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THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2023, taking place from 23-27 May, will be a vital platform for Malaysian food brands and the global F&B industry's recovery post-pandemic. Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director & VP Asia-Pacific, Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, highlights the event's importance and insights on emerging trends. Over 2,700 exhibitors from 40 countries will showcase various industry verticals, attracting...

Travel is back. Global tourism bounced back in 2022, and that was without China’s reopening, and Malaysian startup TixCarte is set to ride on this growth, tapping into the demand for experiences in a post-pandemic world, whether it’s travel packages or concert tickets. With ambitions to become the region’s largest B2B ticketing engine for attractions and activities in 2023, we speak to Parthiven S...

Malaysia is known for a lot of things, more so for our enticing food and our colourful festivals. Such are the perks of having a diverse group of people and cultures living together under one roof as Malaysians. Hence, the importance of unity and tolerance cannot be stressed enough to preserve this harmony. So in 2015, a couple of good friends decided to put their best foot forward and formed Proj...

Candles are not so much a source of light anymore. Rather, scented candles have become a form of aromatherapy. To get a “scents” of the scented candles markets in Malaysia, Julie Yim and Marcus Khoo, co-founders of Lilin and Co, tell us about the candle trends we see here in Malaysia, how they are competing in the market by hand pouring at least 800 candles per day and opening a physical store. Se...

In the world of brand strategy design, Brand Soul Consultancy stands out by specialising in crafting exceptional brand development, strategy, and architecture. Their expertise in digital development, public relations, and content creation distinguishes them from the competition, providing businesses with the tools necessary to engage audiences effectively and enhance their brand visibility to new...

Money may make the world go round, but credit keeps it moving smoothly in the business world. Traditionally credit terms have been the staple in business to business dealings, but in order to help address cash flow issues a variety of financing solutions have come about, including invoice financing, P2P financing, trade financing, and now Buy Now Pay Later or more commonly known as BNPL. While mos...

The future of our industries lies in automation and AI. More and more companies are embracing this new change and the Malaysian Agriculture field is no different. Agro Stream Sdn Bhd started off as Shawal Technologies Sdn Bhd, a company that specialises in offering services such as PCB design and hardware integration. However, their interest shifted towards smart farming system development, which...

With the rising food insecurity in Malaysia, more and more Malaysians are adopting gardening to grow their own produce and for some, agriculture has even become a profession. Even with inflation, the demand for fresh vegetables and fruits is constantly on the rise. This is where Qarbotech intends to lend a helping hand with their product, QarboGrow. By increasing the efficiency of a plant’s photos...

So far in 2023, ChatGPT, a text-based AI bot, is making headlines for its versatility, from generating recipes to fixing coding bugs. However, the potential misuse of ChatGPT for cybercrime raises concerns. With Malaysia investing RM10 million to combat cyber scams, an interview with Ravi Rajendran, Vice President of APJ at Cohesity, could provide insight on AI's role in technology and businesses,...

When you think of the big restaurant brands, odds are brands like KFC, McDonald's, and Domino's come to mind, but can homegrown startup Pop Meals change that up? Formerly known as Dahmakan, Pop Meals wants to make everyday food affordable, convenient, and exciting by curating, cooking, and delivering data-driven meals. The startup is tapping into data, technology, and lessons learnt from Dahmakan,...

Breaking news! Diamonds aren’t just a girl's best friend. Because frankly, everyone likes them. Opening its doors in 2015, ZCOVA has established itself as one of the most recognised jewellery brands in Malaysia, modernising the diamond business by offering their products and services online. With an offering of endless choices of diamonds and designs, you can create that special piece according to...

According to a recent World Bank Report, Malaysia has yet to realise the full potential of digital technologies to boost small media enterprise (SME) productivity. Many Malaysian firms that sought to turn to digital solutions over the last two years have only used them for basic customer-facing functions such as a social media presence. The lack of depth and breadth of SME digitisation could raise...

