Open For Business

With the ever-evolving landscape of logistics and distribution, companies in this sector face the ongoing challenge of providing high-quality services at an affordable cost, all while trying to push the boundaries of innovation. Against this backdrop is Hoor Fatt Enterprise, a Malaysia based logistics company specialising in transportation services and warehouse management for cargo movement in th...

Founded in 2017, WORQ is currently present in 7 locations across the Klang Valley and an additional unique location at Perhentian Island, with more in the works, given the potential they see in the industry. WORQ is currently on track to triple its space under management to 450,000 sq ft by 2025 and has ambitious plans to expand its space under management to a sizable 3 million sq ft by 2030. The...

On this episode of Open For Business, Lennise Ng, Founder and CEO, and Aizat Rahim, Co-founder and Managing Director, get into, among other things, why and how they built Dropee and started with Dropshipping, how Red Bull gave them their big break early on in their Dropee journey, and the reasons behind the rebrand to Borong and what it signals ahead. We also get into their USD$57 million in reven...

As we’re all busy with our daily routines at work, it is common that we face similar issues like having insufficient time to practise a sustainable work-life balance, skipping meals at work or we simply can’t find the time to put in a couple of hours for exercising. From being in the legal field to active business owners, Collin Chang and Joslyn Yip came up with TasteBudds, a company that provides...

Hann Liew and Lucas Ooi are co-founders of fintech firm Jirnexu, the company behind RinggitPlus, and after 11 years building the company, they left their executive leadership roles in July last year. A few weeks later, along with a third co-founder Ng Moon Ho, the former director of operations at RinggitPlus, they announced their next chapter in entrepreneurship - Halogen Capital - a digital asset...

On this episode of Open For Business, we speak to Wealth Vantage Advisory’s Rafiq Hidayat and Idham Idris about the business of financial planning, what it needs to do to keep up with the times, and why they believe that AI won’t replace Financial Planners. We also explore the reasons behind starting this relatively new firm and why they broke away from the commission-driven agency mentality to fo...

Kakitangan.com is a one-stop HR platform that wants to empower businesses to work smarter with a fully automated HR system that covers payroll, leave, claims, attendance, and more, so that you can focus on business growth. On this episode of Open for Business, you will learn what took 2 former Microsoft Office engineers down the road of building a HR platform, the success and and failures along th...

Precision mechanical components are not something we talk about or come to mind everyday. This industry, however, is a critical segment of modern engineering and manufacturing, and plays a vital role in a wide array of sectors. Enters Nibou Industries, a home-grown manufacturer that specialises in the development and production of advanced linear motion systems. However, second-generation CEO Jowi...

On this edition of Open For Business, we speak to Azran Osman-Rani, CEO and Co-founder of digital health startup Naluri, about his transition from the corporate world and C-Suite into the startup ecosystem and then to starting up his own venture. Among other things, you will learn the reason behind this focus on employee wellbeing and digital health, how he balances the double-edged sword of bring...

Love, Bonito’s 14 Year Journey, Brick-And-Mortar Growth, And Tapping Into The Asian Diaspora Starting out as a humble blogshop selling second-hand clothes in 2005, today Singapore-based e-commerce and fashion brand Love, Bonito calls itself the largest vertically integrated, omnichannel women's fashion brand in the region. The direct-to-consumer brand was created with a commitment to accessible an...

Samadhi - the moment when the mind achieves stillness and total meditative consciousness. True to its name, Samadhi Retreats is a sanctuary for serenity and holistic hospitality, all while harmonising with nature and embracing sustainability. Samadhi Retreats boasts a chain of luxury hotels, resorts, and restaurants strategically situated "in the middle of nowhere," surrounded by nature. Each loca...

BananaBro is a chain of banana leaf restaurants founded in 2018 by Tony Lim, who isn’t a stranger to the F&B space. He previously started Boat Noodle back in 2013 and before that set up a Chatime franchise in Cambodia in 2011. In 5 years, BananaBro has grown to over 30 outlets nationwide and made RM70 million in revenue in 2023, with EBIDTA margins around the 15%-20% range. The business is sti...

