Under The Radar

At this time of the day we want to ask the question - what’s for - not dinner, but what’s for tea break!  How about bubble tea? Speaking of bubble tea - here’s a fun fact. Did you know that Southeast Asia spent US$3.7 billion on bubble tea and similar “new tea” drinks in 2021?  That, by the way, is according to a report published by venture outfit Momentum Works and payments startup qlub, which also found that Indonesia’s bubble tea industry ranked first in terms of market size with an annual turnover of US$1.6billion.  Singapore, despite being the smallest nation in the region, came in fourth with an annual turnover of US$342 million.  The numbers tell us just how much Singaporeans or Southeast Asians love our bubble tea. But it also raised more questions as to what the sheer market size means for bubble tea chains and the expansion of their franchise operations.  Also with over 60 active bubble tea brands in Singapore and 31,000 stores and other retail channels in Thailand, is the market oversaturated now? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Martin Berry, Founder & Chairman Gong Cha Global.

If you recall, we spoke about ship chartering on the segment last week. Today we want to double down on that conversation by giving you an inside look into a Singapore-listed integrated marine logistics company called MarcoPolo Marine.  The company works with customers of varying industries on ship chartering and even transhipment services of tugboats and barges. Besides that, Marco Polo Marine also builds and repair ships. It has a shipyard occupying over 34-hectares of land area in Batam Indonesia, and has supplied at least 100 tugs and barges and Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels.  The firm recently posted a gross profit of S$6.6 million for the first quarter ended December, up 153.8 per cent from the year ago period thanks to more ship-repair activities and larger contracts from customers. But how are things like for the current quarter? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Sean Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Marco Polo Marine for more.

Could AI have a hand in equipping healthcare professionals with people management and communication skills? Well according to the founders of Singapore-based AI Startup MediVR, it can!  MediVR is apparently creating generative AI virtual humans that can perceive, talk and respond with human-like training behaviour, allowing professions to practise their people management and communication skills in a safe environment and with greater efficiency. Aside from doctors, MediVR said its virtual humans have also been used to train Teachers, Social Workers and Financial Advisors.  But how much money is the market for virtual humans worth? And what are the intricacies involved for a company making money out of virtual humans?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Jeremy Ong, COO and Co-founder, MediVR.

Have you ever wondered what’s behind our 4G, or wifi connectivity? How about a network of shoebox-sized devices sending lasers to one another?  Well, that’s what Singapore-based startup Transcelestial does to bring superfast connectivity to the masses. The company also recently bagged US$10 million in its Series A2 funding led by Airbus Ventures.  Other investors including Cap Vista - which is the strategic investment arm of Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency - have participated as well.  Transcelestial has said then that the funds will be used to ramp up growth in Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. But to what extent is the company on track to achieve that? The company is also planning to enter the US market soon, but what can we expect on that front? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Rohit Jha, CEO and Co-founder, Transcelestial for more. 

Singapore is known to be a medical tourism hub due to its good facilities and services, with the country’s healthcare system ranked first in Asia and fourth in the world in the Medical Tourism Index by US-based Healthcare Research Centre. According to the Yusof Ishak Institute Singapore, about 500,000 foreign patients visited Singapore annually for medical treatment prior to the pandemic. While a bulk of them stopped entering Singapore in 2020 due to the pandemic, it seems like premium regional medical tourists are returning again. But to what extent has that boosted business for private healthcare providers? Well, that's what we are going to find out from Mount Elizabeth Hospital today.  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Yong Yih Ming, CEO, Mount Elizabeth Hospital to find out.

We’re going to speak to global food corporation Cargill today. And in case you’re wondering - we are not going to talk about commodities.  But instead we’re going to talk about their ocean transportation unit, with the company being one of the world’s biggest ship charterers.  The company is seeing several developments relating to its cargo shipping business of late. It has signed a longer-term charter deal for two dry bulk ships which will be delivered at the end of 2025 and at the start of 2026. In addition, it is also stepping up a push to resurrect wind power for cargo ships, which Cargill believes could reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 30. But what do the developments suggest about the demand for shipping services and the longer term opportunities in the global cargo shipping industry, which is expected  to grow to 13.19 billion tons in 2028? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lim Ying Ying, Ocean Transportation Lead for Asia Pacific and Managing Director of Cargill Ocean Transportation Singapore.

Today we’re going to take a look at something that is close to our heart - ageing and eldercare. According to a UN report, there were 703 million persons aged 65 years or over in the world in 2019, and that number is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050.  And as the world population ages, one of the most urgent needs for families is caregiving , with demand outstripping the pool of qualified operators.  What that means is that those in their thirties and forties - also known as the “sandwich generation” - end up shouldering most of the burden.  But what that also presents is an opportunity for tech startups and investors in almost every market in the world. Question is how are businesses bridging that gap? Homage is a platform that pairs caregivers with family. The platform focuses on on-demand holistic home and community-based caregiving to seniors and adults for illnesses such as Dementia and Stroke. On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Azusa Hanai, Chief Product Officer, Homage for more.

We’re going to talk all about housing - and in particular about co-living solutions on the segment today.  According to a quarterly survey by the University of Singapore Real Estate, which was released just a couple of weeks ago, industry players expect the co-living market to continue growing with skyrocketing housing costs and growing inflationary pressure. The results also follow a strong year for the co-living market, with operators seeing high occupancy rates of over 95 per cent throughout 2022. But what does that mean for prices of co-living solutions? How are operators co-living properties tapping the rise in home prices? And what are some of their expansion plans? Let’s pose this question to Coliwoo, which is one of the largest co-living accommodation operators in Singapore. On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Chong Ching Yeng, Chief Commercial Officer, Coliwoo. They also talked about the company’s aggressive expansion plans, having announced last year plans to launch over 10 properties.

Specialty foam, film and elastomer or elastic polymers used as insulators in electronics, cars and more.  It may very well be under the radar, but hey, did you know that the global market for elastomeric foam is set to reach US$4.462 billion by the end of 2027, according to a report by Fortune Business Insights? That’s a compound annual growth rate of 6.8% during the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.  So quite a bit of money in this arena. And that’s why we’re going to give you an inside look into a family-based manufacturer called Armstrong Asia, which started in 1974 and has since opened 16 factories in 7 countries. The company serves mainly American, European and Japanese OEM customers in the consumer electronics, automotive, data storage and consumer goods industries with big names including Mercedez Benz, Sony and Panasonic on their client list.  But what are the challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector amid rising business costs? What are the trends ahead for the company and how is it positioning itself for the future?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Phyllis Ong, Group Chief Executive Officer at Armstrong Asia for more.

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase ‘prepare for a rainy day’? How about insurance? In fact, we’re going to deep dive into the insurance sector today with Singlife, also formerly known as Singlife with Aviva. The company, which is backed by TPG and Japanese insurer Sumitomo Life Insurance, has been on an expansion drive since it obtained its licence in Singapore five years ago.  In particular, it is setting its sights on assets in the under tapped markets of Indonesia and Vietnam. But the question is how much potential is in the two markets?  Also - the Singapore-based company said last year that it is looking towards an IPO within five years, but what is the status right now? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Pearlyn Phau, Group Chief Executive Officer at Singlife for more.