Open For Business

Ley Vin Khoo and Bryan Tan, co-founders of local artisanal soy sauce brand Shoyu Bros, talk about the art of making this delicious elixir from scratch, how they’re innovating an Asian pantry staple, and the lessons they’ve learned about entrepreneurship along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change is no longer a ‘when’, or an ‘if’. It’s here. We might not be able to roll back the damage that’s been done – but we might be able to mitigate any further damage by adopting renewable energy sources. In line with that, Ong Hang Ping of Fabulous Sunview explains how they’ve been harnessing solar energy to reduce carbon emissions as the premiere solar panel supplier and installation c...

Gini and Michelle, the second-generation business operators of Mum Mum Snacks, talk to us about convincing the founders of the traditional snack retailers to take a chance on going online. They discuss the pains of starting everything from scratch, building trust and sales online, as well as lessons learned along the way. Image Credit: Mum Mum Snacks Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

If you do a search on Rooftop Farms in Malaysia, you’ll find less than 20. Why has this concept not been more widely adopted, and what does it take to run one?  Emil Jihan from Fresh Growcer shares his thoughts on his pesticide-free self-harvesting aquaponics farm, located on top of 1 Utama. Image Credit: Freshgrowcer Instagram page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 During the pandemic, we saw many trends emerge. Whether it was Korean coffee, home baking, or even plant collecting. Some people switched it up and decided to launch a business on the back of these trends. One such person is Zen Thian, she decided to start making her own Kombucha - and that experiment turned into a business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How long has it been since you had really good cake? The people behind Kooky Cream are a passionate bunch striving for handmade, handcrafted, baked fresh daily goodies for those with a sweet tooth. Gladys Chan shares how they created a dessert cafe that takes people out from the hustle and bustle of the city for a cosy and comfortable time with loved ones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Incite Foodtech is a food-tech venture leveraging on a "plug-in & scale" model, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Chairman Vincent Kok discusses their plans to revolutionise the future of F&B, and how they intend on opening up new opportunities for F&B creators. Image Credit: Incite Foodtech Linkedin page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the creators of Aunty Manju’s in TTDI, comes a new go-to Indian banana leaf joint in PJ that’s slowly building a reputation for its flavours, atmosphere, and service. Kadei by Manchula in Taman Megah offers full-service “Malaysian Spiced’ style dishes in an al-fresco setting, but there’s more to this F&B outlet than meets the taste buds. We speak to co-founder Suresh Gnanasekaran about th...

The world’s most spoken language is English. Whether in academia or entertainment, there is doubt of its importance if we are to compete globally.  Co-founders of English education platform GuruLab, Eer Kai Song and Vicky Tan, discuss their recent  US$1million seed funding as well as their dedication to making English literacy and comprehension skills more accessible. See omnystudio.com/...

It’s safe to say that one of the few truly uniting factors for Malaysians is our pride in our food. But how much do we, and the rest of the world, really know about where our food comes from? Jeslyn Ooi Shiyun, founder of Happy Dumpy, creates unique and functional gifts all based on our local cuisine, and shares her passion for storytelling and creativity, as well as her focus on supporting local...

Xifu is an investment platform which aims to become a one-stop app that streamlines market analytics, trading functionality, fundraising deals and more. Sean Yap, managing director, discusses their aim of disrupting traditional broker models, and their aspiration of becoming Malaysia’s first whitelabel interactive stock broker. Image Credit: Xifu Official Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Former radio host JJ Fernandez jumps back in the studio with us to talk about his latest venture - The Washupp Lifestyle Laundry. How quickly is there money to be made in the laundromat business? Does being a celebrity and fame help increase traffic? And does content-creation help build revenue? JJ brings a friend into the studio to cheat on his answers, and to convince us why Washupp’s USP has th...

OGEd is an Ed-Tech venture that provides a centralised e-learning experience for the oil and energy industry. It makes upskilling in the industry easier, which is necessary given the large knowledge gap that currently exists between junior and senior professionals. The founding team collectively have 80+ years of experience in the oil & gas industry, while having 20+ years in the digital space...