In this episode of Open for Business, you will learn about Inside Scoop’s inception 11 years ago and the journey this venture has taken, what Farm Fresh brings to the table, and the Inside Scoop on this business’s potential quantum leap ahead with Edmund Tan, Co-Founder of Inside Scoop. Founded in 2013, Inside Scoop has evolved into a household name with over 40 outlets across the country. Last ye...

Today on Open For Business, we spoke with NEFIN, a renewable energy investor, developer, and asset manager. Established almost a decade ago, the company’s journey began with a clear vision, that is to harness renewable resources to power a cleaner, and more sustainable future. NEFIN has a diverse portfolio of renewable energy projects that span various scales and geographical locations, to address...

On Open For Business today, we are talking to a company that’s involved in an industry that’s very much talked about in recent years – the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Established in 2016, EV Connection is a provider of sustainable energy infrastructure solutions in Malaysia, with a focus on EV charging infrastructure and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Its vision is to revolutionise the trans...

Heading into 2024, it’s important for parents to know where they can get care products for their babies in a timely, convenient manner with reasonable prices. However, in practice that isn’t always easy. Parents Jesmine and Sean Tan were looking for Safe, Natural and Organic products for their own daughter back in 2011 when they realized that having to resort to importing such brands cost heavy po...

Post-pandemic, Malaysia has experienced a gradual decline in unemployment, however the paradigm shift in work dynamics during the pandemic continues, and now sees many of the younger generations placing different priorities on what they seek in a job. Hiredly, a leading hybrid recruitment platform in the realm of talent acquisition, specifically targets Gen Y and Z, recognizing their evolving work...

Co-living spaces are often characterised by communal living arrangements and a strong sense of community and have become increasingly popular, particularly among working professionals who are seeking flexible and vibrant living solutions. At the forefront of this is Bespoke Habitat, a company that has been shaping the landscape of shared spaces since its establishment in 2019. Bespoke Habitat has...

In today’s discussion, we examine the impact of data quality on large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, pivotal in industries for trend prediction and content personalisation. Despite their potential, reliance on these AI models, used in various sectors, poses concerns about data accuracy and security, particularly as 62% of Malaysians fear AI job replacement yet 84% are willing to delegate tas...

In this edition of Open for Business, Theodoric Chew, Co-Founder and CEO of Singapore based digital mental healthcare company Intellect speaks to BFM about how and why he built Intellect, the promise and potential of this venture, and what the path ahead looks like for this digital mental healthcare company. Among other things, we explore Theo’s past experience building and selling content platfor...

In this edition of Open for Business, Colony’s Co-Founder and CEO Timothy Tiah takes us through lessons learnt, challenges faced, and journey ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of coworking. Among other things, we explore how Timothy was “duped” into this business, his concern with the financial engineering that goes on with the EBITDA profitability of some businesses, the strategy of building a...

According to the Statistics Department, Malaysia’s SME contribution to the country’s GDP was around 38% in 2018. However, access to finance looks to be a key constraint for SMEs to grow. Enter Funding Societies - the largest SME digital financing platform in Southeast Asia. The platform has disbursed RM12.9 billion across more than 5 million notes in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Th...

Malaysia’s agricultural sector faces several issues: an ageing farming population, outdated agricultural practices and land availability amongst others. Social enterprise Cocojack seeks to inject new thinking and fresh approaches towards addressing some of agriculture’s long-standing challenges. Initially a reluctant young farmer himself, marketing graduate Syed Salleh Syed Sulaiman saw a gap in c...

Lithium ions make the world go round. From the laptops we work on and the smartphones in our hands, to the now accelerating world of electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries are key, but as many of us experience with our phones after 2-3 years, the lifespans of these batteries are a key bottleneck here. So is there a better, more long lasting battery technology out there? Well the answer might lie...

We hear from Alvin Andrew, founder of FUBIZO. We'll delve into how FUBIZO addresses the diverse needs of the food and beverage industry through innovative product development. We’ll look at his journey and experiences in both local and international markets, offering valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of running a food and beverage business in the current global landscape. Today, I...