Open For Business

Ex-Zalora CEO, Michele Ferrario did not want to become an entrepreneur but had a need that nobody could provide for here in the region. Despite 124 pre-launch rejections from early-stage investors, he went about trying to build it himself and Stashaway was then born.Commonly known as robo-advisors, digital wealth managers or digital investment managers as they are known here in Malaysia, were an exciting development in the financial industry with pioneers such as Wealthfront and Betterment leading the charge 15-16 years ago, pushing the idea of making investing cheaper, easier, and more accessible. That said, the industry has struggled to find a profitable footing, with some players in the US having to adjust or pivot their models in order to make it work.In this episode of Open For Business, we dive into how Stashaway is navigating this challenge, whether their business model actually works, and if so, what is going to get them in the black. Before that, we take a look back in 2016 and find out why the now-former CEO of Zalora switched industries and jumped into the world of wealth management, how Michele and his co-founders built Stashaway, and the key lessons he has learned from the 8 year journey with the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natureloop is a KL-based company that specialises in designing and manufacturing products made from plastic waste. Instead of being discarded, Natureloop transforms plastic waste into new products such as coasters, customisable plant pots, as well as medals and trophies.Today on Open For Business, we speak with Brandon Chong Chee Wing, the Founder of Natureloop to breakdown their mission of turning plastic waste into a sustainable resource and signifying the company’s dedication to its quality and responsibility in the pursuit of not just creating products, but also making a positive impact on the planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rainmakers wants to make property investing more accessible to retail investors, helping them get a fractional slice of property ownership without the typical financial strains that come with property investing.Having raised RM620,000 in pre-seed capital, The Rainmakers are trying to raise a seed round of RM1.2 million at a pre-money valuation of RM 6 million through equity crowdfunding platform Leet Capital. They’re offering 16.67% of the company and the post-money valuation is expected to be RM7.2 million.In this episode of Open For Business, we will delve into why The Rainmakers is raising these new funds, the motivations behind Kelv’s ambitions to make property investing more accessible, and how they’re going to make this business model work.Note: At the top of the fundraising page is a disclaimer that reads:G Gen Labs Sdn Bhd engages in securities-related activities and is required to obtain a license from the Securities Commission (SC). Failure to secure this license may adversely affect their business operations. Please note that Leet Capital and its affiliated companies cannot assure or guarantee that G Gen Labs Sdn Bhd will ultimately obtain the required license from the Securities Commission of Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2017, Parcel Daily is a courier aggregator platform that helps optimise courier shipping cost and improve the shipping experience by connecting e-commerce businesses, big and small, with their network of service providers, such as DHL, PosLaju, and Ninjavan, among many others.To date, they have processed more than 5 million parcels and have provided shipping solutions to more than 5000 customers, and on this edition of Open For Business we journey back to their origins 7 years ago and how they built this asset light platform, the value-add this provides to the e-commerce industry, and what lies ahead for this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since their establishment in 2017, TTRacing is a gaming chair company that provides high-quality ergonomic gaming chairs and has been rapidly expanding across SouthEast Asia with stores in Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines. They are now looking at further expansion into other SEA countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Henry Ting, Founder and CEO at TTRacing, to breakdown what motivated him to start a gaming chair company, how have they grown and become widely renowned in SEA over the last 7 years, and what can be expected for the company’s growth in 2024 and beyond.Photo Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formerly known as Incite Foodtech, Incite Innovations Group was founded in 2020 and has seen M&A and corporate restructuring over the last few years to strengthen the business and its balance sheet so that it could go out and raise more funding as it geared up for a targeted 2024 IPO.Today, in its consolidated, re-branded form, Incite Innovation has three core verticals, Fintech, Retail Management, and Lifestyle Ventures, which it believes can help drive business growth and efficiency in retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors in Southeast Asia.From fundraising and business financing, to POS systems and F&B brands like Union Coffee and WonderMama, on this episode of Open For Business, you will learn why Incite Innovation went through all this corporate restructuring and how they’re integrating these 3 core verticals, what the rebrand signals ahead, and how they’re gearing up for their IPO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we spoke with Caleen Caseryn Chua, Founder of Enliven Women, the first ever transformation event designed to uplift the spirits of women. Coming from a finance background and formerly owning a chain of restaurants, Caleen has gone back to reliving her passion in giving back to the society by the form of yoga and mindfulness, as most of you would have heard with the Yoga For Mums event.Over the course of the conversation, Caleen will help us break down the struggles and personal challenges she had to pull through, the shift from owning an F&B business to reliving her passion and her future plans in 2024 and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a bootstraped investment of RM868,000 since its establishment in 2019, Secondlifeasia, Malaysia’s largest smart device repair company, records an inclining growth of 424% year on year, and is expecting to hit an annual revenue of RM 7.0 million this year. Secondlifeasia is an Independent Repair Provider (IRP) with genuine parts and diagnostic tools sourced from Apple, as well as being a Realme Authorized Service Center for a wide range of devices, including Internet of Things (IoT) devicesBack in February, the company announced its expansion to Thailand, through a joint venture with Appidea, a technology and software development company, with an initial investment of USD250,000 and this will see Secondlifeasia setting up a total of 3 brick-and-mortar outlets in Thailand by the end of 2024. Today on Open For Business, we spoke to Jerome Teh, CEO & Co-Founder and Alan Lee, CTO & Co-founder of Secondlifeasia, to understand the companies growth trajectory since their establishment in 2019, how the business model has evolved particularly with how much technology has developed since the pandemic era and what's in store for the business moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brokerage firm Malacca Securities was founded just over 60 years ago and Chia Wei got involved with the business back in 2013 after returning from the UK for what was supposed to be a “short visit” due to tightening of working visas.Following her education at Imperial College London, Chia Wei was working at a luxury brand retail group as a merchandising analyst and had a five-year plan in mind to climb the corporate ladder. She did not have plans to join the family business and yet the story has played out differently.Today on Open For Business, you will learn why Chia Wei stuck around in Malaysia to join the family business, what she brings to the Malacca Securities' table, including her progressive attitude to digitalisation and technology, and where she intends to lead this brokerage business, in an era define by a ‘fight to the bottom’ for brokerage fees and large international platforms, such as Moomoo, making their way into the Malaysian market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Behind the common misconception, pole dancing is generally known for its freedom of expressing feelings through the art of dancing that has evolved over time, from its origins in strip clubs and bars, to a more widely recognised form of fitness and art.Pole dancing has many different styles, from exotic to sports and there are a plethora of choreographies and dancing movements that one can create and enjoy, whether it's to release stress or to improve one’s fitness and flexibility. On this episode, we speak to Maple Loo Asaro, Founder of Bobbi’s Studios, a pole dancing studio in Bangsar to discuss the challenges in setting up a pole dancing business and how she managed it through to set up her own studio.Over the course of the conversation today, Maple helped us to break down the stigma behind pole dancing in Malaysia, how her passion ended up becoming an active business venture and her foreseeable ventures in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.