Enterprise Explores

2023 saw fintech funding in Southeast Asia hit a 5-year low as fintech firms in the region raised just US$2 billion in 2023, down 65% from 2022 and 77% lower than 2021, while the number of deals fell 50% — just 142 in 2023 compared to 288 in 2022, as per the Tracxn Geo Annual Report: SEA FinTech 2023.With this in mind, Enterprise Explores the dynamic and rapidly evolving fintech sector in Malaysia, with Farah Jaafar, Vice President of Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM) and Low Zhen Hui, a Managing Partner at venture capital firm Artem Ventures.Among other things, we got into where the Malaysian fintech scene is today and the milestones and challenges over the past year, key trends to watch ahead, the importance of bringing in talent, whether investor confidence in the sector has wavered, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smart city developments here in Malaysia have been rapidly expanding since the pandemic as we can notably see with fast-growing cities like Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor just to name a few.According to Statista, the revenue from smart city developments is aimed to experience a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.53% between 2024 and 2028, reaching a market volume of US$ 1 billion by 2028.In line with that, the government also has announced the MySmart Wilayah 2030, an elaborate blueprint for smart cities within federal territories. The initiative seeks to leverage digital technologies to enhance education, security, health, environmental quality, and efficient transportation, enhancing residents’ overall quality of life.Today, we will be speaking with Mustapha Kamal, Urban Planner and Founder of Arkitek Mustapha Kamal and Joanne Carmichael, Director of Cities, Planning and Design at Arup on where are we lacking compared to other countries, what’s currently being done here in Malaysia to ensure business sustainability and what’s the economic impact of smart city developments to enterprises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look into Malaysia's evolving electric vehicle (EV) landscape amid recent news of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) reconsidering the ambitious target of establishing 10,000 EV charging stations by 2025. Joining us are two key figures in the Malaysian EV scene: Daniel Fernandez, the mind behind DSF.my, and Sharol Halmi, President of the Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club.As Malaysia strives to align its transportation sector with global sustainability goals, this discussion offers a timely look into the hurdles, opportunities, and milestones on the path to a more sustainable and electric-powered future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Enterprise Explores 8 major trends that will define the future of business with Shazrul Asari, Managing Partner at Bain & Company Malaysia.We get into their latest report, "Present Shock and Future Sensing," which offers a glimpse into the strategies businesses need to thrive in this era of unpredictability.Over the course of this conversation, you will learn about the 8 major trends identified in the report that are reshaping the business environment and the strategies that businesses can adopt to navigate these shifts effectively.We’ll get into the rise of artificial intelligence, the dual challenge of decarbonization and energy provision, and the potential impact of a post-globalised world as a new global order emerges.We will also explore the concept of capital rationalisation, what it means to shift away from the traditional "invisible hand" in economics, and what Bain & Company means by "rehumanizing work" and its significance in today's business environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, 26 January, marks the first commemoration of the International Day of Clean Energy. This day is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting the adoption of clean energy sources worldwide. The key theme of this day revolves around highlighting the importance of transitioning from traditional fossil fuels to renewable and sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power.In conjunction with this commemoration, we speak with Fairuz Yahya, Managing Director of Gabungan Sukses on the current state and the future of clean energy. Gabungan Sukses specialises in sustainable energy generation by utilising plant and agricultural wastes and employing biomass technology for energy production.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is publicly listed TDCX potentially going private again after 2 years on the NYSE?Today Enterprise Explores the proposed privatisation of NYSE-listed Singapore-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm TDCX with Simon Huang, Chief Analyst at Tech In Asia. We get into potential reasons behind the proposal, comparable examples from the past such as Razer’s privatisation and not-so comparable ones such as Michael Dell’s $25 billion buyout of Dell, and whether this signals more potential privatisation of recently listed public listed companies.We also speak to Simon about what we know about how this TDCX will be financed and how privatisations are typically financed, and how the firm compares to other public-listed BPOs, and get his thoughts on the current state of public listed tech companies in Southeast AsiaFor background, TDCX kickstarted 2024 with the announcement that its founder and CEO wanted to delist the NYSE-listed company and take it private again. Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman Laurent Junique proposed to acquire the remaining shares that he doesn't own at a price of US$6.60 per share, which represents a 36% premium to the closing price before the announcement was made, but is around 63% below the $18 US dollars per share TDCX was priced at when the company went public just over two years ago.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It's like 1995, start of the internet, but it's not like 1999, in terms of the bubble” Daniel Ives, Managing Director of Wedbush Securities.As reported in the New York Times, since the S&P 500 index hit its latest low in October 2022, Big Tech’s Magnificent 7 have collectively risen nearly 117%, far outpacing the performance of the overall index which is up around 35% in the same period.With the S&P 500 hitting a new high this week and earnings season on-going, Enterprise Explores the AI revolution and how far Big Tech’s Magnificent 7 can go. Daniel Ives, Managing Director of Wedbush Securities, provides expert insights into earnings forecasts, AI's influence on these tech giants' business models, and the potential for future growth and challenges, including geopolitical tensions and regulatory issues.Ives also discusses his predictions for Big Tech's activities in 2024, highlighting AI's potential for monetization, alongside possible mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the tech and AI space.01:38 Forecast for Big Tech in 2024 - The New Tech Bull Run Has Begun05:10 The Role of AI in Driving Business Strategies in Big Tech06:30 Apple's Potential in the AI Space and Business Potential of The Vision Pro11:06 AI Monetization and Its Impact on Big Tech Performance and Growth15:20 M&A Activity Expectations in the AI and Emerging Tech Space17:30 Emerging Players And Potential Disruptors in the AI Revolution18:25 NVIDIA’s Role As A Leader in AI and Growth Prospects21:40 Microsoft's Potential in AI and Growth Prospects23:05 Alphabet’s Catch Up in AI and Could Be A Tech Superstar in 202424:20 Amazon’s AI Potential25:20 Apple, Microsofts and Amazon’s M&A Appetite 27:37 Outlook ahead for Tesla and Meta and What Will Drive Growth32:21 Key Challenges for Big Tech in 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“This Is The Window To Shape BNPL In Malaysia”.Today Enterprise Explores Buy Now, Pay Later in Malaysia. We take a look at the BNPL industry here in Malaysia, feedback about the current regulatory environment and the kind of regulations needed in order to protect consumers but also allow the industry to grow, as well as opportunities and challenges ahead for the industry.Helping us with this conversation was Dawn Lai, Chief Executive Officer of Experian Information Services Malaysia, and Jonathan Lim, Secretary of Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM). Jonathan is also a Partner at law firm Zaid Ibrahim & Co in association with KPMG Law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cautious but positive, that’s the outlook for Malaysia’s consumer spending this year, at least according to research firm BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, who expects the economic recovery to support stronger real consumer spending growth in 2024.In the short term, BMI said that based on high-frequency data they expect consumer confidence and retail sales to continue to be sluggish, but in the medium term, they expect consumer spending to be stable given the easing inflationary pressures and healthy employment.On this episode of Enterprise Explores, we take a dive into Malaysia’s 2024 Consumer Outlook with Damien Yeo, Consumer and Retail Analyst at BMI. BMI is a research firm under Fitch Solutions that provides macroeconomic, industry and financial market analysis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the recent regulatory approvals for AEON Bank and Boost Bank to commence operations, Enterprise Explores the digital banking landscape here in Malaysia and how it compares to key markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong with Vincent Fong, Chief Editor at Fintech News Malaysia, and Ravi Kittane, Partner at EY.We get into digital banking in a regional and global context, explore how Malaysia compares and can learn from other key markets, dissect various trends and key priorities for digital banks, including customer acquisition and the development of new products including credit products, potential competition from established financial institutions, and the key priorities and upcoming trends for digital banks in Malaysia in 2024.02:40 Guest Introduction and Discussion Start03:26 Insights into Digital Banking08:34 Digital Banking Landscape Overview15:05 Lessons from Foreign Digital Banks25:39 The Importance of Customer Trust and Security in Banking26:23 The Role of Deposits in Banking28:07 The Challenge of Customer Acquisition and Retention28:22 The Importance of Reliable Tech in Digital Banking33:06 The Role of Partnerships in Digital Banking34:48 The Potential of Islamic Digital Banking41:59 The Challenge of Serving the Underserved Market46:01 Looking Ahead: Key Developments and Trends in Digital BankingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.