Open For Business

ZUZU Hospitality is a tech-enabled revenue platform helping independent hotels digitise, optimise, and compete in a travel ecosystem dominated by big brands and OTAs. With over 2,500 hotels onboarded across Southeast Asia and India, and US$30 million raised to date, the startup is taking on a global challenge: making tech work for small players in a highly fragmented, competitive industry.In this episode of Open For Business, co-founder and CEO Vikram Malhi, formerly Managing Director at Expedia Asia, shares how ZUZU helps hotels level up through a performance-based model that bundles tech, channel optimization, and OTA expertise. He reflects on building during a pandemic, near-term profitability, and his vision to help 10,000 hotels scale in the AI era.We also dive into:The staggering size of the independent hotel marketWhy most small hotels struggle with OTA (online travel agent) optimizationZUZU’s automation-first approach to revenue and operationsHow AI powers guest comms, reviews, and pricing decisionsGrowth plans and what it’ll take to scale beyond 8 figuresSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Richard and Rachael Prentice, the husband-and-wife co-founders of Rise and Plunge, Malaysia’s first dedicated contrast therapy spa offering private, Scandinavian-inspired experiences combining infrared saunas and cold plunges. We explore their journey from corporate careers to entrepreneurship, the science behind contrast therapy, and how they’re working to make cold plunge and sauna therapy more accessible at home. Plus, we'll also dive into how they scaled from DIY ice baths to a seven-figure wellness business, and what’s next for this ambitious duo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as an internal tool has grown into a Malaysian-built challenger to Mailchimp. But in a crowded global market, how does Enginemailer really stand out?According to Fleet Commander Jeffri Shahul Hamid, it starts with unlimited subscribers, a pay-as-you-use model, and tools for both marketing and transactional emails. That’s how his team quietly built a platform now powering half a billion emails a month across 140+ countries.In this episode, we explore:The 22-year journey from digital and tech agency to SaaS scale-upHow Enginemailer gained global traction through AppSumoWhy building product before promotion paid offThe engine behind their ultra-low churn and organic growthHow AI powers their automation, spam filtering, and moreWhat it takes to scale profitably on hyperscalers like AzureWhether you’re building a SaaS, scaling an SME, or tired of paying more as your subscriber list grows — this is a masterclass in product-led growth. Made in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yeoh Chen Chow is one of the most recognizable names in Malaysia’s startup scene. From co-founding Fave to scaling Groupon and KFit, he’s now launched 1% Advisory & Coaching, a minute-by-minute, fractional advisory firm helping business leaders make better decisions, faster.In this episode of Open For Business, we dive into Chen Chow’s entrepreneurial journey, from small-town beginnings to startup exits, and why he’s now focused on empowering others. He reflects on the tough lessons from co-founder dynamics, managing acquisitions and exits, and why living simply helps him focus on impact.We also explore:The origins and model behind 1% Advisory & CoachingWhat most founders get wrong about leadership and scaleLessons from the Groupon Taiwan turnaroundHow to build trust in high-stakes co-founder relationshipsWhy coaching, like business, is all about fit and clarityHis vision to become a "Business GP" for the startup worldWhether you’re a founder, exec, or aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons and practical insights for anyone looking to build, and sustain, their ventures or careers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Owning a hotel sounds glamorous, but beneath the surface lies a high-risk, capital-heavy, and often misunderstood business. Dr. Timmy Ho, Managing Director of Pragmatique, a boutique hotel asset management consultancy, joins us to break down the realities facing hotel owners in Malaysia.Since 2021, Pragmatique has guided hotel owners through the entire investment cycle, from site selection and financing to operations and eventual exit. In this conversation, we explore:What hotel asset managers actually do (and why they’re often called “nannies” and “whip crackers”)Why many hotels underperform financially, and what investors often get wrongThe structural fragility of Malaysia’s hotel market, including oversupply and stagnant room ratesHow Pragmatique helps clients benchmark performance, reduce waste, and plan for the long haulWhy this boutique consultancy focuses on depth over scale, and how it plans to grow organically through like-minded collaboratorsWhether you’re a property developer, investor, or just curious about what it really takes to make hotels work, this is one for the playlist.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009, JWC started as a small café in Johor with just 16 seats. Today, it has grown into an eight-figure, multi-company coffee group with retail outlets, a coffee academy, a roastery, and a fast-growing wholesale business. In this episode, we speak with Nelson Lai, Founder & CEO of JWC Global, and Michael Tan, Wholesale Director of JWC Roastery, about this company's journey from bootstrapped beginnings to building an integrated coffee ecosystem.We dive into:How JWC grew from a café into an 8-figure, multi-vertical business.The surprising profitability of their coffee academy.Their wholesale growth strategy, from five to seven figures.How JWC tackles supply chain risks through direct sourcing.Expansion ambitions, including exports, regional markets, and future fundraising.Discover how JWC balances coffee craft, business scale, and people development to grow Malaysia’s homegrown coffee presence at home and abroad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Open for Business, we speak with SEEd.Lab, QuinTerra and ArtsProud , three entities using business as a force for good.QuinTerra is tackling food waste by using black soldier flies to break down organic waste, paired with aquaponic farming to grow food more sustainably. Meanwhile, ArtsProud helps seniors reconnect through the power of art. Using music, movement, and creativity, their programmes lift spirits, sharpen minds, and combat loneliness. And at the heart of it all is SEEd.Lab, the platform helping ideas like these grow into real-world solutions. This is a conversation about purpose, passion, and solving everyday problems in ways that make life a little better for everyone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iPay88 Co-Founder Chan Kok Long reflects on over 20 years building one of Malaysia’s pioneering fintech companies; sharing lessons from the exit, self-actualisation, and his new beginnings in MedTech.Chan looks back on overcoming early skepticism toward digital payments in 2006, navigating a strategic acquisition by Japan’s NTT Data in 2015, and what made it a “good exit”, in this view. He also explains why he stayed on for nearly a decade post-acquisition.We also explore Chan’s next chapter, a new mission in medical technology aimed at making healthcare, especially wound care, more accessible and affordable for all Malaysians. Drawing from personal experiences, Chan shares why this pivot matters to him and his vision of positioning Malaysia as a medical tech hub for Southeast Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Nisha Paramjothi, founder of EnPrivacy, a B2B SaaS platform focused on tackling data privacy risks in the era of public LLMs and AI. We dive into the story behind EnPrivacy, from its inception to the real-world challenges of building a startup at the intersection of AI and compliance. Nisha shares insights into the mission driving the platform, the hurdles they’ve encountered along the way, and what’s next as they aim to shape the future of responsible AI use in business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore the future of retail with Shaji Rajappan, COO and Co-founder of Retailetics — the startup behind ezyCart, an AI-powered self-checkout solution aiming to transform the supermarket experience. Born in 2018 from a vision to solve inefficiencies in traditional retail, Retailetics combines machine learning and computer vision to bring smart, seamless shopping to brick-and-mortar stores. Shaji shares the journey behind building a retail tech startup in Southeast Asia, the challenges of scaling hardware and software in tandem, and how Retailetics is shaping the next wave of consumer experiences through automation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.