15 Malaysian Startup Founders to Watch
It’s an exciting time to be a startup-watcher, especially in Malaysia.
The Malaysian startup scene may not be as exciting as its regional peers in Singapore and Indonesia, but investors are taking note. Malaysia has long been a prime destination for multinational conglomerates to set up their ASEAN beachheads, due to its multicultural society, educated middle class, and high digital literacy.
This set of circumstances has led Malaysian startups to pursue a unique path. Startup leaders in Malaysia often choose to develop profitability first to cater to the market’s diverse characteristics. Government support for startups is also available, but requires more than just proof of concept. Thus, startups have to act like sustainable businesses first and foremost, instead of cash-burning entities.
As a result, Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape is an inspiring mix of visionary leaders and those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Here, in no particular order, we focus on 15 Malaysian startup leaders to watch.
Image credit: Pop Meals
Jonathan Weins, Pop Meals
Previously Dahmakan, the F&B business rebranded in 2020 to Pop Meals, focusing on nourishing, accessible meals available both online and offline. Formerly an investment banker, co-founder Jonathan Weins was frustrated by the lack of affordable but good quality food. In this spirit, Weins founded Pop Meals together with Jessica Li and Christian Edelmann, using a digital-first approach to food service but without compromising on taste or ingredients.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Generation T
Sinan Ismail, Durioo
The brains behind animated hits Didi & Friends and Omar & Hana, Sinan Ismail founded Durioo to become a Muslim, kid-friendly version of Netflix. With this new distribution channel, Sinan’s team is able to expand to a worldwide Muslim audience, as well as continue producing the animated content that first inspired Sinan.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: New Straits Times
Lennise Ng, Dropee
Lennise Ng didn’t start in the tech space. Rather, she studied music. But there, she already had an entrepreneurial spirit, acting as talent agents for her musical friends. Later on, after looking at the pen and paper process used in her family business, she started Dropee to bring together suppliers and retailers on a single online platform.
Check out her LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: azranosmanrani.com
Azran Osman-Rani, Naluri
Azran Osman-Rani started out in the world of corporate consultancy. Yet, he saw a gap in the Malaysian healthcare system. Too much focus on physical health, but not much on mental health. Thus, he co-founded Naluri which combines support for physical and mental health to address multiple chronic health conditions and delivers quantifiable health outcomes.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Food Market Hub
Anthony See, Food Market Hub
After participating in a failed F&B venture, Anthony See saw that unorganized inventory and ordering doomed the business. To solve this, See and Shayna Teh co-founded Food Market Hub, a digital platform to help small and medium F&B businesses with their backend day-to-day operations.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Carsome
Eric Cheng, Carsome
Buying a pre-owned car can be a major hassle. The condition of the car can be questionable, and hidden fees are not uncommon. Frustrated by this experience, Eric Cheng and Teoh Jiun Ee co-founded Carsome, a digital platform that delivers high-quality pre-owned cars at a fixed price with no hidden fees. In 2021, Carsome became Malaysia’s first tech unicorn upon acquiring a stake in automotive advertising network iCar Asia.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: iPrice
David Chmelar, iPrice
Online shopping can be a minefield of differing, bewildering prices, all for the same product. Born out of this pain is iPrice, a price comparison website. Co-founders David Chmelar and Heinrich Wendel aim to bring transparency, convenience, and trust to the ASEAN online shopping experience. Currently, iPrice compares more than 500 million products and receives close to 20 million monthly visits.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Speedhome
Wong Whei Meng, Speedhome
Speedhome’s founder Wong Whei Meng was inspired to go into proptech after experiencing the poor service of property agents. He saw that agents were just messengers and didn’t add any value to the rental transaction. With Speedhome, landlords and tenants alike can be matched seamlessly and quickly without going through a traditional property agent.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: StoreHub
Fong Wai Hong, StoreHub
Self-described chieftain and co-founder of StoreHub, Fong Wai Hong cut his retail teeth when he helped his uncle set up OZHut, an eBay online retail business. Later, he co-founded StoreHub, an online retail solution that combines point-of-sales, inventory and customer-relationship management.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: The Edge
Kamarul Muhamed, Aerodyne
Drones and aerial data analysis are the foundation of Aerodyne, a drone enterprise solutions provider. Founder Kamarul Muhamed is an auditor by training, who spent ten years in London before switching careers to the tech industry upon returning to Malaysia. Aerodyne manages more than 300,000 infrastructure assets with 110,000 flight operations across 35 countries.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Buro 24/7
Giden Lim and Penny Choo, BloomThis
The dynamic duo behind BloomThis is husband-and-wife pair Giden Lim and Penny Choo. BloomThis was inspired by Giden’s experience watching his mother and her florist business. With his business acumen and her artistic touch, they launched the online flower delivery service, which has since grown to include subscriptions, event packages, and same-day delivery.
