Under The Radar

Do you still remember the time when every eligible Singaporean could book for attraction tickets, hotel stay-cations and local tours using the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers?  Well, we are bringing this up because our guest for today is one of the industry players that helped to facilitate your SingapoRediscovers voucher redemption.  Founded in 2013, GlobalTix is one of the leading reservation and distribution platforms that provide end-to-end solutions for attractions and operators of tours and activities to grow, manage and connect tourist activities to travel agents.  How does it differ from your Klook or KKDay you might ask? Well, think of it this way, GlobalTix is not an online travel agency that manages and aggregates your tour bookings.  Instead, works as a wholesaler providing reservation and distribution platforms for clients such as Gardens by the Bay, Mandai Wildlife Group and the Singapore Airlines. That means all customer bookings and data goes are managed by the attractions or tour operators themselves rather than GlobalTix.  But how exactly does GlobalTix position itself in the ticketing business? And with tourism coming back in full swing, what does it mean for GlobalTix’s product offerings? On Under the Radar, Chee Kong Chan, COO, GlobalTix joined Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian in-studio for more.

Extended reality solutions - the umbrella term for virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality solutions – are at the heart of our conversation today.  Our guest for today is from Varjo. The Finnish firm that – by the way consists of veterans who previously came from Nokia Cast – makes what it calls the highest immersion virtual and mixed reality products and services that includes not just the headset, but also software applications for enterprises. Its devices are used to train advanced VR users such as astronauts, pilots, nuclear power plant operators, as well as for car design and pioneering research.  According to TechCrunch, Varjo’s customer base includes about a quarter of the Fortune 100 companies – think the likes of Boeing and Aston Martin. The firm also works with governments in the US and Europe.  But how does Varjo assess the demand for extended reality products and services from these big players?  And with Apple unveiling its Apple Vision Pro spatial computer, is competition heating up for Varjo? Does Varjo want Apple to succeed to aid the growth of the nascent industry? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Patrick Wyatt, Chief Product Officer, Varjo.

Today we’re going to talk about one of the world’s largest express transportation companies.  Our guest for today is from FedEx, a company that was founded by Frederick W Smith as the Federal Express Corporation in 1971.  And here’s a fun fact about the company’s name.The word “federal” suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity in the US and was meant to resonate with the US Federal Reserve Bank, which is a potential customer for the logistics player.  But back to FedEx’s business, the firm recently reported fourth quarter earnings of US$4.94 per share, better than the analyst estimate of US$4.86.  Still, revenue came in below expectations. More recently, FedEx is also streamlining its air courier business by removing 29 aircrafts from its fleet to make its logistics network more flexible amid slowing global trade activities in the current economic climate.  So how will such efforts aid FedEx in becoming leaner and more competitive against industry peers and what is the road ahead for the firm? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Audrey Cheong, Vice President, Southeast Asia Operations, FedEx for more.

Today we’re going to talk to a company that hires over 105,000 employees around the world.  With over 130 years of history, ABB is a Switzerland-based technology leader in electrification and automation to drive industrial transformation and enable a more sustainable and resource efficient future.  The firm serves a wider range of clients from industries ranging from automotive, mining, marine, metals, life sciences, power generation, process automation to even pulp and paper and railway.  But how does it define the market it is in, and position itself differently for the different verticals or customer segments?  Also – what is in its order book for this year as far as Singapore is concerned? ABB, meanwhile, is investing US$1 million (check currency) to open a Digital Solutions and Training Centre in Singapore to train its staff to implement and operate digital solutions for electric systems. But what can we expect looking ahead? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Jerrica Chooi, Country Holding Officer at ABB.

What is the first thing you would do once you get to the airport?  Well, if you’re like me, you might make a beeline to some of the fast food outlets or traditional kopi kiosks to grab a quick bite or your daily dose of caffeine.  On that note, did you know that the franchise branded stores for Subway and Killiney across all four airport terminals in Singapore, as well as at The Jewel are all managed under one company?  With a heritage dating back to 1986 with the opening of the first terminals at the Changi Airport, Palms Food International is one of the earliest established airport F&B operators in Singapore.  But why is the company focused solely on the airport? And how has that changed since Palms Food International was acquired by RMA Group in 2012? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Avon Lau, General Manager, PALMS Food International for more.

