Open For Business

In the aftermath of the FTX collapse in late 2022, the crypto landscape isn’t as sexy and appealing as it used to be, now playing second fiddle to Generative AI and Chat GPT, however that doesn’t mean that innovation and development in the space has come to a halt. After years of work, last month, the Securities Commission granted approval to Malaysian startup CoKeeps to be Malaysia's first qualif...

Paper-based record-keeping at medical facilities is not only antiquated, it also compromises the quality and continuity of care. Remedi aims to remedy the problem by providing simple and cost-effective digital management systems for clinics and healthcare payors, with an eye on solving the bigger challenge of shareable electronic medical records. In this wide-ranging interview with Founder and Man...

Hew Wee Choong of Cyclone Robotics joins us to delve into the expanding world of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in Malaysia. We'll discuss the surge in RPA adoption among Malaysian businesses, with a focus on the banking, finance, insurance, and telecommunications sectors. Hew will shed light on the challenges and opportunities in Malaysia's RPA journey, Cyclone Robotics' vision for the Malaysia...

In November, local upscale restaurant Dewakan picked up a second Michelin Star at the second edition of the Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang, making it the first two-Michelin starred restaurant in Malaysia. An honour that has backed up the establishment's name that translates to ‘food from god’. On this episode of Open for Business, you will learn what turned an educational entrepreneurial e...

There are an estimated 500,000 newborns in Malaysia every year generating RM3.3 billion in maternity-related spending. Aiming for a slice of that market, Happy Preggie began with the mission of providing the first platform in Malaysia to connect today’s generation of educated and discerning young parents with a curated range of quality maternity health services and professionals. The temptation to...

Homegrown job solutions platform Qwork recently announced an investment from Artem Ventures that will power its growth into more industries that are prime to tap into the utilization of gig workers to help them better optimise their manpower. Founded in 2017, Qwork has worked with over 100,000 gig workers serving clients in 11 countries in Southeast Asia, notably Zalora, Busybees Asia, Dynapack As...

Sweatspa is a wellness spa whose journey started 9 years ago. Now, Sweatspa has 5 outlets with its most recent outlet in Bukit Jalil opening just a few months ago. In a bid to grow this much bigger, Sweatspa also recently acquired their franchise licence, something we will explore in more detail. Beyond their consumer facing retail business and their upcoming franchising, Sweatspa also offers inst...

Pilgrim is an Indian-based, all natural, vegan, direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare startup brand that has caught the attention of some prominent investors. Just two months ago, Vertex Ventures, Fireside Ventures and Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office, were part of Pilgrim’s $20 million Series B funding round, which will help them accelerate the company’s growth in India. Having generated $9.59 million...

We're joined by Lim Kar Aik, Group CEO of Revenue Monster Group, to discuss the journey of WeTix, Malaysia's leading ticket aggregator. We explore their innovative partnerships with cinema chains and e-wallet services like WeChat Pay, their expansion beyond movies to include a range of entertainment options, and how these strategic moves are shaping the future of digital ticketing in Malaysia. See...

In line with World Children’s Day, we’re taking a focus at a key part of a child’s life - education, more specifically the business of children’s education. Managing a portfolio of childhood education businesses, Jigna Doshi says she’s committed to the 'whole child' concept, balancing a child's academic, physical, social, and personal development through her range of services. In today's Open for...

The beauty and personal care industry in Malaysia is big business - garnering a revenue of around $2.68 billion in 2022 based on Statista data. With so many beauty companies vying for the top spot, how does more recent market entrant Une Olive en Provence stand out here? Well, apparently by transforming the century-old kitchen essential – olive oil – into a much desired skincare product. Hailing e...

While we often pay attention to the hot and sexy tech startups of the world or the big established name brands and their shelves of products that we use on a daily basis, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of lucrative businesses out there that we’ve never heard of. – Consumers might know Durex, but how many know that homegrown Karex is the biggest condom manufacturer in the world? M...

Today, we’re in conversation with Professor Andrew Wong, CEO of E3 Hubs Sdn. Bhd, a man with over a quarter of a century in entrepreneurship, and an advocate for the development of and nurturing of SMEs and startups. In a world still reeling from the impact of a global pandemic, businesses across Malaysia are navigating through the challenges of inflation and political volatility, searching for a...