Check out Giden's LinkedIn profile here and Penny's LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Piktochart
Goh Ai Ching, Piktochart
The power of visual design cannot be underestimated. A web-based graphic and design tool, Piktochart allows users – even complete beginners – to create beautiful, compelling infographics. Founder Goh Ai Ching was inspired by the infographics she saw on news portals and wanted to help people create them without the help of a designer. Interestingly enough, Piktochart was started in the tech manufacturing island of Penang, instead of the traditional startup hub of Kuala Lumpur.
Check out her LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: Tatler Asia
Timothy Tiah, Colony
Colony seeks to make a difference to the office experience by transforming it into a five-star workspace. Founder Timothy Tiah, previously of Nuffnang, teamed up with his wife Audrey Ooi to launch Colony, a luxurious coworking space that is currently in five locations across Kuala Lumpur. Unlike other coworking spaces, Colony targets large companies that need special project offices instead of other startups, as well as those looking for unique event spaces.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: HealthMetrics
Alvin Yuan, HealthMetrics
HealthMetrics provides a web-based solution to assist corporate HR departments in managing employee healthcare. Founded in 2016 by Alvin Yuan and Advent Phang, Yuan trained as a pharmacist but never got into the profession. Instead, he founded HealthMetrics, which became the first Malaysian startup to join Google’s Launchpad program.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Image credit: BrioHR
Benjamin Croc, BrioHR
Formerly of McKinsey and Lazada, Benjamin Croc developed a passion for people management in a career that spanned continents and industries. Noticing a pattern among companies that wanted to help their people achieve their full potential, Croc founded BrioHR in 2018 together with fellow INSEAD alumni Nabil Oudghiri in the hopes of transforming the workplace stories for millions around the globe.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Supercharge Your HR Processes with BrioHR
Whether you are a startup or conglomerate, BrioHR can help you automate your HR processes and enable a better workplace experience.
With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
It’s an exciting time to be a startup-watcher, especially in Malaysia.
The Malaysian startup scene may not be as exciting as its regional peers in Singapore and Indonesia, but investors are taking note. Malaysia has long been a prime destination for multinational conglomerates to set up their ASEAN beachheads, due to its multicultural society, educated middle class, and high digital literacy.
This set of circumstances has led Malaysian startups to pursue a unique path. Startup leaders in Malaysia often choose to develop profitability first to cater to the market’s diverse characteristics. Government support for startups is also available, but requires more than just proof of concept. Thus, startups have to act like sustainable businesses first and foremost, instead of cash-burning entities.
As a result, Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape is an inspiring mix of visionary leaders and those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Here, we focus on 15 Malaysian startup leaders to watch.
Jonathan Weins, Pop Meals
Previously Dahmakan, the F&B business rebranded in 2020 to Pop Meals, focusing on nourishing, accessible meals available both online and offline. Formerly an investment banker, co-founder Jonathan Weins was frustrated by the lack of affordable but good quality food. In this spirit, Weins founded Pop Meals together with Jessica Li and Christian Edelmann, using a digital-first approach to food service but without compromising on taste or ingredients.
Sinan Ismail, Durioo
The brains behind animated hits Didi & Friends and Omar & Hana, Sinan Ismail founded Durioo to become a Muslim, kid-friendly version of Netflix. With this new distribution channel, Sinan’s team is able to expand to a worldwide Muslim audience, as well as continue producing the animated content that first inspired Sinan.
Lennise Ng, Dropee
Lennise Ng didn’t start in the tech space. Rather, she studied music. But there, she already had an entrepreneurial spirit, acting as talent agents for her musical friends. Later on, after looking at the pen and paper process used in her family business, she started Dropee to bring together suppliers and retailers on a single online platform.
