Open For Business

What does it take to build a business when the stakes are high and your time is already accounted for? In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Thiban Chandra, founder of TechX Malaysia, to explore the reality of the corporate side-hustle. From his career as a reservoir engineer in the oil and gas industry to launching a home audio and Hi-Fi venture, Thiban shares how he identified a gap in the Malaysian market for accessible luxury. We dive into the financial risks of self-funding through bonuses and credit cards, the necessity of deep collaboration in a niche industry, and the influence of Howard Schultz’s Pour Your Hearts Into It on his entrepreneurial philosophy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to turn passion into a sustainable business?In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Janice Siew, founder of Petiteserie and Jan’s Gelato & Bakes, to explore the decisions behind the craft.From seven years in corporate banking to classical French pâtisserie, Janice shares how discipline, restraint, and long-term thinking shaped her journey. We look at why she started quietly as a wholesale business, how the pandemic forced a rapid pivot to direct-to-consumer sales, and what it takes to blend French technique with deeply Malaysian flavours like cendol and onde onde.This is not a conversation about chasing trends or overnight success. It’s about building deliberately, doing things properly, and understanding when growth should be slowed down rather than rushed.A story of craft, commerce, and the professionalisation of passion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The F&B industry is often romanticised, but for Shareen Ramli, the reality is far grittier. Yet, for 23 years, she has stayed in the game, evolving from making curry puffs at 2 a.m. to running the 105-seater Siti Li Dining & Foodhall.BFM Open For Business sits down with Shareen to discuss why she compares the trade to being a "stuntwoman", full of invisible bruises, and her mission to preserve the cosmopolitan heritage of Malay cuisine.We discuss:The "Stuntwoman" Reality: Shareen opens up about the resilience needed to survive 23 years, comparing the industry to an action movie where the audience doesn't see the "invisible bruises" of evictions and financial crises.The "Lost" Heritage: Why Siti Li focuses on "Cosmopolitan Malay" cuisine, a nod to the 15th-century port cities influenced by Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese flavors.Begging for Sugar: The desperate lengths taken during the pandemic, including pleading with police to allow couriers to source artisan Gula Melaka from Malacca.Vertical vs. Horizontal: Instead of opening more outlets, Siti Li is focusing on the supply chain and a "Malay Kitchen Pantry" line (bottled sauces, artisan Keropok, cookies).The "Third Space" Vision: Why Shareen wants Siti Li to be more than a restaurant, a community hub where customers bring their parents to share the intimacy of a meal.“Comel Cekodok” and Nasi Lemak: The story behind their signature Cekodok dish and Shareen’s criteria for what makes a "good" Nasi Lemak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Dr Shian Lee, the aerospace engineer behind Alphaswift Industries.This is not a shiny drones conversation. It’s about what happens when machines start carrying real responsibility. We talk about why the sky might actually be easier for autonomy than the ground, why “fake it till you make it” has no place in aerospace, and how oil palm plantations became an unlikely training ground for future passenger flight.It’s a conversation about ambition, caution, physics, regulation, and what it really means to build technology that can’t afford to fail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2017 as a simple telemedicine app, Doctor Anywhere (DA) became a pandemic darling, raising nearly $176 million from heavyweights like IHH Healthcare and Temasek-linked Pavilion Capital. But in a surprising twist, the digital disruptor spent ~$80 million USD in late 2022 to acquire Asian Healthcare Specialists, shifting from an asset-light tech model to owning traditional brick-and-mortar clinics.Lim Wai Mun, the "accidental founder" turned CEO, joins BFM to discuss:The "Accidental Founder": How a private equity financier with zero medical background ended up building a regional healthcare giant across 6 countries.The $80M Pivot: Why DA acquired a traditional specialist group (Orthopedics, Urology, etc.) to bridge the trust gap that pure tech couldn't solve.The "Decentralised Hospital": Wai Mun explains his vision of deconstructing the hospital, moving care out of expensive central hubs into smaller, accessible modules to lower costs for everyone.The "Connector of Care": How DA manages the conflicting agendas of the three key healthcare stakeholders: the Payer (wants to save money), the Provider (wants to earn money), and the Patient (wants to get well).Financial Discipline: Why DA has never operated at a negative gross margin, and Wai Mun’s take on why the "growth at all costs" era is dead.The Future: The launch of "Soda by DA" and the 5-year ambition to become Southeast Asia’s leading "Insure-Health-Tech" company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you turn nostalgia into a scalable business in one of Malaysia’s most crowded food and beverage markets?On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam, about building a modern kopitiam brand rooted in heritage, community, and made-to-order tradition.From opening a single outlet in Johor Bahru with no prior restaurant experience to growing a multi-outlet chain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, Nick shares what it takes to stay relevant while scaling. We explore how Hock Kee maintains consistency across outlets, how its revenue mix has evolved, the impact of Halal certification and tourism-linked collaborations, and the operational pressures of running a fast-growing F&B business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open For Business, we look at why coworking seems to have lost its way and whether a quieter, more stripped-back model is the answer.We speak with Timothy Tiah, founder of Jerry Coworking Space, about building a business that deliberately rejects community theatre, lifestyle branding, and forced interaction. With automated, private offices across the Klang Valley and beyond, Jerry positions itself as infrastructure rather than experience.We explore coworking fatigue, automation, revenue realities, and what it says about modern work when the most attractive promise might simply be a quiet room and no one asking questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late November, Costco filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the “Liberation Day tariffs", and the White House remained surprisingly silent.BFM speaks with Bryan DeAngelis of Penta Group to decode this "quiet rebellion." Corporate America is finally "unbending the knee," but they are doing it with a new playbook: filing lawsuits based strictly on business logic while avoiding the public shaming that bruises the President's ego.We discuss:The Costco Strategy: Why the retailer’s decision to sue quietly after Thanksgiving, relying on "brand math" rather than PR stunts, possibly saved them from a Truth Social firestorm.The "Business Lane": How companies are learning to push back against policies like tariffs by framing them strictly as shareholder protection rather than political opposition.Political Volatility & Populism: With the President's poll numbers sinking, Bryan explains why the administration is leaning harder into populist rhetoric (like the attack on institutional housing investors) to regain momentum.The 2026 Midterm Outlook: Why "razor-thin" margins in Congress mean Democrats could flip the House even before November, and how this gridlock will force the President to rule almost exclusively through Executive Orders.The Erosion of Authority: From GOP resignations to state-level defiance on redistricting, we analyse whether the White House is losing its grip on its own party.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants are under pressure like never before like rising costs, staff shortages, shrinking margins, and systems that were never designed for today’s pace of business. We speak with Squall Tan, CEO of FeedMe, about how a simple frustration with slow service and wrong orders led to the creation of a full F&B operating system now used across the region.Squall shares how FeedMe evolved from a homegrown POS into an integrated platform that helps restaurants automate ordering, reduce operational blind spots, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.From why most F&B businesses fail, to how AI is reshaping restaurant operations and what it takes to scale a food-tech company across Asia, this is a discussion on how technology is quietly redefining the F&B industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2015, advertising veterans Chantelle Teoh and Kelvin Long grew tired of the generic, "embarrassing" souvenirs found at Central Market. They wanted products that actually spoke the language of Malaysians, literally.Starting with a single t-shirt design complaining about cigarette prices ("Mahal Bro"), APOM (A Piece of Malaysia) has grown from a bazaar pop-up into a 7-figure retail brand with five stores, including Bangsar Village and The Campus, Ampang.The husband-and-wife duo joins BFM  to discuss the