Open For Business

The AI sector is frothy, filled with "wrappers" disguised as deep tech and companies blurring the line between innovation and snake oil. Yet, Agnes AI claims to be different. By combining a "Snapchat-style" social feed with an enterprise-grade productivity suite, they aim to capture the 99% of Southeast Asian users who aren't paying for ChatGPT.Bruce Yang, Co-Founder and CEO, joins us to explain why Agnes AI is building a "mobile funnel" to drive desktop software sales. He breaks down their transition from Sapiens AI, their claim of "Sovereign AI" (training their own models rather than relying on APIs), and their ambitious goal to replace your entire office stack, from Word to Slack.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Southeast Asian payments landscape is a fierce battleground, crowded with global giants like Stripe and Adyen, regional heavyweights, and local gateways. Yet, HitPay has carved out a lucrative niche, processing over $1 billion annually for more than 10,000 businesses across the region.CEO Aditya Haripurkar joins us to explain why the region needed an "SMB-first" payments player. He details HitPay’s journey from e-wallet and a Venmo parallel to securing a $16 million Series A led by Tiger Global, driven by a 100% compound annual growth rate.We discuss:The Boom: How HitPay went from processing $100k to $20 million monthly in under two years.Differentiation: Why focusing on "omni-channel" and local payment methods beats the enterprise-first approach.The Business Model: Why HitPay gives away POS software and website builders for free.Capital Efficiency: processing $1 billion annually with a team of just 36 employees.Future Trends: Why HitPay is integrating stablecoin payments for Singaporean merchants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When most people think of buffets, they think of indulgence, not innovation. But for treatsure Co-Founder and CEO Preston Wong, surplus food became a business opportunity. After gaining traction in Singapore with its “buffet-in-a-box” concept, treatsure is now partnering with top hotels like The Westin and Grand Millennium to reduce food waste in Malaysia’s hospitality sector. In this episode, Preston shares how treatsure balances sustainability with profitability, and what it takes to scale a purpose-driven business across borders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The non-bank lending industry, comprising licensed money lenders, pawnshops, and used car dealers, often operates on paper ledgers and Excel sheets. Johnny Tin, a former banking tech consultant, left his 9-to-5 to change that.He joins us to discuss Arkmind, his company attempting to digitalise this unglamorous sector. We explore how Arkmind bootstrapped its way to RM1 million in annual revenue, the impact of the Consumer Credit Act, and how they are helping traditional lenders use AI to approve loans in hours instead of days.We discuss:Why non-bank lenders are still stuck on paper and physical ledgers.Building an end-to-end digital lending system, from licensing to collection.Bootstrapping from RM100k and pivoting from project fees to SaaS.How Arkmind uses client data to build custom AI credit scoring engines.Targeting 40% annual growth and expanding into Islamic loans and BNPL.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Dr. Billy Tang’s journey from paraplegic farmer to global changemaker is at the heart of PWD Smart FarmAbility, a disability-led social enterprise transforming food security and community resilience. After an accident that left him paralysed, Billy reimagined how agriculture could work for people with limited mobility, low income, or no farming experience.The result: the HOPE Box and Soil-U-tion™ Model, a regenerative, zero-synthetic system now used across many households, Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI) / Special Education Integrated Programme schools, elderly homes and refugee communities. It produces clean vegetables every 10 – 14 days and tilapia protein every few months, while restoring microbial soil life and reducing food bills.In this conversation, Billy shares his personal turning point, the business engine behind PWD Smart FarmAbility, the realities of scaling social innovation, and why disability-led leadership belongs at the centre of Malaysia’s future food story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the rest of Southeast Asia was chasing the "super app" dream and burning cash on subsidies, Qualgro took a different path. For the last decade, this VC firm has quietly focused on the "boring back end of the internet", B2B software, data, and AI.General Partner Weisheng Neo joins us to explain why this approach is paying off. He also discusses why the NASDAQ isn't always the best exit for regional startups (and why the Tokyo Stock Exchange might be), why he views the current funding climate as a "natural correction" rather than a crisis, and how to build companies for "quality growth" in an era of high interest rates.We discuss:Why Qualgro bet on B2B software over consumer tech.The "mid-market ceiling": Why $200-400M exits are the sweet spot for SEA.The Appier case study: Why they listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.Identifying "AI-native" startups vs. ChatGPT wrappers.Why "management by consensus" is a death knell for startups.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a 50/50 revenue split between local and international markets, Superdough has quietly grown into an 8-figure entertainment powerhouse. Already operating across the US, South Korea, and the UAE, the company behind Breakout and Hauntu is now accelerating its global expansion with unique new models.Co-founders Johnny Ong and Kelly Low join us to share their strategy for scaling mid-tier entertainment concepts abroad. They discuss their new "student-run" franchise partnership in Texas, their major upcoming expansion into Montreal, and why they are pivoting to the kids' market with Spy Game Jr.We discuss:The journey to 8-figure annual revenue and 25% YoY growth.Their strategy for managing a 50/50 local vs. international portfolio.The unique "student-run" franchise model with a US school district.Why they created Spy Game Jr. to capture the kids' market.How AI is helping them visualize and balance game puzzles faster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s property market is crowded, competitive, and increasingly shaped by branding that goes far beyond logos and brochures. In this episode, we speak with Evon Chong and Aaron Bok, Co-Founders of IMAJEN, a property-focused branding consultancy that specialises in curating desire for places through storytelling, identity and experience design. We explore how the founders came together, how they built a profitable premium agency from the ground up, the operational challenges behind scaling a taste-led business, and their ambitions to grow IMAJEN into a regional creative force.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2001 with just RM10,000 in savings and RM110,000 borrowed from friends and family, Symbiotica Specialty Ingredients has grown into a major Malaysian manufacturer, exporting active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to 70 countries. After 23 years of organic growth, the company entered a new chapter in 2024 when Ekuinas acquired an 80% stake.Founder and CEO Ajoy Gopinath Prabhu joins us to share his 24-year journey. He discusses how Symbiotica carved a niche in the high-value steroid market, the rigorous path to US FDA approval, and why he chose to partner with private equity to professionalise the family business for its next phase of growth.Ajoy has been nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Malaysia Awards in the Master Entrepreneur Category, alongside other notable figures like Dato' Davis Chong (Solarvest), Datuk Kamarul Redzuan Muhamed of Uzma Bhd, and ZUS Coffee founders Ian Chua and Venon Tian.We discuss:The journey from a RM10K trading startup to a RM125M manufacturer.How Symbiotica competes globally with giants from India and China.The rigorous process of achieving US FDA and international certifications.Why the founders sold an 80% stake to Ekuinas after 23 years.The transition from an owner-operated family business to a corporatised entity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s gaming industry has crossed the billion-dollar mark, but a critical talent shortage threatens its momentum — from programmers and tools engineers to live-ops developers. Curine Ventures and Xsolla launched the Xsolla Curine Academy (XCA) in 2023 to close that gap, by building industry-ready creators through hands-on training, mentorship, and direct alignment with studios, universities, and publishers.In this conversation with Kaveh Wong, Founder of Curine Ventures and Co-Founder of Xsolla Curine Academy (XCA), we explore the academy’s business model, how it stays commercially relevant through industry partnerships, and its vision to build a realistic and sustainable talent engine for Malaysia’s next phase of gaming growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.