Open For Business

By 2030, Malaysia is expected to transition into an ageing society, with individuals above age 60 and older to make up 15% of the population - Pacific Senior Living aims to address this market need and the evolving needs of the growing senior population.The company is part of the Columbia Pacific Management Group, a global investor, developer, and operator of modern healthcare and senior living facilities, and with over 40 years of experience in the space, Pacific, and along with its affiliates, have built and managed hundreds of senior living and other healthcare assets globally.Marking their entry into Malaysia, in November 2023, they opened up their first high class senior living facility here, repurposing the former four-star Merrida Hotel building in Klang, which ceased operations during the movement control order period.Three months post-opening, we speak to Dr. Ramnan Jeyasingam, Interim CEO and Director of Health Services at Pacific Senior Living Sdn Bhd about their plans and ambitions for the Malaysian market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded back in 2020, Meals in Minutes provides frozen, portioned meals tailored for quick and effortless meal preparation, mainly targeted to busy individuals and F&B enterprises across the region.Recently, as reported by The Business Times, this Malaysian based food startup just secured USD1.5 million in seed funding, notably 500 Global leading the investment.Today on the show,we spoke to Brandon Lim and Khiara Mia, Co-Founders of Meals in Minutes, a Malaysia-based food startup – to understand the business model for Meals In Minutes, what makes them unique in a competitive market and their possible expansion plans into other industries as well as the foreign market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syrian-born chef Ameer Alzalek’s journey into the culinary world was not always on the cards, but a ripple effect from war that pushed Ameer to leave Syria around 11 years ago. The former accountant from Damascus then found his way to Malaysia, where he says the life in the kitchen chose him as jobs were few and far between.Ameer explored the culinary scene in Penang and Langkawi, reportedly getting his break at a boutique hotel at Langkawi, before venturing on his own with Leen’s Middle East Kitchen following his experience with Ember Modern Bistro where he refined his view on food. Starting as a pop-up selling charred hummus, today Ameer runs 2 restaurants in TTDI - Leen’s Middle East Kitchen and recently opened up S.A.J Bistronomy by Leen’s.Today on Open For Business, you will learn more about Ameer’s journey, how he built his culinary career and subsequent restaurants, lessons learnt along the way, and his plans ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023 alone, investments in robotics soared to $12.9 billion, underscoring the promising outlook for the global autonomous mobile robots industry and DF Automation looks primed to ride this wave and is currently raising funds to do so. Founded in 2012, Johor-based DF Automation specialises in producing Autonomous Mobile Robot and Automated Guided Vehicle solutions with clear objectives: Optimise workflow, enhance productivity, and slash operational costs.This year marks DF Automation’s 12th year in the industry to support their growth ambitions, they are offering between 3.6% to 9% of the company to raise between RM3 million and RM8 million on equity crowdfunding platform pitchIN. This follows a RM3 million raise on the platform back in 2019. As of 14th of February, they have achieved 43% of the funding target, valued at RM1,285,716. We speak to Dr Yeong Che Fai, the Chairman and Co-founder of DF Automation & Robotics to get a better understanding of the value and potential of the robotics industry, and their origins and ambitions, as well as plans for the funds they are currently raising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're exploring the vibrant and essential world of aquaculture, a sector that's at the forefront of sustainable food production and marine conservation. In the heart of Malaysia, YHL Aquatic is redefining this industry with its eco-friendly and innovative approach to farming marine life, particularly shrimp and oysters.Embracing advanced biotechnologies and sustainable methods, YHL Aquatic is not just about providing high-quality seafood; it's about preserving our oceans and ensuring food security for future generations. This company's story is one of vision, innovation, and commitment to the planet.Joining us today is Low Yuan Heng, the founder and Managing Director of YHL Aquatic, here to share the inspiring story behind this pioneering venture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DoctorOnCall was founded by former management consultants Maran Virumandi and ex-colleague Hazwan Najib, with their entrepreneurship journey starting in 2015 before officially launching in May 2016. A key problem that they initially looked to target was to support doctors and GPs in saturated major cities by helping them expand beyond the geographical boundaries of their clinic to service patients through video or voice call, therefore allowing the doctors and GPs to maximise their time and generate revenue. Aside from trying to help doctors on the business side, DoctorOnCall is tapping into telemedicine in a bid to help improve accessibility to health care providers. Today the platform provides online medical consultation, delivers medication through its online pharmacy, hosts a medical specialist search and booking engine and features health articles and a medical information database, among other things. On this episode of Open For Business, you will learn about DoctorOnCall’s 8 year journey and where they stand today, the role that digital health and telemedicine can play in the healthcare