journey from "Bazaars to Bangunan." We explore how they navigate the "Dreamer vs. Integrator" dynamic as a married couple, the operational PTSD of the 2020 pandemic, and why they believe the future of retail lies in data-driven humor.We discuss:The Origin Story: Moving from the "Doof" bean bag business to APOM as a creative release from client work.Product Market Fit: How they tested witty designs like the "Mahal Bro" and "Jalan Bapak Kau" shirts at bazaars to validate the concept before committing to a lease.Retail Operations: The reality of scaling from selling single items to managing hundreds of SKUs, warehousing, and the financial "flywheel" of margins and Opex.The Co-Founder Dynamic: How a husband-and-wife team functions by respecting the split between the "Dreamer" and the "Integrator".The Cringe Filter: The difficult product development cycle of walking the fine line between witty cultural commentary and "cringey" humor.The "Blast" Campaign: How they pivoted during the pandemic lockdowns to support 14 local designers when tourism vanished overnight.Future Vision: The plan to expand beyond KL and build a "Departmental Store" concept to house top-quality Malaysian goods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2018, Sagtec Global Limited was a three-person operation in Kuala Lumpur, aiming to digitise Malaysia's F&B sector. Fast forward to March 2025, and Sagtec listed on the NASDAQ at an IPO price of $3.60. But the public markets have been unforgiving, the stock has since lost nearly 50% of its value.Kevin joins BFM to unpack the realities of a NASDAQ listing. We discuss why he spent $2.1 million (nearly 30% of his raised capital) on listing fees, why he chose the US over a local exchange for "branding and credibility," and how he plans to recover shareholder confidence.We discuss:The Origin Story: Why Kevin quit a stable job in 2018 to digitize an industry still relying on handwritten orders, and how the pandemic became his biggest tailwind.The NASDAQ Reality Check: Why list in the US? Kevin defends the decision as a branding play to open doors in markets like Thailand, despite the stock’s poor performance and lack of US investor understanding.The $2.1 Million Lesson: The true cost of listing and why Kevin admits he underestimated the need for Investor Relations (IR) post-IPO.From SaaS to RaaS: The shift to "Robot-as-a-Service." How Sagtec plans to deploy robotic arms for cooking and prep to generate recurring revenue from multi-chain restaurants.The AI Pivot: Is it just buzzwords? Kevin explains how they are integrating AI not for chat, but for data analytics, helping restaurant owners identify best-selling items and peak hours automatically.Risk Management: Addressing the concentration risk where 3 customers make up 60% of revenue and 2 vendors account for 60% of costs, and the plan to diversify through direct sales.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Paul Dass, Managing Director of Green Street Farms, about what it means to grow food with care in the heart of a city.Green Street Farms uses aquaponics, a natural system where fish and plants support one another, to produce fresh food while working in rhythm with nature. But beyond the method, this is a story about intention: choosing to grow slowly, thoughtfully, and in a way that stays connected to the people who eat the food.Paul shares the personal journey behind the farm, the lessons learned from working with living systems, and how reconnecting people to where their food comes from can quietly change how we think about nourishment, responsibility, and care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Startup accelerators are everywhere, but few operate like AppWorks. Based in Taiwan with a sizable footprint in Southeast Asia, the firm runs an accelerator that takes zero equity and charges zero fees, a model sustained by its associated VC funds.Alyssa Chen, Principal of the AppWorks Accelerator, joins BFM to explain how this "founder-first" model acts as the top-of-funnel engine for an ecosystem that has raised $6.6 billion in funding across 650 active startups.We dive into their strategic pivot for 2026, targeting "outlier" founders in Manufacturing AI, Defense Tech, and Onchain Banking, and how they are building a cross-border corridor linking Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.We discuss:The "Freemium" Model: How AppWorks sustains a fee-free, equity-free accelerator by using it as a high-quality deal flow pipeline for its VC funds.Vetting "Outliers": Why a free program still requires a grueling 30-question application and interview process to filter out value-seekers and find true execution-focused founders.The 2026 "Request for Startups": Why AppWorks is pivoting to hard