We’ve all felt the frustration of driving round and round an area or a parking lot, desperately searching for that coveted empty space with bright yellow lines for ages. Well, what if you knew you had your very own parking spot reserved and ready to go? CEO of peer to peer parking platform, ParkIt, Liew Kei Yan, discusses how he came up with this idea, misconceptions about running a tech business,...

When it comes to the world of soft drinks, one alternative in particular is taking the world by storm - kombucha. Gillian Chen & Zech Pharamond, co-founders of MyBoocha, tell us more about what kombucha is, and how they’ve grown from drink-making hobbyists to full-fledged entrepreneurs. Image Credit: Myboocha Facebook Official See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iCARES Tech provides a convenient yet secure visitor control system to the client which intends to eliminate the duplication of access card issues, provide traceable records as well as create a more secure living community. This property security management app has now expanded from Malaysia to Singapore as well. They won third place in the recent ASB101k Competition Start-up Track and TBV Capital...

Inspired by George Harrison of The Beatles, Harriston Chocolates started out in 2005 in Malaysia as Cocoa Boutique by SC Teng. Taking the brand further are sisters Queenie and Wei Tzyy who now own Harriston Boutique, Signature and Chocolatier. They join the conversation as they unfold their sweet journey in the confectionery industry. Image Credit: Harriston Chocolate Official Facebook See omnystu...

Our roads here in Malaysia are not without problems. No matter where you live, whether it’s the Klang Valley or elsewhere, there is no doubt that you will have encountered a pothole or two? But other than driving around it and complaining, is there anything else that you can do? RepotLah is a one stop reporting platform to report non emergency issues in Malaysia. See a pothole? Repotlah! Someone s...

Sister duo Sim Li & Heidi Aw started off selling handbags and accessories, but with the launch of their multifunctional fitness bag came a wave of demand for more athletic wear. With that, they’ve since expanded into creating an entire lifestyle brand focusing on being happy, healthy, and comfortable. What could possibly be next? Image Credit: LIVLOLA Official Website See omnystudio.com/listen...

Embracing the gifts of nature, biotech company Life Origin focuses on producing environmentally friendly and sustainable protein by using food waste and disposable media. Life Origin produces high-quality sustainable insect protein and oil from Black Soldier Fly larvae utilising trace-able organic waste as feed for the larvae. Founder, Sio Chun Jia and Operation Production, Julius Au, return for a...

BossBoleh is a digital company secretary platform that helps entrepreneurs incorporate Sdn Bhd companies online. We speak to CEO Billy Lee about using AI to automate the registration process, the major barriers for entry into the market, as well as how Boss Boleh plans to scale and ensure recurring income from its customers. Image Credit: Boss Boleh Facebook Official See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

EcoQueen is a marketplace that gathers sustainable beauty, personal care, and sells lifestyle products made by eco-conscious and ethical local brands. EcoQueen’s goal is to provide a community with opportunities to make more conscious decisions that could benefit not only themselves but also the environment. Kirubaleni Arul Dass, Director & Co-Founder of EcoQueen discusses the Malaysian’s path...

From a two-person team receiving and packing orders from their kitchen tables and living rooms in September 2019, Wishful have now grown to a team of over 15 dedicated creative and operational talents with a mission to curate purposeful, practical and beautiful gifts that make an impact and create a lasting impression. Image Credit: wishful.my Official See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

When it comes to sustainability, it is about preserving the environment, of course, but also about preserving elements of culture, art, and design for the future. Noelle Kan, founder of batik fashion brand Kanoe, espouses her passion for batik design as well as her steps towards creating a wholly sustainable brand. Image Credit: Kanoe Official Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Recently winning Asia's Most Promising SMEs at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards (ACES 2021), Complete Human Network is an enterprise mobility company that provides Enterprise Mobility-as-a-Service (EMaaS) for businesses to set-up an end-to-end mobile ecosystem. Teh Chai Peng, CEO of Complete Human Network speaks to us as she unfolds her business journey and operations. Ima...