Under The Radar

Put professional networking and social media together – and there you have it – that’s our guest for today, LinkedIn.  Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more than productive and successful. The firm boasts a diversified range of services ranging from Talent Solutions, Marketing Solutions, Sales Solutions and Premium Subscriptions products.  With over 1 billi...

It’s all about the payments landscape today as we speak to a pioneer in Singapore’s fintech space. Make a guess – this company also has over 650 self-service kiosks across Singapore and handles over 650 million bill payments since its inception in the year 2000. We’re talking about bills for schools, government, hospitals, insurance, utilities and more. And users also use the kiosks to pay for the...

It’s all about the pharmaceutical industry today as we check in on one of our earlier guests on “Under the Radar” to find out what’s next for them.  Known as MSD everywhere outside of the US and Canada, our guest aims to harness the power of leading-edge science to improve lives globally, and has been on the path of doing so for over 130 years, through the development of medicines and vaccines.  T...

You would have heard of the old proverb that goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.  So – we’re going to talk all about play, and in particular about the future of play with our guest today, Toys “R” Us Asia.  Headquartered in Hong Kong, Toys “R” Us Asia operates around 460 stores across Asia, with an aim to fuel imagination and inspire the next generation through the power of toys and...

Today we’re going to catch up with one of our earlier guests who is said to operate a global technology powerhouse with a revenue of US$57 billion.  You might have guessed it by now, yes we’re speaking to electronics maker and IT services provider Lenovo.  To recap, the firm delivers a portfolio of PCs and tablets, monitors, accessories, smart home and collaboration solutions, as well as smart inf...

Calling once, calling twice and SOLD!  Today’s conversation takes us through the ins and outs of an auctioneer auctioning – no not rare art pieces or jewellery, but bottles of whisky.  Founded in 2015 by two brothers, our guest Whisky Hammer is a family run whisky auction service based in North East Scotland.  The firm said it hosts monthly auctions dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits, attr...

Capital management is on the table today as we explore what the current macroeconomic environment means for boutique asset management firms here in Asia.  Founded in 2017, our guest for today is Paragon Capital Management Singapore, an asset management firm overseeing assets exceeding S$1 billion.  With a Capital Markets Services Licence granted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the company...

It’s almost time for dinner, but today’s conversation might just get you reaching out for that bag of chocolates or snacks right before meal time.  That’s because we’re speaking to one of the largest players in the global snacking industry today – Mondelez International.  Mondelez International is a relatively young company founded in 2012, but its history goes way back. The company emerged when t...

Today we’re going to talk about a blue chip company listed on the SGX that will definitely ring a bell with our audience, especially those tracking the Straits Times Index.   Headquartered in Singapore, our guest CapitaLand Investment is a global real asset manager with a strong Asia foothold.  If you recall, the company successfully de-merged from the development business of CapitaLand Limited so...

Imagine a productivity super app for businesses to digitalise operations from HQ to storefront, streamline communications, and achieve operational efficiency – all in one place. That’s Lark for you.  Initially developed by Chinese social media giant ByteDance in 2016 for internal use, Lark started as a platform that aims to combine business processes and collaborative documents in a single platfor...

Today we’re going to talk about the journey a Japanese thermometer manufacturer took to transform itself into a medtech player and increasingly a medical solutions provider.  Founded in 1921 to address a stoppage of thermometer imports to Japan amid World War I, our guest Terumo is now a global leader in medical equipment with a footprint in over 160 countries and regions.  Its range of products h...

If you’ve been to the newly revamped Changi Airport Terminal 2, you’ve would’ve noticed this landmark feature located at the heart of the departure hall.  Does an immersive digital waterfall ring a bell? Called The Wonderfall, the 14-metre tall digital waterfall is a piece of digital art and is said to be the result of a highly creative and technical challenge.  The LED wall, for one thing, is mad...

Today we’re going to talk about a company whose mission is to increase the GDP of – not a country or city – but the internet.  Founded in 2010, our guest Stripe is a technology company that prides itself on building the economic infrastructure for the internet.  With dual headquarters in San Francisco and Dublin, and offices dotted across major financial hubs such as London, Tokyo and Singapore, t...

