian and Dave, Big Tiny combines eco-friendly tiny homes with the beauty of nature, offering a sustainable travel experience. With an initial investment of S$100,000, they broke even in their first year and now boast a portfolio of...

Paywatch is a financial services company that provides earned wage access (EWA) services to help employees get banked, receive credit, and improve their access to financial products. Richard Kim, Co-Founder and CEO of Paywatch, founded the business in 2019 with his brother Alex. Together, they have built Paywatch as the only bank-backed and regulator-approved Earned Wage Access solution in Asia. T...

Founded in 2017 with the aim to redefine workspaces, Infinity8 today offers dynamic coworking environments that cater to both local and international businesses. With a focus on flexibility and comprehensive support services, Infinity8 provides not just physical space but also recruitment, HR payroll, and enterprise solutions. These offerings make it a differentiating player in easing market entry...

Today, we speak with Ashvin Praveen, Co-founder and CEO of Cleve.ai . They're an AI-powered content workspace for creators to create, get inspired, and organise content with one tool.  Ashvin founded the business back in December 2023 with his co-founders, Lizzie and Rashad, after the company secured funding from Antler, the global early-stage VC firm, earlier this year. Since their inception...

On this episode of Open for Business, we dive into the world of mental wellness with Madiha Fuad, Founder and CEO of PlusVibes. Launched in 2020 during the pandemic, PlusVibes is a platform that combines digital and in-person mental health services, bringing together mental health associations, volunteer listeners, and campaigners on an all-in-one app. With over 50,000 users, PlusVibes provides to...

We speak with Paresh Subramaniyam, Founder and CEO of Engage Life, a wellness company offering holistic health and well-being solutions for individuals and businesses. With clients like Motorola Solutions Malaysia, SME Bank Malaysia, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, and Continental Automotive Components Malaysia, Engage Life covers various dimensions of wellness, including environmental, physical, fina...

"The stress. The quantum of stress. To prepare a case that you need to do the submissions the next day, (that can take) 15-16 hours. You ask the young lawyer, they can't do it, they say they want a work-life balance. A lot of junior lawyers are leaving the profession because of the intense workload and lack of balance." In this episode of Open for Business, we sit down with Francis Lui, Founder, C...

How do you feel when you hear the phrase team building? When your company tells you that you are going on an offsite team building weekend, do you moan and groan, or do you feel supercharged about it? Hopefully, today’s episode on Open for Business will help you - employers and employees alike - see team building in a different light. In the business world today, team building has evolved beyond s...

In this episode of Open for Business, we speak with Dalia Alkatiri, Founder and Managing Director of Bakin Love, a Malaysian-based baking business that sells fail-proof baking premixes to consumers and businesses. Founded in December 2022, Bakin Love is present across e-commerce platforms like Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, and The Noor, but also physical retailers like Village Grocer. Dalia shares her j...

In recent years, Malaysia's digital economy has undergone a remarkable transformation, fundamentally reshaping how consumers interact with businesses and services. The travel sector, in particular, has seen significant shifts, with online transactions becoming an integral part of daily life. This rapid digitalisation, accelerated by the pandemic a few years ago, has changed consumer behaviour and...

With their patented modular edible hydroponic green walls, Grobrix is on a mission to reconnect urban communities with the source of their food, promoting healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. Started between 2019 and 2021, Grobrix has built a presence in more than 70 commercial locations across Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, with ambitious plans to triple its urban farming footprint in 2024. Th...

On this episode of Open for Business, we discuss the evolution of expense management platforms in Malaysia with Ivan Alias, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer at Merchantrade Asia. We'll explore how Merchantrade Asia's latest corporate solution, Merchantrade Money Biz, which is also Malaysia's first corporate wallet, is redefining expense management for businesses of varying sizes and how businesses...

Among some of the key findings from Malaysia’s National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 includes the fact that 15% of adults in Malaysia have diabetes, 29% have hypertension, 33% have high cholesterol, and that 54% are overweight. These health issues are not unique to Malaysia and in response to similar trends in Singapore, Novi Health has entered the chat in an attempt to address these rising co...

