Open For Business

How do you make complex STEM subjects like robotics and coding engaging for students, especially those in underserved communities who feel left behind by technology? Malaysian edtech startup GoTechUp believes the answer is gamification, turning learning into a series of captivating missions and simulations.

Ainaa Rosli, CEO and Co-Founder of GoTechUp, joins us to share their journey from a single simulator to building an aggregator platform for gamified learning. She discusses their unique strategy of co-creating content with educators, their focus on making STEM a tool within other subjects, and how they track student progression with data to ensure learning is effective, not just fun.

We discuss:

• The mission to become the "Netflix for gamified education."

• Their strategy of co-creating educational games directly with teachers.

• How gamification and data can track student progression.

• The focus on reaching underserved communities with engaging tech tools.

• Their pre-seed fundraising journey and plans for scaling.

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Smart logistics is fast becoming a critical enabler of Malaysia’s aerospace ambitions, and one company helping make that happen is Triangle Worldwide.

Behind every aircraft part and engineering breakthrough, there’s a logistics system working quietly in the background, one that must be fast, precise, secure, and globally connected. From handling time-critical Aircraft on Ground (AOG) scenarios to navigating complex compliance requirements and ensuring end-to-end visibility, the demands in aerospace logistics are uniquely demanding.

In this episode, we speak with Marc Philip, CEO of Triangle Worldwide, about the shift toward predictive logistics, the role of digital tools in building trust and transparency, and how Malaysia can strengthen its position in high-value manufacturing by getting the logistics equation right.

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What if learning about money felt less like a lecture and more like a game? Vespid, a Malaysian startup, is building the "Duolingo for personal finance" to make financial literacy accessible and engaging for young people. But the journey here wasn't straightforward.

Co-Founder and CEO Edrea Lee shares the story of Vespid's major pivot, from an ambitious plan to be the "Robinhood for Malaysia" to a gamified education platform. She details how they validated this new direction, the lessons learned from an evolving founding team, and their current B2B strategy of partnering with financial institutions.

We discuss:

• The pivot from an investment platform to a gamified EdTech app.

• How gamification (streaks, points, rewards) boosts user retention.

• Their B2B strategy for commercialisation and monetisation.

• The evolution of the founding team and lessons in entrepreneurship.

• Their pre-seed funding journey and plans for scaling.

For founders navigating a pivot, or anyone interested in the intersection of EdTech, FinTech, and gamification, this conversation is for you.

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Mascon Technologies, a Singapore-based Maritime Tech start-up founded in 2022 aims to help digitise, verify and simplify the work done on the ships - quite literally - and in the office. We speak with Mascon’s CEO and Co-Founder, Hakim Sanwan, about their inception story, the challenges of building a tech company in the maritime sector, their ambitions ahead, and how Mascon is positioning itself within a complex and traditional industry.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Many Malaysian SMEs generate healthy profits but still struggle with cash flow and fail to secure funding. Why? The problem often lies in the gap between accounting (looking backward) and finance (planning forward). DashAdd, an AI-powered platform, aims to bridge this gap for good.

Co-Founder and CEO Awzair Hamid explains how his pre-seed startup is building an AI financial analyst named "Tawfeeq" to give SMEs clarity on their numbers. He discusses their vision to automate financial forecasting, simplify performance tracking, and match businesses with the right funding opportunities.

We discuss:

• The critical difference between accounting and finance for business owners.

• How they hope their AI agent, Tawfeeq, will simplify complex financial data.

• The strategy to create a funding-matching ecosystem for SMEs.

• Their go-to-market plan through strategic partnerships.

• Insights from their pre-seed funding journey with HASAN.VC.

For startup founders and SME owners who feel overwhelmed by their numbers, this conversation offers a glimpse into the future of automated financial strategy.

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How does a homegrown Malaysian badminton brand, with roots in 1980s shuttlecock manufacturing, scale to an eight-figure business with a presence in over 40 countries? For Absolute Protech Sports, the answer lies in branding, product innovation, and a deep understanding of what players want.

Founder and Managing Director Dato’ Ronnie Chong shares the four-decade journey of Protech. He discusses the transition from a family manufacturing business to a modern marketing and distribution powerhouse, and why they are making a significant bet on the meteoric rise of pickleball, but also why they’re looking into padel.

We discuss:

• The strategy for growing from an 8-figure to a 9-figure business.

• How to compete with global sports giants on quality and price.

• Why Protech is betting big on pickleball as the "new social sport."

• Product innovation, from hybrid shuttlecocks to pickleball floor mats.

• Key lessons on organic growth, delegation, and building a brand.

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We speak with Edward Ling, the founder of Edvance, a Malaysian fintech company that helps families afford private and international school fees, while giving schools more stability in how they manage their cash flow about why he thinks fixing the school payment system might be the most overlooked way to improve education in Malaysia.

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Could working in your browser with tools like Google Docs and Salesforce be the biggest cyber threat facing enterprises today? According to Vivek Ramachandran, founder of SquareX, the answer is a resounding yes. He argues that as work has moved entirely online, traditional security has been left blind to a new generation of sophisticated, browser-native attacks.

This is precisely why his cybersecurity firm raised $30 million.

Vivek explains how his team is pioneering a new category, Browser Detection and Response, to protect the new enterprise endpoint: the web browser itself. He unpacks the strategy, SaaS model, and vision required to tackle this critical, underserved market.

We discuss:

• Why the web browser is the new front line for cyber attacks.

• The critical security gaps left by traditional antivirus and EDR.

• Key lessons from raising $30M to build a new product category.

• Using thought leadership at Defcon & Black Hat to win enterprise clients.

• The journey from a successful exit to tackling a new global problem.

Whether you're a CISO, tech founder, or an investor tracking the future of cybersecurity, this is a masterclass in why you need to rethink where the real threats lie.

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The Truly Loving Company is Malaysia’s first social enterprise to adopt a corporate profit model for goods—developing, manufacturing, and marketing a range of high-quality household cleaning products under the TLC brand. Julia Chong, the Founder and CEO of TLC joins us to break down their bigger mission, how the company plans to scale its social impact as well as the challenges to set up a social enterprise in Malaysia.

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What if venture capital wasn’t built to chase unicorns in Southeast Asia, but to build camels instead?

On Open For Business, Umar Munshi, Managing Partner of HASAN.VC, unpacks how his firm is rethinking venture capital for Southeast Asia and beyond, with a focus on ethical, halal-aligned startups grounded in resilience, not hype.

We explore the origins and philosophy behind HASAN.VC’s Camel Manifesto, which champions long-term sustainability over hypergrowth.

Umar shares lessons from his equity crowdfunding journey with Ethis Group, why traditional VC models fail in fragmented markets, and how HASAN is building a more founder-friendly ecosystem, including a hands-on accelerator and a new venture studio in Kota Bharu.

We also discuss:

• Why the Silicon Valley VC model doesn’t fit Southeast Asia

• Red flags founders should watch for in investors

• Shariah-compliant alternatives to SAFE notes

• How HASAN.VC is building an angel-powered VC fund

• What ethical investing means in practice, and why it’s for everyone

Whether you're a founder, funder, or just curious about values-driven capital, this is a must-listen.

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