tech. Alyssa explains the focus on Manufacturing AI (leveraging Taiwan’s hardware strength), Defense Tech (dual-use commercial applications), and Onchain Banking.The Southeast Asia Thesis: Despite the region's "exit bottleneck," Alyssa argues that the ecosystem is maturing, with founders shifting from "growth at all costs" to profitability and cash flow.The Taiwan-Malaysia Bridge: How AppWorks is actively linking markets, using Taiwan for R&D and revenue, Singapore for capital and legal structure, and Malaysia for talent and team building.Alumni Power: How a network of 2,000+ founders (including 900 CEOs) drives the ecosystem, with 570 active startups helping each other navigate fundraising and expansion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private credit has exploded over the last decade. But is it a necessary structural shift or a "shadow banking" bubble waiting to pop?David Z Wang, Co-Founder & CEO of fintech firm Helicap Group, joins BFM to make the case for connecting global investors to Asia's massive private credit opportunity.Backed by S$20 million in paid-up capital from the likes of Kenanga Group, Phillip Capital, Saison Capital, and Tikehau Capital, Helicap has helped deploy around US$700 million to the region's "underbanked" sector. The firm mainly targets licensed non-bank financial institutions as distribution points to indirectly serve millions of MSMEs and individuals.We discuss:The Bubble Question: While US private credit faces scrutiny, David explains why Asia is different. With only 3-5% of the global market share despite holding 60% of the population, he believes the region offers growth without the saturation risks seen in the West.Principal Protection vs. Volume: Unlike platforms chasing rapid GMV growth, Helicap claims to adopt a slower, investor-first approach. We explore their co-investment model — where they say they put their own skin in the game for 90% of deals — to align incentives and prioritize capital preservation.Helicap vs. P2P Platforms: Why invest with them when P2P platforms and bond funds already exist? David argues that for investors with larger capital sums, manually picking loans is unmanageable. He explains how Helicap’s structure handles diversification and diligence, offering what he describes as a passive, institutional-grade alternative.Defining the 'Underbanked': David clarifies the critical strategy of targeting the "underbanked" (those with income but no credit) rather than the "unbanked." By lending via licensed B2B partners, the company claims to secure better data visibility and lower default risks.The Malaysia Expansion: With Kenanga Group as a strategic backer, Helicap is making a major play for the Malaysian market. We discuss their stated plans to bring institutional-grade technology to local SMEs and partner with local P2P players to offer Ringgit-based products.The 2026 Roadmap: With David reporting that profitability has been secured in 2025, what's next? He outlines the shift from constant fundraising to operational excellence, focusing on risk management, team growth, and deep integration with regional partners to cement their position in Asia.M&A vs IPO: With strategic backers like Kenanga on the cap table, is an acquisition inevitable? David opens up about Helicap’s long-term trajectory, weighing the stability of joining a banking giant versus the ambition of remaining an independent, IPO-bound fintech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians are investing more than ever, but many are doing so in a market flooded with hype, social media tips, and unverified “gurus.” The result? Emotional decision-making, rising losses, and growing distrust among retail investors.We speak with Warren Mak, CEO and Co-Founder of Ted Optimus, about why so many Malaysians struggle to invest sustainably, and how his platform aims to help investors slow down, think rationally, and separate real opportunities from costly noise.He shares how his experience in investor education led him to build Trade Wizard, a platform that combines AI-powered stock insights with practical financial education, designed specifically for local retail traders.From scam culture and Telegram tips to building discipline, trust, and long-term investing habits, we take a candid look at what smarter investing in Malaysia could, and should look like.