ecosystem, as well as what Maran’s ambitions for this company look like ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2015 by Giden Lim and Penny Choo, BloomThis wanted to address the gaps in the floristry industry observed by the husband-wife duo, including boring floral designs, poor customer experience, and a lacklustre buying and delivery experience.BloomThis started off as a flower subscription service but evolved into a full-on online gifting store, and has even ventured into the physical world with the opening of 3 brick-and-mortar stores.We speak to Giden Lim, the CEO and co-founder of BloomThis, about the brand’s journey spanning the past nine years, delving into the company’s evolution, the recent expansion into physical stores, the intricacies of navigating the flower industry, why Bloomthis prioritised profitability over growth, and reasons behind why Giden and Penny bought all their shares back from investors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s world, it’s important that parents understand the challenges of exposing gadgets to their kids. Some highlight negative effects on children's well-being and others emphasise the potential for learning and growth. In a world where these conflicting reports surround the impact of gadgets on children, myFirst has stood out in this space to bridge the gap between technology, education, and family values.Launched in 2018, myFirst addresses the need for a digital space where children can interact safely while enjoying meaningful connections. With nearly 10 device categories, including watch phones, cameras, earbuds, 3D pens, sketch boards, and headphones, myFirst products are now available in over 42 countries including Singapore, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Spain, UK and the USA, just to name a few.At the forefront of myFirst’s innovative approach is myFirst Circle, a community app for kids that has connected nearly 30,000 users across 100 countries, providing a secure platform for authentic social engagements. With the start of 2024 - marking new beginnings and innovation, myFirst is now thrilled to introduce myFirst 2.0 Circle, accompanied by the launch of 4 cutting-edge devices: myFirst Fone R2, myFirst Voice 2, myFirst Frame Doodle, and myFirst Frame Live.Today on Open For Business, I’m joined in the studio by G-Jay Yong, Founder of myFirst Circle to understand the inspiration behind myFirst’s products, the impact of gadgets on children's development and what myFirst has in store for 2024 and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Profitable Aerodyne could IPO as soon as next year. The drone solutions provider made $65 million in revenue in 2023 and expects to hit $143 million this year, with plans to raise between $100 to $200 million in its Series C funding round. Series C will mark its final pre-IPO funding round and with a dual-listing on the cards, they are expecting to list locally as well as abroad. On the shortlist of foreign exchanges includes the NYSE, the Nasdaq, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.In this episode of Open For Business, you will learn what drew Kamarul out of the corporate world and into the drone business and startup life, what the early days of building Aerodyne were like and how much the company has evolved in the last decade, as well as where the company is in its Series C funding round and why M&A continues to be a key strategy for growth.Kamarul has his roots in audit and chartered accountancy, before getting a taste of tech that led him towards entrepreneurship when he founded Malaysia.tv in 2003, before running a production house called DKM2 in 2006. Interestingly enough it was the UAV division of his production house that became the first version of Aerodyne.Founded in 2014, Aerodyne was just a 3-person startup, 10 years later– it’s a global business that was ranked the World's Number 1 drone service provider for 3 consecutive years. The company now operates in more than 45 countries and across various sectors like oil and gas, security and surveillance, and agriculture.Aerodyne has raised around $80-90 million in 5 fundraising rounds and is backed by quite a list of investors, including Gobi Ventures, 500 Global, KWAP, and Petronas Ventures. The company isn't afraid to splash the cash to buy growth having 21 global M&As in the last 10 years and is looking to raise $100 million to $200 million in its Series C funding round to continue its growth story, organically and inorganically to buy market access and the technology.Beyond this Series C round (which it expects to be its final pre-IPO round), the next key milestone for Aerodyne is their much anticipated IPO, with Kamarul saying last year that this could happen within the next 2-3 years, with a dual-listing potentially on the cards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the ever-evolving landscape of logistics and distribution, companies in this sector face the ongoing challenge of providing high-quality services at an affordable cost, all while trying to push the boundaries of innovation.Against this backdrop is Hoor Fatt Enterprise, a Malaysia based logistics company specialising in transportation services and warehouse management for cargo movement in the region.Borrowing the concept from sea ports, Hoor Fatt has now turned their plant into a logistics hub which led them to be recognised as one of the fastest growing companies in Malaysia back in 2016. And now with a second-generation leader, the company holds a deeper vision for an eco-conscious future.Today on Open For Business, we’ll be speaking with Loh Choon Hong, CEO of Hoor Fatt Enterprise, on what it feels like to embrace the company’s legacy, their unique business model and what the future holds for Hoor Fatt Enterprise in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.