The F&B business is tough, whether here in Malaysia or abroad. There’s always a constant churn of old restaurants closing down and new ones taking their place. That said, there are those that last the test of time and navigate the industry for decades. Today on the show, we speak to Australian chef, author, television presenter, and restaurateur – David Thompson to get a better sense for the b...

Online shopping is such a convenience. You can buy food and groceries on Grab, buy diapers on Lazada, and shop for clothes from your favourite fashion brands, but does this consumer behaviour extend to furniture as well? That is something that today’s guest has banked on with her ecommerce business - Mojomore, a subsidiary of HVAC OEM manufacturing company TCW Group. Founded back in 2020, Mojomore...

No matter how good a learning app is, it will struggle to compete against Roblox and YouTube Kids. In today's digital era, children have increasingly easy access to a wide array of technologies and parents are finding themselves faced with the dual challenge of maintaining discipline over their kids' screen time and ensuring that the content they're engaging with is both age-appropriate and educat...

Today on the show, we speak with a founder that has been trying to guide and support mothers and parents since 2013 through her parenting platform - Nuren Group, which includes websites such as Motherhood.com.my, Mamahood.com.sg, and Wedding.com.my, among others under its umbrella. 10 years in, Nuren has over 5 million users, 15 million monthly views on average, and launched their Parenting SuperA...

Malaysia is not just joining the global drone racing scene—it's taking it vertical. YY Choy and Johnson Yap are at the forefront of this innovative twist, hosting Asia's inaugural vertical drone race. This next-gen sport offers racers an unmatched immersive experience, blurring the lines between virtual simulators and real-world racing. Beyond the tech and adrenaline, both emphasise its inclusivit...

Nebula is a cloud gaming platform founded locally in Malaysia and they’re like Netflix for gaming. With Nebula, gamers can start playing all the latest games from their smartphone, tablet and old laptops. All they need is good internet. This means gamers no longer need to buy a console or a gaming computer and in fact, they don't even need to buy the games. We speak to Daryl Wong, Founder of Nebul...

LightBlue Consulting is a UN-awarded organisation specialised in food waste prevention in over 20 countries. With key partnerships across hotels, restaurants, and international organisations, they bring sustainability and business excellence together. Their FIT Food Waste Monitoring Tech provides data-driven solutions to commercial kitchens, generating tailored weekly reports in nine languages to...

HUBBO POS is pivoting to aid local eateries in implementing data-informed digital processes and expanding sales avenues, leveraging Grab's robust regional frameworks beyond just managing food orders and transactions. Serving as a comprehensive POS system, HUBBO POS employs cloud tech to effortlessly coordinate diverse restaurant order channels—dine-in, online, takeaway, and drive-thru—under one pl...

Yesterday, India-based fintech unicorn Razorpay deepened its presence in the Malaysian market by becoming the first new member of PayNet since 2019, through its Malaysian-based unit Curlec by Razorpay, which it acquired back in early 2022. This Paynet membership now allows Curlec to adopt the DuitNow product suite, allowing their customers to make and receive real-time payments from bank accounts...

YouApp, developed by entrepreneur Douglas Gan, is a straightforward solution for anyone seeking out unique local experiences. Targeting the untapped Malaysian market, this platform offers a curated selection of activities, aiming to connect residents and tourists with intriguing opportunities typically overlooked in everyday life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August, Involve Asia was named alongside 5 other Malaysian tech companies like drone-player Aerodyne, B2B wholesale platform Lapasar, and insurtech firm PolicyStreet, as Forbes Asia 100 to Watch. Founded in 2014, the platform helps brands form marketing partnerships with global content creators, developers, and affiliates, which has become big business with more companies looking to performance...

With Malaysia's gig economy growing to an estimated 30% of the workforce, various job platforms have emerged to meet the demand. Singapore-based FastCo is one such platform. After launching FastGig in 2022 and securing $7.5 million in Series A funding, the company aims to expand in Malaysia and beyond. Today you will learn about the story behind their management-led-buy-out in 2021, the rationale...