Collektr in 2025: 10X revenue, raise Series A funding, push regionally, hire right. In this episode of Open for Business, we explore how Malaysian startup Collektr is tapping into the booming collectibles market, blending nostalgia with investment potential. From trading cards and comics to sneakers and beyond, Collektr wants to transform how enthusiasts trade, value, and showcase collectibles.

With over 40,000 users and $1.3 million raised in Pre-Series A funding, Founder and CEO Adlin Yusman shares the platform’s journey, highlighting the pivotal roles of AI, technology, live streaming, and community. Drawing on lessons learned from the failure of his previous venture, BeMalas, Adlin, discusses the challenges of ensuring authenticity, facilitating high-value transactions, and navigating a high-value collectibles market. He also highlights Collektr’s impressive growth since its launch in April 2023 and the company’s ambitious plans for regional expansion and achieving 10X revenue growth by 2025.

Adlin also shares his preference for an M&A exit strategy to deliver liquidity for investors and reveals that the company is actively raising its Series A round to capitalise on the growing collectibles boom.

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Discover the journey of Double C, a wellness brand focused on handmade remedies and aromatherapy, with a holistic approach to enhancing physical and emotional well-being. From crafting unique therapeutic products to overcoming entrepreneurial challenges and fostering a community through education, this conversation with certified aromatherapist and Founder of Double C, Christine Looi, discusses the art of balancing passion, creativity, and sustainability.

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How can home renovation become both more affordable and more environmentally friendly? In this episode of Open For Business, we spotlight a Malaysian startup that’s transforming surplus and overstocked building materials into savings for homeowners while cutting down on construction waste.

Founded in 2017, HOMA is now an 8-figure revenue business that runs an online marketplace that reintroduces “new but unsold” supplies back into the renovation ecosystem, helping customers save money and reducing unnecessary landfill waste. We delve into its founding story, uncover how the platform serves both suppliers and end users, and examine the importance of sustainability in its business model.

We also explore the venture’s growth trajectory, including a successful Pre-Series A fundraise of US$1.5 million that’s powering expansions beyond Malaysia. Plus, discover why the team wants to tap into an M&A first and an IPO later to grow the business in the longer term.

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Today, we explore the story of a café that’s redefining the art of artisanal baking. Set in a warm, inviting atmosphere and with carefully crafted baked goods, Dou Dou Bake combines sustainability, mindfulness, and impeccable design to create a unique sensory experience. Keith Koay, the Founder of Dou Dou Bake, shares his journey, from the inspiration behind this iconic café to the challenges of scaling an artisanal business, and uncover what makes it stand out in both taste and experience.

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From supplying kopitiams to launching grab-and-go kiosks, this 81-year-old Penang coffee roastery is determined to modernise its Nanyang heritage and scale nationwide, and maybe take on ZUS. In this episode, we explore how a fourth-generation CEO balances family legacy with modern strategy—preserving artisanal roasting methods while introducing newer product lines like instant coffee and Nitro-infused local brews.

We delve into the rationale behind concept stores, the challenges of bridging tradition with innovation, and how these shifts cater to evolving consumer tastes. We also discuss why the company is seeking equity funding to fuel its ambitious expansion—while keeping an ACE Market listing in view.

Along the way, discover how it manages rising coffee bean prices, invests in equipment upgrades, and pioneers a kiosk model to bring old-world flavours to new generations of coffee lovers across Malaysia.

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A pregnancy craving launched an online sourdough bakery that now wants to be the homemade alternative to Subway and O’Briens. In this episode, we explore how this husband-wife duo shifted from online to B2B and B2C retail—testing cloud kitchens, kiosk models, and central production to carve a niche in Malaysia’s competitive F&B space. DIve into how they balance product quality, branding, and expansion plans as they strive to become a go-to local sandwich chain.

Here are some AI-generated highlights of key areas covered in the conversation:

- Pandemic Beginnings: What started as a personal sourdough craving in Kota Bharu led to an online store and unexpected demand, fueling the move into the Klang Valley.

- Cloud Kitchen Trials: To minimise overhead, the business initially relied on a cloud kitchen model, offering a lower-risk way to test the market in Kuala Lumpur.

- B2B to B2C Pivot: After supplying major retail marts, the founders realised that consignment-based sales lacked control, steering them to build their own brand presence via brick-and-mortar outlets.

- Focus on Sandwiches: Adapting to local breakfast and lunch habits, they are shifting to a sandwich-centric model—blending artisanal sourdough with grab-and-go convenience to meet Malaysia’s F&B needs.

- Scaling with Central Kitchens: Centralising production ensures consistent product quality while reducing costs, allowing for multiple retail kiosks and expansion into mature neighborhoods.

