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In an F&B landscape often defined by rapid burnout and aggressive discounting, Arieni Ritzal has taken a different path. Since her last visit to the studio, Gula Cakery has evolved from a boutique success into a disciplined enterprise with 19 outlets and a projected RM20 million in sales for 2025. We explore how she navigated the "founder’s bottleneck" and the specific systems required to maintain "home-baked" quality at a nationwide scale. The conversation dives into the mechanics of financial prudence and the reality of expanding beyond the Klang Valley in 2026. Arieni shares candid insights on why many F&B brands fail to scale and explains why she prioritises internal talent development over celebrity hype to future-proof her brand against rising costs and labour shortages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grassroots sports have always had the talent, the passion, and the stories but rarely the technology. AirUpThere Technologies is trying to change that. Since 2018, the Malaysian startup has been building AI-powered camera systems and a sports streaming platform called Huddle, designed to help schools, academies, and amateur leagues broadcast games, analyse performance, and create professional-grade sports content without a production crew. We speak with co-founder Andri Khusahry about how they turned a passion for sport into a scalable sports-tech business, the commercial logic behind automated broadcasting and analytics, and how they’re positioning Huddle in a fast-growing global sports tech market. We also explore the realities of monetising sports data, navigating privacy concerns, and what it takes to scale a Malaysian tech platform across the region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, TTRacing was already a fast-growing gaming chair brand making its mark across Southeast Asia. Since then, the business has continued to evolve, expanding its product portfolio, strengthening its regional presence, and navigating the realities of scaling in a highly competitive consumer category. In this episode of Open For Business, we catch up with Founder and CEO Henry Ting to unpack how TTRacing has grown since 2024, how its revenue mix and operations have changed, the commercial logic behind its product and market expansion, and how the company is balancing growth with profitability. We also look ahead to what the next phase of TTRacing could look like as the brand moves beyond its gaming roots and charts its ambitions for the years ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1.9 million. That’s how many living quarters are vacant here in Malaysia, nearly 20% of the total, according to the 2020 Census. This puts hard numbers to a feeling many of us have: Malaysia has a housing paradox. We see "For Sale" signs and empty houses, yet many Malaysians still feel priced out of owning a home. UrbanMetry’s Cha-Ly Koh and Stirling Yiin discuss Urby, their platform selected for the Securities Commission's regulatory sandbox. Urby uses data algorithms to identify dilapidated homes, facilitates fractional ownership to renovate them, and sells them to genuine homebuyers, aiming to turn "ghost houses" into community assets. We discuss: Not Flippers: How Urby distinguishes itself from property speculators by purchasing undervalued assets and injecting value through renovation, rather than just bridging price differentials. Social Assets: Why mature neighborhoods with dilapidated infrastructure are actually goldmines for "social capital", nostalgia, existing networks, and food culture that have tangible monetary value. The Algorithm: How UrbanMetry uses data to determine the true current asset value, ensuring renovation costs don't push the property price above what the neighborhood can afford. Nor For "Crypto Bros"?: Why their target demographic isn't young male speculators, but rather women aged 27–40 who feel underserved by "boring" financial products and want tangible agency in community rejuvenation. The Unit Economics: A breakdown of the fractional ownership model, short-term vs. long-term notes, and how the platform utilises "put options" to protect investor principal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to bridge the gap between a child’s imagination and a viable business model? In this episode of Open For Business, we explore the evolution of Goodday KidSTART 3.0, Malaysia’s largest "kidpreneur" platform, which recently culminated in a national TV series finale. We sit down with Amy Gan, Vice President of Marketing at Etika Sdn. Bhd., and Pearl Liang, the 12-year-old champion behind the innovative "AI Unicon." From a pool of over 8,000 entries, Pearl emerged victorious with an AI-powered solution designed to solve the universal struggle of finding the right school uniform size. We discuss why Etika moved this program from a closed-door pitch to a 4-episode reality show on Astro, and how industry mentors from Cradle Fund and the Asia School of Business are helping professionalise the passions of children as young as seven. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible to reduce an investment portfolio's risk by adding a highly volatile asset like Bitcoin? Halogen Capital Co-Founders Hann Liew and Lucas Ooi certainly think so. While the investment thesis might be a point of debate, the business traction is undeniable. Founded in 2023, Halogen has grown from zero to RM400 million in AUM, with institutions making up 70%-80% of that figure.  