Open For Business BFM Media

We speak with Jeremy Dev, Founder at Far Post Academy, a Malaysian based startup that offers futsal lessons for kids aged 4 years and above.
They offer training programs that are designed to hone technical and tactical skills through professional drills, strategic planning, and real-world exposure through representing the academy at games and tournaments. Since the pandemic, the academy has enrolled over 200 kids in the Klang Valley region and are looking at further expansion into other states in Malaysia.
In today’s discussion, Jeremy will give us a sense of how the academy has evolved over the last 3 years, the challenges they had to pull through as well as the ambitions and hurdles ahead in 2024 and beyond.
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We speak with Ann Sze Pang and Tan Jin Xue, Co-Founders of Neo Livin, a tech-driven DTC furniture platform changing the way people shop for furniture. Neo Livin offers high-quality, affordable products through a unique community showroom model, integrating technology and sustainability. 
With over 1,000 homes served and multiple awards, Neo Livin has transformed from a small startup to a leader in the industry. We discuss their journey, the challenges of scaling a homegrown business, and their vision for the future of sustainable furniture shopping.
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"If you can build your company without raising money, do it because then you're in control. There's this idea that you're really cool if you've got some venture money. And I want to say the coolest is if you own the whole thing yourself." Robin Chase, Co-Founder of Zipcar, GoLoco, Buzzcar, Veniam, and NUMO.
In this episode of "Open for Business," we speak to serial entrepreneur and transportation innovator Robin Chase. Robin is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest car sharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car sharing service in France (now merged with Drivy); and GoLoco, an online ride sharing community. She is also co-founder of Veniam, a network company connecting vehicles to the cloud.  More recently she established NUMO, a nonprofit aimed at leveraging new urban mobility technologies for sustainable city development.

From starting Zipcar back in 2000, Robin has decades of experience in revolutionizing urban mobility and entrepreneurship, and she shares her unique insights and the key lessons she's learned along the way.

Among other things, Robin discusses:

Her motivation for diving into urban mobility and the challenges she faced along the way.
The importance of timing and being at the right place at the right time in business.
The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and its critical role in launching successful ventures.
Navigating the complex dynamics of fundraising and maintaining control over your company.
Her vision for the future of transportation, including the rise of electric bikes and smaller vehicles.

There’s a lot to learn from Robin's experiences over the last 24 years, including practical advice on how to approach entrepreneurship, the importance of innovation, and how to adapt to ever-changing market conditions.
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“My mum said to me, stop playing with cars or turn it into a business. So I turned it into a business.”

Established in 2004, Automotive Synergy started life as Malaysia’s distributor of satellite navigation systems with Garmin, as satnav became more popular, Automotive Synergy’s business expanded, developing key connections with car manufacturers such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, and BMW, as well as oil and gas companies like Mobil and Shell. However with the rise of the smartphone and apps such as Google Maps and Waze, satnav as a standalone product lost prominence and faced ‘Blackberry Level’ disruption.

Thankfully the business had shifted its focus to providing car care chemicals, before distributing other automotive care products and establishing export markets in various countries for its own in-house products.

With all that in mind, we explore the origins of Automotive Synergy, how the company pivoted as the satellite navigation business changed, and the ambitions ahead for this company.
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We speak with Ivan Lee, Co-Founder of The Tapping Tapir, a Malaysian beverage company known for its unique range of artisanal sodas made from natural ingredients. The Tapping Tapir began its journey at local artisanal markets in Kuala Lumpur and has grown significantly since its inception.

Ivan shares insights on the challenges and opportunities of scaling a homegrown business in the post-pandemic world. We discuss strategies for navigating supply chain disruptions, maintaining product quality, and leveraging digital marketing to reach a wider audience.
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Solaroo is a wholly owned subsidiary under Pekat Group Bhd that deals in smaller scale solar photovoltaic systems for residential, commercial and industrial projects.
For the most part, Solaroo looks to be Pekat’s residential solar PV system specialist that complements the group’s other subsidiaries. Established in 1999, Pekat Group pivoted over to Photovoltaic (PV) Renewable Energy Technology in 2006 and has since finished over 195MWp of PV projects.

In this edition of Open for Business, we will learn more about the role that Solaroo plays in the group as well as why Johann built the business under Pekat Group and Solaroo’s relationship with the group. Beyond that we’ll also learn how Solaroo differentiates itself in a competitive market as more and more residential solar players enter the market as well as Solaroo’s ambitions ahead.
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