Azran Osman-Rani, Naluri
Azran Osman-Rani started out in the world of corporate consultancy. Yet, he saw a gap in the Malaysian healthcare system. Too much focus on physical health, but not much on mental health. Thus, he co-founded Naluri which combines support for physical and mental health to address multiple chronic health conditions and delivers quantifiable health outcomes.
Anthony See, Food Market Hub
After participating in a failed F&B venture, Anthony See saw that unorganized inventory and ordering doomed the business. To solve this, See and Shayna Teh co-founded Food Market Hub, a digital platform to help small and medium F&B businesses with their backend day-to-day operations.
Eric Cheng, Carsome
Buying a pre-owned car can be a major hassle. The condition of the car can be questionable, and hidden fees are not uncommon. Frustrated by this experience, Eric Cheng and Teoh Jiun Ee co-founded Carsome, a digital platform that delivers high-quality pre-owned cars at a fixed price with no hidden fees. In 2021, Carsome became Malaysia’s first tech unicorn upon acquiring a stake in automotive advertising network iCar Asia.
David Chmelar, iPrice
Online shopping can be a minefield of differing, bewildering prices, all for the same product. Born out of this pain is iPrice, a price comparison website. Co-founders David Chmelar and Heinrich Wendel aim to bring transparency, convenience, and trust to the ASEAN online shopping experience. Currently, iPrice compares more than 500 million products and receives close to 20 million monthly visits.
Wong Whei Meng, Speedhome
Speedhome’s founder Wong Whei Meng was inspired to go into proptech after experiencing the poor service of property agents. He saw that agents were just messengers and didn’t add any value to the rental transaction. With Speedhome, landlords and tenants alike can be matched seamlessly and quickly without going through a traditional property agent.
Fong Wai Hong, StoreHub
Self-described chieftain and co-founder of StoreHub, Fong Wai Hong cut his retail teeth when he helped his uncle set up OZHut, an eBay online retail business. Later, he co-founded StoreHub, an online retail solution that combines point-of-sales, inventory and customer-relationship management.
Kamarul Muhamed, Aerodyne
Drones and aerial data analysis are the foundation of Aerodyne, a drone enterprise solutions provider. Founder Kamarul Muhamed is an auditor by training, who spent ten years in London before switching careers to the tech industry upon returning to Malaysia. Aerodyne manages more than 300,000 infrastructure assets with 110,000 flight operations across 35 countries.
Giden Lim and Penny Choo, BloomThis
The dynamic duo behind BloomThis is husband-and-wife pair Giden Lim and Penny Choo. BloomThis was inspired by Giden’s experience watching his mother and her florist business. With his business acumen and her artistic touch, they launched the online flower delivery service, which has since grown to include subscriptions, event packages, and same-day delivery.
Goh Ai Ching, Piktochart
The power of visual design cannot be underestimated. A web-based graphic and design tool, Piktochart allows users – even complete beginners – to create beautiful, compelling infographics. Founder Goh Ai Ching was inspired by the infographics she saw on news portals and wanted to help people create them without the help of a designer. Interestingly enough, Piktochart was started in the tech manufacturing island of Penang, instead of the traditional startup hub of Kuala Lumpur.
Timothy Tiah, Colony
Colony seeks to make a difference to the office experience by transforming it into a five-star workspace. Founder Timothy Tiah, previously of Nuffnang, teamed up with his wife Audrey Ooi to launch Colony, a luxurious coworking space that is currently in five locations across Kuala Lumpur. Unlike other coworking spaces, Colony targets large companies that need special project offices instead of other startups.
Alvin Yuan, HealthMetrics
HealthMetrics provides a web-based solution to assist corporate HR departments in managing employee healthcare. Founded in 2016 by Alvin Yuan and Advent Phang, Yuan trained as a pharmacist but never got into the profession. Instead, he founded HealthMetrics, which became the first Malaysian startup to join Google’s Launchpad program.
Benjamin Croc, BrioHR
Formerly of McKinsey and Lazada, Benjamin Croc developed a passion for people management in a career that spanned continents and industries. Noticing a pattern among companies that wanted to help their people achieve their full potential, Croc founded BrioHR in 2018 together with fellow INSEAD alumni Nabil Oudghiri in the hopes of transforming the workplace stories for millions around the globe.
Supercharge Your HR Processes with BrioHR
Whether you are a startup or conglomerate, BrioHR can help you automate your HR processes and enable a better workplace experience.
With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