- Balancing Costs and Margins: They share insights on navigating overhead challenges, from refining kiosk concepts to adjusting product offerings, in pursuit of healthier profit margins.

- Sights on Expansion: Future plans include opening more sandwich outlets, securing potential funding through equity sales, and leveraging strategic partnerships while maintaining control of product quality.

- A Homegrown Vision: Aiming to become a recognised local sandwich brand—on par with global chains—the founders remain committed to artisanal quality and a distinctly Malaysian identity.

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Today on Open For Business, we speak to Edwin Wang, Co-Founder and CEO of Signature Market, a brand that’s making nutritious meals and healthy snacking more accessible to Malaysians. From its humble beginnings to becoming a household name both online and in stores, Signature Market’s journey is one of resilience and growth. We uncover the story behind its success, explore the challenges faced, and discover the exciting plans that lie ahead for the brand.

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Why and how did a B2C storage company pivot into a B2B e-commerce fulfillment platform, now supporting over 38 local and international brands and managing fulfillment for more than 100 online stores across platforms like Shopee, Lazada, TikTokShop, and Shopify? In this episode of Open For Business, we uncover the story of FlyBear, a Malaysian e-commerce fulfillment company, with Co-Founder and Managing Director, David Buri.

FlyBear’s mission is clear: to help businesses focus on growth while it handles the complexities of warehousing, picking, packing, and delivery.

Join us as we dive into FlyBear’s origin story, its spin-off from Storage Bloc in 2021, the journey from storage to fulfillment, and the pivotal milestones along the way. We’ll also discuss the challenges of building a logistics business, key areas of growth ahead, and whether an M&A or IPO could be in FlyBear’s future.

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Today on the show, we’re joined by Wan Emir Astar and Falah Hamidi, Co-Founders at ReMeal, a platform aiming to help cafes and restaurants sell their surplus food at discounted prices. ReMeal's journey began in 2023, with the launch of their app on the App Store and Google Play Store by mid-2024 and today, they have expanded to 16 active stores and over 40 vendors in the onboarding process with some notable ones including Celsius Coffee and Gula Cakery. We speak with two out of the four co-founders to discuss the mission and vision of ReMeal to successfully tackle the issue of food waste, the challenges they’re facing to achieve this and their ambitions to further develop ReMeal going forward.

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How does a Malaysian-based SaaS company challenge global giants like Adobe and Canva? Meet Pixlr Group, an AI-powered creative tools provider with over 10 million active users, transforming how individuals and businesses create content and communicate.

In this episode of Open for Business, Warren Leow, CEO of Pixlr Group, takes us through the company’s journey from its origins in Sweden to its acquisition by Imagine Group in Malaysia. Learn how Pixlr evolved from a basic photo editing tool to a comprehensive AI-driven creative ecosystem, catering to semi-professional and professional users worldwide.

Here are some AI-generated highlights of key areas covered in the conversation:

- Pixlr’s Evolution: Originally founded in 2008 by Swedish developer Ola Sevandersson and later acquired by Autodesk, Pixlr transitioned to Malaysian ownership in 2016/17 under INMAGINE Group. With a complete rebuild using HTML5 and AI integration, Pixlr has transformed into an ecosystem of creative tools catering to global audiences.

- AI-Powered Creativity: Pixlr integrates cutting-edge AI features, including generative fill, background removal, and animation tools, enabling faster, smarter, and more cost-efficient content creation. The tools reduce production time from weeks to minutes, offering transformative value for semi-professionals and businesses alike.

- Warren’s Leadership: From his beginnings in Ipoh and a corporate career in energy trading at BP and consulting at Bain, Warren brought his global experience to Pixlr. As CEO, he has driven the company’s professionalisation and positioned it for growth, balancing the founders’ vision with operational execution.

- Global SaaS Strategy: Pixlr’s revenue is 99% global, with key markets in North America, Europe, and APAC. Its SaaS model leverages freemium offerings, subscription-based products, and partnerships to scale internationally.

- Competitive Positioning: Positioned between Canva’s simplicity and Adobe’s high-end professional tools, Pixlr targets the semi-professional market. Its user-friendly tools offer powerful features without the prohibitive costs of competitors like Adobe.

- Recognitions and Milestones: Pixlr was the only Southeast Asian company recognised with an ‘Add to Chrome’ badge at Google I/O 2024, affirming its position as a world-class product.

- Bootstrapping Success: As part of INMAGINE Group, Pixlr has been largely bootstrapped, growing organically while maintaining profitability. Despite limited funding, it has achieved eight-figure revenue and continues to invest in product innovation and operational rigor.

- Future Growth Plans: Warren outlines Pixlr’s ambitious target of 50% compounded annual growth, with plans to deepen its existing product offerings, introduce new AI-powered tools, and explore corporate exercises like IPOs or M&As to maximise value.

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