Adding fuel to this momentum, they closed a RM13.3 million funding round in December led by Kenanga Private Equity, alongside 500 Global. While headlines focus on Bitcoin's price action, Halogen has quietly built a moat by doing the unglamorous work: manufacturing familiar financial products (like Unit Trusts) around complex digital assets. This strategy has allowed them to bypass retail speculation and tap into the deep pockets of banks, insurers, and high-net-worth individuals. In this deep dive, we move beyond the hype to understand the infrastructure of modern fund management. Hann and Lucas explain why they believe that major banks can't simply "copy-paste" their strategy, why they built their own cloud-native back-office system, and how they plan to use their recent RM13.3 million funding to tokenise Real World Assets (RWA) like bonds and real estate. We discuss: The Trump Effect & Mainstream Adoption: How the US political shift has forced research houses to take crypto seriously, moving it from a niche gamble to a top-tier alternative asset. The Portfolio Thesis: Why they believe that adding a volatile asset like Bitcoin to a traditional 60/40 portfolio can actually reduce overall risk due to low correlation. The "Infrastructure Moat": Why major institutions can't easily copy-paste Halogen's strategy, and the complexities of building a self-custody, compliance-heavy back-office system. Manufacturing Trust: How Halogen bridged the gap between "wild west" crypto and conservative banking compliance by wrapping digital assets in regulated wholesale fund structures. Beyond Bitcoin: The roadmap for turning bonds, sukuk, and real estate into digital tokens to improve market access and liquidity for investors. The Tech-Agnostic Future: Halogen’s long-term vision to export Sharia-compliant crypto products globally and evolve into a fund manager that can handle any asset class, on or off-chain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to build a business when the stakes are high and your time is already accounted for?  In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Thiban Chandra, founder of TechX Malaysia, to explore the reality of the corporate side-hustle. From his career as a reservoir engineer in the oil and gas industry to launching a home audio and Hi-Fi venture, Thiban shares how he identified a gap in the Malaysian market for accessible luxury.  We dive into the financial risks of self-funding through bonuses and credit cards, the necessity of deep collaboration in a niche industry, and the influence of Howard Schultz’s Pour Your Hearts Into It on his entrepreneurial philosophy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to turn passion into a sustainable business? In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Janice Siew, founder of Petiteserie and Jan’s Gelato & Bakes, to explore the decisions behind the craft. From seven years in corporate banking to classical French pâtisserie, Janice shares how discipline, restraint, and long-term thinking shaped her journey. We look at why she started quietly as a wholesale business, how the pandemic forced a rapid pivot to direct-to-consumer sales, and what it takes to blend French technique with deeply Malaysian flavours like cendol and onde onde. This is not a conversation about chasing trends or overnight success. It’s about building deliberately, doing things properly, and understanding when growth should be slowed down rather than rushed. A story of craft, commerce, and the professionalisation of passion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The F&B industry is often romanticised, but for Shareen Ramli, the reality is far grittier. Yet, for 23 years, she has stayed in the game, evolving from making curry puffs at 2 a.m. to running the 105-seater Siti Li Dining & Foodhall. BFM Open For Business sits down with Shareen to discuss why she compares the trade to being a "stuntwoman", full of invisible bruises, and her mission to preserve the cosmopolitan heritage of Malay cuisine. We discuss: The "Stuntwoman" Reality: Shareen opens up about the resilience needed to survive 23 years, comparing the industry to an action movie where the audience doesn't see the "invisible bruises" of evictions and financial crises. The "Lost" Heritage: Why Siti Li focuses on "Cosmopolitan Malay" cuisine, a nod to the 15th-century port cities influenced by Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese flavors. Begging for Sugar: The desperate lengths taken during the pandemic, including pleading with police to allow couriers to source artisan Gula Melaka from Malacca. Vertical vs. Horizontal: Instead of opening more outlets, Siti Li is focusing on the supply chain and a "Malay Kitchen Pantry" line (bottled sauces, artisan Keropok, cookies). The "Third Space" Vision: Why Shareen wants Siti Li to be more than a restaurant, a community hub where customers bring their parents to share the intimacy of a meal. “Comel Cekodok” and Nasi Lemak: The story behind their signature Cekodok dish and Shareen’s criteria for what makes a "good" Nasi Lemak. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Dr Shian Lee, the aerospace engineer behind Alphaswift Industries. This is not a shiny drones conversation. It’s about what happens when machines start carrying real responsibility. We talk about why the sky might actually be easier for autonomy than the ground, why “fake it till you make it” has no place in aerospace, and how oil palm plantations became an unlikely training ground for future passenger flight. It’s a conversation about ambition, caution, physics, regulation, and what it really means to build technology that can’t afford to fail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2017 as a simple telemedicine app, Doctor Anywhere (DA) became a pandemic darling, raising nearly $176 million from heavyweights like IHH Healthcare and Temasek-linked Pavilion Capital. But in a surprising twist, the digital disruptor spent ~$80 million USD in late 2022 to acquire Asian Healthcare Specialists, shifting from an asset-light tech model to owning traditional brick-and-mortar clinics. Lim Wai Mun, the "accidental founder" turned CEO, joins BFM to discuss: The "Accidental Founder": How a private equity financier with zero medical background ended up building a regional healthcare giant across 6 countries. The $80M Pivot: Why DA acquired a traditional specialist group (Orthopedics, Urology, etc.) to bridge the trust gap that pure tech couldn't solve. The "Decentralised Hospital": Wai Mun explains his vision of deconstructing the hospital, moving care out of expensive central hubs into smaller, accessible modules to lower costs for everyone. The "Connector of Care": How DA manages the conflicting agendas of the three key healthcare stakeholders: the Payer (wants to save money), the Provider (wants to earn money), and the Patient (wants to get well). Financial Discipline: Why DA has never operated at a negative gross margin, and Wai Mun’s take on why the "growth at all costs" era is dead. The Future: The launch of "Soda by DA" and the 5-year ambition to become Southeast Asia’s leading "Insure-Health-Tech" company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you turn nostalgia into a scalable business in one of Malaysia’s most crowded food and beverage markets? On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam, about building a modern kopitiam brand rooted in heritage, community, and made-to-order tradition. From opening a single outlet in Johor Bahru with no prior restaurant experience to growing a multi-outlet chain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, Nick shares what it takes to stay relevant while scaling. We explore how Hock Kee maintains consistency across outlets, how its revenue mix has evolved, the impact of Halal certification and tourism-linked collaborations, and the operational pressures of running a fast-growing F&B business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open For Business, we look at why coworking seems to have lost its way and whether a quieter, more stripped-back model is the answer. We speak with Timothy Tiah, founder of Jerry Coworking Space, about building a business that deliberately rejects community theatre, lifestyle branding, and forced interaction. With automated, private offices across the Klang Valley and beyond, Jerry positions itself as infrastructure rather than experience. We explore coworking fatigue, automation, revenue realities, and what it says about modern work when the most attractive promise might simply be a quiet room and no one asking questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late November, Costco filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the “Liberation Day tariffs", and the White House remained surprisingly silent. BFM speaks with Bryan DeAngelis of Penta Group to decode this "quiet rebellion." Corporate America is finally "unbending the knee," but they are doing it with a new playbook: filing lawsuits based strictly on business logic while avoiding the public shaming that bruises the President's ego. We discuss: The Costco Strategy: Why the retailer’s decision to sue quietly after Thanksgiving, relying on "brand math" rather than PR stunts, possibly saved them from a Truth Social firestorm. The "Business Lane": How companies are learning to push back against policies like tariffs by framing them strictly as shareholder protection rather than political opposition. Political Volatility & Populism: With the President's poll numbers sinking, Bryan explains why the administration is leaning harder into populist rhetoric (like the attack on institutional housing investors) to regain momentum. The 2026 Midterm Outlook: Why "razor-thin" margins in Congress mean Democrats could flip the House even before November, and how this gridlock will force the President to rule almost exclusively through Executive Orders. The Erosion of Authority: From GOP resignations to state-level defiance on redistricting, we analyse whether the White House is losing its grip on its own party. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants are under pressure like never before like rising costs, staff shortages, shrinking margins, and systems that were never designed for today’s pace of business. We speak with Squall Tan, CEO of FeedMe, about how a simple frustration with slow service and wrong orders led to the creation of a full F&B operating system now used across the region. Squall shares how FeedMe evolved from a homegrown POS into an integrated platform that helps restaurants automate ordering, reduce operational blind spots, and make smarter, data-driven decisions. From why most F&B businesses fail, to how AI is reshaping restaurant operations and what it takes to scale a food-tech company across Asia, this is a discussion on how technology is quietly redefining the F&B industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.