Open For Business

Founded in 2014, Bateriku.com wants to list in 2027, hit revenue of RM170 million in 2024, and continue to expand its margins and profitability.On this episode of Open For Business, we speak to Founder and CEO Azarol Faizi about the 10 years journey and how his previous OEM business led to Bateriku.com, the evolution from car battery replacement service to an ecosystem, its plans for growth and how to expand margins, how the funds raised will be used, and its 2027 IPO aims.Bateriku.com started as an on-demand car battery replacement service provider in Malaysia and has evolved into an ecosystem that connects car users to roadside assistance, trusted workshops, auto parts marketplace and ancillary services. The company has served close to 1.5 million car owners and made RM95 million revenue in 2023, clocking in double-digit EBITDA and single-digit Profit After Tax (PAT). Bateriku expects to hit RM170 million this year.Announced on April 1st, Bateriku.com successfully raised RM10.1 million in funding through a joint investment by VentureTECH and VentureTECH SBI, as part of a RM37 million funding round. Other investors for this round include KWAP and Gobi Partners. This was only their second round in 10 years of business. The first external funding round was an RM10 million round in 2022 from Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Open For Business, we speak with Keith Loh, CEO of Rollti, a local startup that runs a grab-and-go concept restaurant that offers a fresh take on Malaysia's beloved Roti Canai.Rollti prides itself on its innovative approach, featuring an automated roti canai pressing system, together with a customisable drinks station.Their journey began with the success of their first outlet at Starling Mall, Damansara, serving over 30,000 wraps to date. Last February, Rollti celebrated the grand opening of their flagship outlet at Nu Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.On the show today, Keith gave us a sense on the concept of starting up a contemporary culinary store, the current products and services available at Rolti, the challenges faced in the F&B industry, and their foreseeable expansion plans moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2006, Easybook.com started off as a platform that sold bus tickets in Malaysia and Singapore but has since grown operations regionally. Last year it made RM300 million in revenue and RM10 million in net profit, with aims to hit RM500 million in revenue and RM30 million in profit this year.The company has raised a total fund of USD$8.5 million over 3 rounds. The first was a $500,000 round, followed by a USD$3 million round. Then in 2021, the company raised US$ 5 million Series C round from Malaysia boutique investment firm, Emissary Capital and utilised the new funds to invest in the business but also to get through the pandemic.Easybook is focused on maintaining its first mover advantage in this space with continued expansion into Indonesia and Vietnam, and is also preparing itself for an IPO - with the company scouting for listing locations that will provide it the best valuation.In this episode of Open For Business, dive into Easybook's origins as a pet project back in 2006 and the 18 year journey that William has been on, how the business has changed as the internet economy grew, its competitive advantage in this space, the underlying business itself, and IPO thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's rapidly evolving job market, traditional methods of securing part-time work, such as word-of-mouth referrals or classified ads, are becoming increasingly outdated. Many individuals, particularly younger generations, face challenges in finding part-time opportunities that match their schedules, skills, and preferences.Through Get Hyred, employers can easily recruit individuals for various divisions within their companies, all within proximity. Additionally, the platform enables users to earn skill badges by completing part-time jobs or engaging in training sessions, fostering financial and professional independence.Today on the show, we speak with Muthalib to look into how Get Hyred has modernized talent development in Malaysia, highlighting the uniqueness of their business model and sharing their plans for 2024 and beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OpenAcademy is the education arm of marketing-tech consultancy OpenMinds, and is trying to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world skills through microlearning principles.The platform allows individuals to take 5-minute lessons in the hopes of upskilling learners on the go and covers a wide range of topics including digital marketing, website optimisation, content creation, and more.Similar to MasterClass or Skillshare, the lessons are delivered by industry experts, with OpenAcademy leaning on local experts, aiming to make it more relevant and engaging.Today we explore why a mar-tech company started an online education platform, why Celine decided to lead the initiative, how they're incentivising local subject matter experts to become creators on their platform, the current state of the business, and how Open Academy wants to influence the future of education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we take a look at some of the innovative strides in sustainable waste management with Mah Jun Kit, Founder and CEO of BioLoop, a pioneering startup transforming Malaysia’s palm oil waste landscape.BioLoop utilises Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) to convert organic waste into valuable protein for aquaculture and animal feeds, significantly reducing ecological damage and greenhouse gas emissions. With over 8000 metric tons of waste processed, BioLoop not only enhances Malaysia’s environmental sustainability but also boosts its economy by creating new jobs and producing organic fertilisers.Along the course of the conversation, Jun Kit will be helping us digest the global potential of BSFL technology and its economic and environmental impact, how Bioloop is unique in this market and what’s in the pipeline for this BSFL solutions enterprise to help Malaysia position itself as a leader in sustainable agriculture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2007, Web Bytes is a software development company that specialises in software solutions for the retail and food and beverage (F&B) industries, and is 38% owned by GD Express Carrier Bhd (GDeX). The company began as a small project attempting to reinvent retail software and yet today, it is a RM30 million business with customers such as F&B brands such as ZUS Coffee and Gigi Coffee, as well as retailers such as The Body Shop. With over 5,000 retail merchants across Southeast Asia and billions of dollars worth of retail transactions per year, today we dive into how Web Bytes has evolved over the last 17 years, the value they bring to the retail & F&B space, how they are positioning themselves to leverage AI and Machine Learning in the retail tech space, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Fashion retail is not a Silicon Valley story”.Jenn’s Wanderlust + Co journey began back in 2010 in her apartment in Melbourne, powered by a WordPress website, self-made graphic designs, and about RM10,000 in startup money. Today her Wanderlust + Co products are present in nearly 30 countries, making over 70% of its revenue from foreign markets, and has been worn by the likes of Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez.On this episode of Open For Business, we dive into the 14 year journey that Jenn Low has been on, from how she started the business to when it stopped being a side hustle and how she grew it into a 7-figure business.Among other things, we also get into how influencer marketing played into the success of the business, how Instagram and later TikTok changed the game, why she didn’t raise any external funding, the brand’s push into physical retail, her ambitions ahead, and key lessons learnt along the way as an entrepreneur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While technological advancements and immersive multiplayer experiences make gaming a popular leisure activity, excessive screen time poses risks to children's mental health, including addiction, diminished focus, and social skill deficiencies.To address these concerns, Bomb Battle, a team-building escape room game company introduces Bomb Battle Elite, Malaysia's newest family entertainment attraction. Spanning over 6000 square feet, it offers four innovative games with 10 missions and 50 modes across three difficulty levels, suitable for young kids and adolescents.With that, joining us in the studio today is Datin Sheehan Tee, Founder of Bomb Battle, to discuss the inspiration behind their interactive escape room style game, their unique position in the market, and their foreseeable future plans moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian startup Finalyst wants to help financial planners, insurance agents, and unit trust consultants improve sales conversions and better manage their relationships with clients through their financial planning platform.With a focus on simplicity, Finalyst says that the platform supports industry players by providing personalised financial plans. That said, this isn’t the first or only product in the market to try and address this. So what makes them stand out from other solutions already in the market or will shield them from better funded players who come in later?We explore this and much more in this episode of Open For Business. We also get into Finalyst’ origins, the team behind it, how they built Finalyst, and ambitions ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.