Founded in 2018, POMEN has moved from being a B2C platform to a B2B one, now helping connect companies like PETRONAS and Maxis with workshops to help manage their fleets. On top of that, it is also trying to help workshops streamline operations, manage customer relationships, and more. On the back of launching a new product called ENGARAGE - the company aims to double the number of workshops on th...

Malaysia's cuisine is a captivating blend of flavours reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity. With influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous traditions, Malaysian food offers a unique and tantalising blend of spices, herbs, and ingredients. Within this culinary landscape, the pickle industry holds a special place. Pickles, a beloved staple in Malaysian households, are celebr...

Founded in April 2023, Notti Pet Food is a local pet food brand that wants to elevate pet kibble and recently secured RM2.4 million in seed funding from venture capital firms 500 Global and First Move to accelerate its mission. The company crossed RM1 million in revenue in 6 months and is on track to hit RM2 million in revenue for its first year in business. With aims to hit 8-figures in revenue i...

Aonic was born as a commercial drone solutions provider for enterprises looking to modernise their operation workflow. While they are no stranger to the commercial drone industry, they are looking to expand beyond the skies and to build an ecosystem beyond just their core drone capabilities. Cheong Jin Xi, founder and CEO of Aonic, gives us a peek into this unique industry. See omnystudio.com/list...

By 2030, Malaysia is expected to transition into an ageing society, with individuals above age 60 and older to make up 15% of the population, and this is a business opportunity that multiple businesses are looking to address, and Sukha is a new contender in the ring. Starting back in December 2022, Sukha Golden Sanctuary initially focused on specialised support to elderly individuals with dementia...

Leaving Wall Street to revolutionize Islamic finance, solo founder Junaid Wahedna raised $82 million in his mission to eliminate interest from Muslim lives worldwide. With that funding, he built a robo-advisor model that’s profitable in the three main countries Wahed operates in: the US, the UK, and Malaysia. These markets contribute almost equally to Wahed’s approximate $1 billion in AUM. That sa...

Established in 2012, Complete Human Network helps companies deal with their electronic equipment needs, allowing enterprises to optimise their IT budget and minimise IT-related hassles by leveraging Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Enterprise Mobility as-a-Service (EMaaS) solutions, packaging IT devices and software services on a subscription basis. In today’s conversation, Chai Peng will give us a...

Evlos is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that provides AI-powered computer vision solutions to manufacturers all over Malaysia. Announced last month, the company secured its first institutional funding round from Kumpulan Modal Perdana (KMP), a tech-focused venture capital owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated), which will be used to expand the team and power growth ahead. Shankar...

Today we speak with Dr. Matt Kan, the Founder of Chiropractic First Group. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Kan has been advocating for chiropractic care in Malaysia, where back pain and bone and joint complications affect several million people here. Inspired by a personal encounter with the healing power of chiropractic, Dr. Kan has dedicated his life to debunking myths and raising aware...

From pandemic project to Nasdaq listing later this year, Jin Tan started ReSkills back in 2020 as an online educational portal with the aim of making learning accessible and affordable where the portal connected learners with trainers from across the globe. Today it's a subscription-based online learning platform offering global access to daily live learning sessions and other career-oriented mate...

In the bustling landscape of healthcare innovation, one company is making waves with its products and with a purpose. Rightfully sounding like a company on a purpose, bpositive, is a social enterprise founded in April 2023 by Corey Bryant, a veteran with nearly two decades in the medical device industry. From its adorable, superhero-themed bandages to its impactful Buy1Help1 initiative, bpositive...

BidMyAsset is a Malaysian-based auction platform for second-hand and manufacturing machinery and equipment, and while it may have been founded in 2022, its roots go back to 2005 through its parent company Khoshee Auctioneers. The platform helps business owners buy and sell industrial equipment as well as dispose of movable assets like machinery, equipment and industrial surplus, with the company s...