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While skeptics dismiss the current wave of startups as mere AI 'wrappers,' a grassroots movement in Kuala Lumpur is ignoring the noise and building anyway. It begs the question: is it really just an 'AI wrapper' if it solves a fundamental business problem?Joseph Chin, City Organizer for AI Tinkerers Kuala Lumpur, joins BFM’s Open For Business to discuss how a small meetup grew into a thriving network of nearly 2,000 members. A former software engineer turned solo founder, Joseph also shares the journey of bootstrapping DocuAsk.ai to profitability, acquiring nearly 300,000 users along the way.We discuss:The "Wrapper" Debate: Joseph argues that while some AI products are lazy wrappers, others (like his own) act as essential bridges, making complex models palatable for end-users, much like Uber is an "AWS wrapper."Distribution as the Moat: Why building great software is no longer enough. Joseph explains his painful pivot from engineer to operator, realising that mediocre software with great distribution beats the alternative every time.The Pivot to Profit: How he saved his bootstrapped startup by firing marketing agencies and learning digital ads himself, a move that tripled performance and led to profitability.The AI Tinkerers Explosion: Inside the rapid growth of the KL chapter. Joseph shares how loneliness as a solo founder sparked a community that now inspires members to quit their jobs and launch startups.Shattering Talent Myths: We discuss the massive turnout for recent local hackathons (almost 2,000 RSVPs), debunking the long-held assumption that Malaysia lacks the deep tech talent or hunger to build world-class products.The Value of "Tinkering": Why action beats theory. Joseph advocates for hackathons not just for product creation, but as a forcing function to break self-imposed limitations and accelerate learning velocity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many entrepreneurs, the idea of living and working anywhere in the world is the ultimate goal. But for Andrew Henderson, it’s more than a dream—it’s a business model. He’s the founder of Nomad Capitalist, a consultancy that helps high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs build global lifestyles through offshore strategies, second citizenships, and optimised tax structures.Based partly in Malaysia, Andrew has become one of the most recognised voices in the offshore world, featured in outlets like Bloomberg, Forbes, and CNN. Today, we’re finding out why Malaysia is emerging as one of the world’s most attractive bases for global entrepreneurs, how Nomad Capitalist operates behind the scenes, and what it really means to “go where you’re treated best.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AI sector is frothy, filled with "wrappers" disguised as deep tech and companies blurring the line between innovation and snake oil. Yet, Agnes AI claims to be different. By combining a "Snapchat-style" social feed with an enterprise-grade productivity suite, they aim to capture the 99% of Southeast Asian users who aren't paying for ChatGPT.Bruce Yang, Co-Founder and CEO, joins us to explain why Agnes AI is building a "mobile funnel" to drive desktop software sales. He breaks down their transition from Sapiens AI, their claim of "Sovereign AI" (training their own models rather than relying on APIs), and their ambitious goal to replace your entire office stack, from Word to Slack.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Southeast Asian payments landscape is a fierce battleground, crowded with global giants like Stripe and Adyen, regional heavyweights, and local gateways. Yet, HitPay has carved out a lucrative niche, processing over $1 billion annually for more than 10,000 businesses across the region.CEO Aditya Haripurkar joins us to explain why the region needed an "SMB-first" payments player. He details HitPay’s journey from e-wallet and a Venmo parallel to securing a $16 million Series A led by Tiger Global, driven by a 100% compound annual growth rate.We discuss:The Boom: How HitPay went from processing $100k to $20 million monthly in under two years.Differentiation: Why focusing on "omni-channel" and local payment methods beats the enterprise-first approach.The Business Model: Why HitPay gives away POS software and website builders for free.Capital Efficiency: processing $1 billion annually with a team of just 36 employees.Future Trends: Why HitPay is integrating stablecoin payments for Singaporean merchants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When most people think of buffets, they think of indulgence, not innovation. But for treatsure Co-Founder and CEO Preston Wong, surplus food became a business opportunity. After gaining traction in Singapore with its “buffet-in-a-box” concept, treatsure is now partnering with top hotels like The Westin and Grand Millennium to reduce food waste in Malaysia’s hospitality sector. In this episode, Preston shares how treatsure balances sustainability with profitability, and what it takes to scale a purpose-driven business across borders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.