Open For Business

ReU Living builds communities for senior living and post-hospitalization recovery. It's a joint venture between eldercare solutions provider Meaningfull Life Sdn Bhd and Tan & Tan Developments Berhad, a wholly owned subsidiary of IGB Bhd.

Anna Chew, following her experience at CARE Concierge, co-founded ReU Living to fill a crucial gap in the market by offering premium eldercare services and post-hospitalization recovery.

Described by The Edge as a “retirement village, elder care centre, and a convalescent home all rolled into one,” ReU Living combines advanced physiotherapy with holistic treatments, including traditional Chinese medicine. Their first facility, located at MiCasa Hotel along Jalan Tun Razak, boasts 108 bedrooms with fees starting at RM7,500 a month for long-term stay.

Today, we'll explore the creation of ReU Living, its partnership with Tan & Tan, the challenges faced, and their ambitions for the senior living industry.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with Yeo Kwong Jin, Founder at Fiskor, a contemporary Malaysian cracker brand which uses cutting edge technology in the production of lekor chips. We’ll discuss Jin’s rationale for entering the lekor business as well as how the business is managing the challenges in a tough and challenging F&B industry and their future ambitions going forward.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CloudJoi is a ticketing service, streaming platform, and community hub designed for the performing arts. Founded in 2020 as CloudTheatre, the company has undergone several rebranding phases, evolving into CloudJoi in 2022. Since its inception, the platform has supported over 1,800 shows, partnered with more than 400 organizers, facilitated the sale of over 600,000 tickets, and generated over RM30 million in Gross Merchandise Value.

With strategic funding from Cradle in 2022 and expansion into Taiwan in 2023, CloudJoi continues to grow and innovate. Join us as we speak with Dennis Lee, CEO, and Kevin Teh, COO, to discuss their journey, the evolution of CloudJoi, and their ambitious plans for the future.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear from Big Tiny, a property development company transforming the dream of serene, nature-immersed living into a reality. Founded by Jeff Yeo and his co-founders Adrian and Dave, Big Tiny combines eco-friendly tiny homes with the beauty of nature, offering a sustainable travel experience. With an initial investment of S$100,000, they broke even in their first year and now boast a portfolio of 300 tiny houses across the globe. In this episode, Jeff Yeo shares their journey from inception to international expansion, the challenges faced, and their future ambitions.

Image Credit: Big Tiny

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paywatch is a financial services company that provides earned wage access (EWA) services to help employees get banked, receive credit, and improve their access to financial products.

Richard Kim, Co-Founder and CEO of Paywatch, founded the business in 2019 with his brother Alex. Together, they have built Paywatch as the only bank-backed and regulator-approved Earned Wage Access solution in Asia. Today, they have expanded their business not only in Malaysia and South Korea but also in other Asia Pacific countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, with their eyes set on Thailand and Vietnam ahead.

As of June, Paywatch had processed over $58 million in salaries through its system and was growing month-over-month by as much as 15%. Their user base is spread across South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, with notable clients including KFC, Pizza Hut (part of QSR Brands), Wilmar International, PayNet, and Jaya Grocer, among others.

Last month, Paywatch raised US$30 million (approximately RM141 million) in funding from a mix of equity and credit facilities to continue its growth and expansion plans.

In this conversation, Richard will give us a sense of why he started Paywatch, the problem he aims to address, the business opportunities present, the challenges in turning it into reality, and their growth path ahead.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2017 with the aim to redefine workspaces, Infinity8 today offers dynamic coworking environments that cater to both local and international businesses. With a focus on flexibility and comprehensive support services, Infinity8 provides not just physical space but also recruitment, HR payroll, and enterprise solutions. These offerings make it a differentiating player in easing market entry for foreign companies and supporting Malaysia's economic framework.

Today we speak to Lee Sheah Liang, the Co-Founder of Infinity8, on its journey from a 1,400 sq ft first floor lot and just 4 coworkers in Johor and explore the profound impact coworking spaces have on the local economy, and the strategic importance of Infinity8's expansions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we speak with Ashvin Praveen, Co-founder and CEO of Cleve.ai. They're an AI-powered content workspace for creators to create, get inspired, and organise content with one tool. 

Ashvin founded the business back in December 2023 with his co-founders, Lizzie and Rashad, after the company secured funding from Antler, the global early-stage VC firm, earlier this year. Since their inception, Cleve has now grown to have over 120 weekly active users and steadily growing after also securing funding from Antler, the global early-stage VC firm, earlier this year.

In today’s conversation, Ashvin will be giving us a sense of how the idea of starting up an AI-powered workspace came about, some of the early challenges the company is currently facing and what’s in store for the business moving forward.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Open for Business, we dive into the world of mental wellness with Madiha Fuad, Founder and CEO of PlusVibes. Launched in 2020 during the pandemic, PlusVibes is a platform that combines digital and in-person mental health services, bringing together mental health associations, volunteer listeners, and campaigners on an all-in-one app.

With over 50,000 users, PlusVibes provides tools for self-development and motivation, including data reports on employee well-being and curated workshops with subject matter experts. Madiha shares her journey from journalism and F&B to creating a mental wellness platform, the challenges she faced, and the ambitions for PlusVibes in 2024 and beyond.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with Paresh Subramaniyam, Founder and CEO of Engage Life, a wellness company offering holistic health and well-being solutions for individuals and businesses. With clients like Motorola Solutions Malaysia, SME Bank Malaysia, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, and Continental Automotive Components Malaysia, Engage Life covers various dimensions of wellness, including environmental, physical, financial, mental, and social well-being. Paresh will share the journey of founding Engage Life, the challenges faced, and how the company has achieved recognition and funding through initiatives like the Digital Health Innovation Challenge 2021 and the MY Startup Accelerator Cohort 2.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The stress. The quantum of stress. To prepare a case that you need to do the submissions the next day, (that can take) 15-16 hours. You ask the young lawyer, they can't do it, they say they want a work-life balance. A lot of junior lawyers are leaving the profession because of the intense workload and lack of balance."

In this episode of Open for Business, we sit down with Francis Lui, Founder, CEO, and CTO of NexLaw.ai, an AI-powered legal trial copilot that provides innovative AI-driven solutions in litigation and dispute trial preparation.

Founded in 2023 by Francis and his wife Bernie Law, NexLaw.ai utilizes advanced AI algorithms to streamline various facets of legal work. The company’s services cover commercial and criminal law across major jurisdictions including the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore. With a successful initial funding round from 500 Global in Silicon Valley, NexLaw.ai is now aiming to raise an additional $10 million to accelerate its growth.

Partnering with NVIDIA Inception, a program dedicated to nurturing startups with advanced technology, NexLaw.ai is poised to drive significant advancements in the legal AI industry. In this episode, Francis shares the motivations behind venturing into legal tech, the challenges faced in building the business, and the company’s ambitious plans for the future.

Tune in to learn more about how NexLaw.ai is transforming the legal industry, the role of AI in legal trial preparation, and the strategic steps the company is taking to expand its reach and impact.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.