Employee health and wellness programs are becoming increasingly important to C-Suites, HR managers, and insurance companies, with reports showing that they can lead to increased productivity. One company that’s looking to tap into this and run with it is GetBiib. GetBiib wants to improve social cohesion and wellness through its platform that allows people to easily host a digital run or walk chall...

Computer vision is a field of AI that enables computers to meaningfully interpret images and videos, essentially enabling computers to see, understand, and act. Malaysian A.I. startup Inference Tech is one of the companies that’s tapping into this and delivering cutting edge A.I. solutions to its clients. Getting to this stage takes time and money though, so learn how Cradle Fund was instrumental...

Zero Waste Earth Store (ZWES) was founded by Dr Janira Kumari and Jaclynnd Wong Yin Thing in 2019. ZWES is a social enterprise with a circular platform that people can “Buy With Less Waste'' through Refill, Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The red and white, rainbow-shaped logo behind different school workbooks is the core memory of many Malaysian students. Pelangi Publishing Group was established in 1979 by three teachers, and has since published educational content, publishing textbooks, workbooks, storybooks and more. Pelangi Publishing Group is also the first homegrown Malaysian publisher which listed in 2004. Sum Lih Kang, Depu...

Coworking spaces are community centres, collaboration hubs, and social spaces. A coworking space is a setting created for workers from various businesses who come to work there. WORQ is a large-scale coworking facility and productivity community with facilities that was established in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. WORQ creates an ecosystem that connects early-stage startups with established companies whic...

Kenneth Worsdale, CEO of Extra Space Asia, shares his expertise on the benefits of self-storage for today's generation. Discover how people can maximise their limited living spaces and learn about the company's innovative solutions to address the growing demand for storage in urban environments. Tune in for valuable tips, industry insights, and Kenneth's vision for the future of self-storage in Ma...

The world of business runs on credit. Whether it’s freelance photographer or a big manufacturer, odds are cash doesn’t land in the bank immediately after making a sale, no you’ve probably offered your customer some credit terms. This can sometimes lead to cash flow issues if you’ve got your own bills to pay. In response to this, a variety of working capital financing solutions have come about, and...

Biogenes Technologies is trying to change the biotech landscape by creating and commercialising synthetic antibodies for mass use in all kinds of test kits. However building and scaling a deeptech startup like this can be challenging here in Malaysia without the right help. We speak to Adrian Joseph, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, of Biogenes Technologies about the startup’s journey an...

Established in 2021, CookX Asia is an all-in-one social cooking app created for food enthusiasts and foodpreneurs that want a community for learning and sharing. From recipe-sharing, meal planning, and grocery shopping CookX has it all–and allows the users to make a profit with it. Photo Credits: Freepik See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hard Rock Hotel opened its second property at Johor’s Desaru coast in 2019, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast. We speak to Murray Aitken, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast to talk about how hoteliers are faring post-pandemic, tackling problems like labour shortage and economic recovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swimming is fun. Even more so with your family members, be it a picnic by the beach or an evening by the pool. On the other hand, it’s not as easy for couples with young ones to plan a water-fun day, especially with toddlers. But what if we told you that your 5 month thumb-sucking toddler can actually swim? At Happy Fish they help you do just that, with baby steps. With their very-own professional...

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a shift in the mindset of a lot of people towards taking better care of their health, especially when it comes to their diet. Plant-based diets and veganism are no longer seen as ‘alternative’ lifestyle choices, they now stand proudly front and center in the mainstream. At least, in some countries. Here in Malaysia, there’s still a way to go. But that doesn’t st...

Small grocery stores and restaurants have to fight for supplies with bigger chains and players, which is often a losing battle. Enter Lapasar - a B2B wholesale platform that has served over 10,000 SMEs across the country through its own warehousing, distribution and financial services capabilities. With ambitions to become the largest wholesaler in Malaysia, we dive into Lapasar’s journey to hit R...