Open For Business

Kabel is a tech company that developed an app to connect young graduates with employers to help graduates find meaningful jobs. It can be said to be a dating app-like model for jobs, because job seekers can swipe left and right on jobs they are interested in, and so can employers. Camelia Loh and Daniel Yap talk about how they co-founded the company, and how Kabel fits into the picture of youth employment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SF6 (Sulphur Hexafluoride) is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, 23,500 times more effective at trapping infrared radiation than an equivalent amount of CO2. According to National Grid, it remains in the atmosphere for 3,200 years, and is a vital component in switchgear technology for distribution of electricity. We hear from Nicholas Ottersbach, Business Development Manager of Nuventura–a cleantech company that has developed an alternative to the harmful SF6 gas used in switchgear technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elderly care is becoming an increasingly more pressing concern given Malaysia’s ageing population with The World Bank noting in 2020 that Malaysia will be a “super-aged society”, by 2056, as defined by having over 20% of the population above the age of 65. For context, the number was around 7% in 2020.While there doesn’t seem to be a silver bullet to address this concern, it does smell of business opportunity and private sector players have entered the scene. One of them is CARE Concierge.CARE Concierge recently got a huge boost in the form of funding, it was onboarded as the first portfolio under Gobi Partners’ newly established Gobi Dana Impak Ventures (GDIV) fund. GDIV is a part of the Future Malaysia Programme, an initiative under Khazanah Nasional’s Dana Impak mandate.We speak to Martin Yap, CARE Concierge’s Founder and CEO about how this funding will be utilised, the growth pathway ahead, and how CARE Concierge leverages tech to power its elderly care offerings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 in 3 Malaysians face mental health issues, and that was based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted in 2015 – 5 years before the pandemic. Pair that with a March report from the World Health Organization that found that the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in depression and anxiety worldwide, and we can see why mental health and wellness is becoming a more pressing issue. In a bid to help address this, we’ve seen many mental health startups come up and on this episode of Open for Business we speak to one of them - ThoughtFull, a mental wellness startup that connects users to certified mental health professionals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past two decades, the price of solar energy has decreased substantially, leading to greater potential for its adoption. Which is great for a country like Malaysia, where we’ve got plenty of sun.However, according to a journal article in Clean Energy by Lin-Sea Lau and others, while global residential solar capacity is expected to grow from 58 GW in 2018 to 143 GW in 2024, many developing and emerging economies in Asia, such as Malaysia, are lagging behind for a variety of reasons including inadequate policy incentives, lack of rules and regulations, and low or subsidized household electricity tariffs.Leading up to World Environment Day, we speak to Zeth Lim, Founder and CEO of Verdant Solar about the role solar power can play in the energy transition, how to get around the upfront cost hurdle, the business potential of this company, and what the government can do to encourage solar power take up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uzabase, Japan's largest industry and corporate database, renowned for its precise client insights and innovative tool, SPEEDA. This all-in-one solution accelerates business growth by providing comprehensive access to reports on over 560 Asian industries, created by experienced in-house analysts. We're joined by Shafarudin Sariman, Head of Local Markets, who will discuss SPEEDA's Southeast Asian launch, the importance of Asian-focused data, strategic collaborations for exclusive resources, and Uzabase's capability to provide beyond-platform research. We'll also delve into a recent Foodtech report as an example of Uzabase's ability to provide in-depth, ground-level insights into emerging markets and trends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freshable wants to change the way people approach their food. The Malaysian start-up delivers ready-to-cook meal kits to your doorstep, making it easier to meal plan and, hopefully, lead healthier lives. With the promise of convenience and time saving, this could certainly appeal to the time-poor, but is that a big enough market for this start-up to build a sustainable business model? We’ll explore this, future plans, and more with co-founder and CEO Adeline Tang.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FusionQB is a leading data-driven company that provides business super-app solutions to help businesses to increase sales conversion and improved customer experience, with customer data analytics and predictive engine.Through their expertise, they have managed more than 300,000 customer data on their platform, establishing brand presence in various fields including real estate, healthcare, automotives and media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Sustainability Day, we explore the conversation around plastic waste. Our Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that the government is targeting zero use of plastic bags by 2025 at all premises. What can be done better to reduce plastic waste? Joshua and Joel Lim, the co-founders of BeeBag, want to reward people who use their reusable bags when they shop. What’s so special about their bags? They’ve got NFC tags. We’re here to find out what challenges lie ahead of them in this competitive sustainability space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Video games are often regarded as merely entertainment, yet in the last few years, the Malaysian gaming industry business has experienced rapid growth and recognition. According to SEA Gaming Industry Report 2021, the Malaysian Gaming Industry is valued at $786M, and it's the 3rd largest in SEA. Established in 2004, OffGamers was established by three brothers to connect Gamers, Game Developers and Game Publishers in one place and make transactions between them possible, to create a perfect platform for game developers, publishers and gamers alike.Photo Credits: ShuttershockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.