Studying the microorganisms in our gut and developing solutions to address health issues and developing probiotics supplements – that is what we’re going to talk about today.  Our guest for today is AMILI. The company says it is Southeast Asia’s first and only precision gut microbiome company and houses the region’s first and only gut microbiome transplant bank.  It is also in the process of building the world’s largest multi-ethnic Asia gut microbiome database. The data is used for research and for developing products and services that improve people’s gut health. This is apparently a lucrative market. According to Market.us, the global digestive health market is estimated to be valued at US$104.4 billion by 2032, growing by a compound annual growth rate of 8.2% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2032.  But how big is the market in Southeast Asia and how does AMILI intend to position itself to maximise growth and profits? Had a fruitful chat with Dr Jeremy Lim, CEO and Co-founder, AMILI  for more. 

Today we want to look at how high-net-worth individuals preserve their wealth after they experience a major liquidity event, such as when they sell off their companies and receive a large sum of money.  Our guests for today are from Tiger 21. This is a membership community that provides individuals – individuals with over US$20 million in liquid assets,  that is,  – their personal board of directors for candid discussions around wealth creation, preservation, family, legacy and philanthropy.  But how does this work in reality, and how does Tiger 21 monetise this highly valuable network? And with over 1,200 members across 45 cities and a cumulative US$140 billion in assets, Tiger 21 is now setting its sights in Asia.  Notably, it is currently in the process of expanding into Singapore. Question is – how does the company scale given that it operates in such a niche arena? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Greg Wells, Chief Operating Officer of TIGER 21 and Hon Mun Yip, Singapore TIGER 21 Chair for more. 

We’ve heard of commercial REITs, residential REITs and industrial REITs. But how about a REIT focused on outlet malls in China specifically? Our guest for today is from Sasseur REIT which is an SGX-listed REIT since March 2018, and the first outlet REIT listed in Asia. The firm’s portfolio consists of four outlets in China, namely in Chongqing, Kunming and Hefei.  But why did the company focus on these Tier 2 cities? Also – how does the REIT assess its reliance on China, given the strict lockdowns we saw during the pandemic?  Meanwhile, the company recently reported its Q1 results, where distribution per unit rose 1.5 per cent from the previous year. The company attributed this to strong outlet sales boosted by pent-up consumer spending.  To what extent has tourism recovered to pre-pandemic levels and is there a significant difference between the recovery of domestic and international travels?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Cecilia Tan, CEO, Sasseur REIT  for more.

Today we’re going to talk about a fashion brand or company that would come to mind when we mention the phrase ‘heat-tech’.  Bingo if you guessed UNIQLO! With over 2,400 stores in 25 markets including Japan, UNIQLO is the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group, which is one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies.  The company attributes its success to unifying the entire clothes making process, from planning and design to producing, distributing and retailing. But how does it work in reality and what kind of activities are centralised versus managed by individual stores?  Speaking of designs, how have UNIQLO’s basic designs and focus on comfort widened the company’s customer base, especially in Singapore?  And with rents of prime spaces on the rise– what will this mean for UNIQLO Singapore when it comes to store expansion? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Joey Tong, Store Development Director at UNIQLO Singapore.

Water is an essential part of our lives, but ever wondered who are the ones behind the clean water we use and drink everyday? Our guest for today is Memiontec, a Catalist-listed water treatment company that designs and builds systems and water treatment plants in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and China.  Recently, the company also moved into financing, operating and maintaining plants and selling their treated water. But what was the reason behind the firm diversifying its revenue streams? Meanwhile, Memiontec clinched its largest contract worth S$56.6 million to install equipment for the Changi Water Reclamation Plant last year and started expanding to Vietnam. But what do the developments mean for the firm’s balance sheet?  Also, the company intends to achieve a market capitalisation of S$500 million by 2026, up from the S$132 million when it was listed on the Catalist board in 2020, but how does it intend to do so? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Tay Kiat Seng, CEO, Memiontec for more.