It is all about helping enterprises extract value through digital transformation as we speak to a company said to be a global leader in the industrial software space.  With over 6,400 employees, 5,000 partners and 5,700 certified developers, our guest is Cambridge headquartered software development firm AVEVA. The firm prides itself on sparking ingenuity to drive the responsible use of the world’s...

If you have been to Osaka, you would probably know who our guest is for today. After all, the company is behind the running man signage overseeing the Dotombori canal and a must-see attraction when visiting the city.  Founded 102 years ago in 1922, Glico Group is best known as a confectionery maker behind brands such as Pocky, Pretz and Pejoy. But did you know that there is a heartwarming story be...

With Singapore’s 59th birthday right around the corner, we want to bring you a National Day special of “Under the Radar” where we speak to a homegrown heritage brand that you’ll come into contact with on a day-to-day basis.   Make a guess – this company is also said to be the oldest Hainanese coffee shop brand in Singapore. Established in late 1919 along the busy streets of Killiney Road, our gues...

Remember the days when the gas delivery man would come to our homes to switch out our gas tanks or gas cylinders?  That’s probably becoming a thing of the past, making today’s “Under The Radar” conversation all the more meaningful.  With over 40 years of operating track record, our guest Union Gas Holdings is an established provider of fuel products in Singapore. The company's key businesses consi...

Using artificial intelligence to overcome language barriers through human-like machine translation. That is what we are going to talk about today.  Founded in 2017, our guest DeepL is a global communications startup powered by Language AI.  Language AI, for context, is a field of artificial intelligence that looks at getting computers to understand and communicate in the human language. Now, back...

From a single resort in Phuket to becoming one of the world’s leading independent, multi-branded hospitality groups – today we’re going to bring you an inside look into the growth story of Banyan Group.  With its beginnings dated about 30 years back to 1994, Banyan Group was founded as a sanctuary for the senses and now boasts a diversified portfolio of hotels, resorts, spas, galleries, golf and r...

We’re going to bring you an inside look into the air cargo industry today as we speak to the cargo arm of the world’s largest international airline.  Incepted in 1985, our guest Emirates SkyCargo prides itself as a facilitator of global trade, tapping Emirates’ global network of over 140 destinations across 6 continents to transport goods to all corners of the world.  The cargo arm prides itself a...

It’s all about taking your beauty into your hands “because you’re worth it”.  Sounds familiar? You might have by now guessed who we’re speaking to for today’s discussion  – yes, it is indeed personal care and cosmetics giant L’Oreal.  On that note – did you know that the tagline was coined in 1971 by a 23-year-old female copywriter at a Manhattan ad agency McCann.  But taglines and branding aside,...

We’re going to take you to the skies today, not by using a plane but by getting you to hop on a flying car instead!  Announced in 2021 as an evolution of Hyundai Motor Group’s urban air mobility business, our guest Supernal is on the quest to develop an electric vertical take-off and landing (or eVTOL) vehicle, as well as the accompanying ground-to-air ecosystem to support the emerging industry. ...

Transforming the real estate agency business to better relate to customers and tap demand from younger homebuyers. That’s what we’re going to talk about today. Launched in February 2000, our guest OrangeTee aspires to be a reputable, dynamic and fast growing real estate enterprise in Singapore.  The firm prides itself on building trust and long-term relationships and its ability to embrace the old...

Tapping emerging opportunities in the maritime industry – that is what we’re going to talk about today. Founded in Norway in 1861, our guest is the corporate investment arm of Wilhelmsen. Wilhelmsen, for context, has one of the world’s largest maritime networks on call 24/7 to provide essential products and services to the merchant fleet.  With thousands of employees spread across close to 60 coun...

We’re going to talk all about bathroom and kitchen fixtures today. Now, the next time you visit the bathroom, take a look at the brand of the sinks and toilets.  Chances are – they’re of the American Standard and Grohe brands. But did you know that they are all part of a leading Japanese home and water products giant called LIXIL?  Born in 2011 through a merger of five of Japan’s most successful b...