Under The Radar

Money Matter’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian started her day early at Raffles City Convention Centre to speak with enterprise blockchain and cryptocurrency player Ripple.  That is because the firm’s global leadership team flew in from the US for Apex 2025, or what’s said to be the largest annual summit on the XRPL calendar bringing together developers, businesses, fintechs, researchers, VCs and more. Founded in 2012, Ripple uses blockchain technology to help global financial institutions, businesses, and developers to move, manage and tokenise value.  In Singapore, the firm received in-principle approval by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in November 2024 to offer digital payment token products and services in the country. So what should we know about the significance of Singapore as a market to Ripple, as well as the firm’s plans for the region? Meanwhile, what is also worthy of note is how the US Securities and Exchange Commission has decided to settle a long-running legal battle against the firm.  While the lawsuit may be over, how far is Ripple's plans in APAC a response to regulatory challenges in the US, and how is the firm then navigating the regulatory landscape in Asia? On this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, Tian Tian posed these questions to Monica Long, President, Ripple.

The NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific at Marina Bay Sands Singapore runs from the 3rd to 5th of June 2025, with MONEY FM bringing you three LIVE “Under the Radar” conversations during this period.  Themed “Retail Unlimited”, NRF 2025 promises limitless possibilities in retail, from enhanced customer experiences to digital transformation strategies. It also aims to foster conversation among leaders in the global retail system, with representatives from over 25 retail associations worldwide in attendance.  In part three of this three part Under the Radar Specials series broadcast LIVE at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Jill Dvorak, Senior Vice President, Content, National Retail Federation (NRF) on the role of the NRF in shaping conversations in the APAC retail ecosystem and how this has been achieved through NRF 2025 in Singapore.  The duo also dived into key content tracks at the retail show, and what they mean for retailers. 

The NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific at Marina Bay Sands Singapore runs from the 3rd to 5th of June 2025, with MONEY FM bringing you three LIVE “Under the Radar” conversations during this period.  Themed “Retail Unlimited”, NRF 2025 promises limitless possibilities in retail, from enhanced customer experiences to digital transformation strategies. It also aims to foster conversation among leaders in the global retail system, with representatives from over 25 retail associations worldwide in attendance.  To encourage more exchanges and activity, the event capacity has been doubled to accommodate over 10,000.  Several new features are also in store this year, including an exclusive CEO club or a gathering space for top retail executives to exchange ideas on the biggest trends and issues keeping them up at night.  In part two of this three part Under the Radar Specials series broadcast LIVE at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Ryf Quail, Managing Director for APAC, Comexposium. Composium is the organiser of NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific for an overview of the event.

The NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific at Marina Bay Sands Singapore runs from the 3rd to 5th of June 2025, with MONEY FM bringing you three LIVE “Under the Radar” conversations during this period.  Themed “Retail Unlimited”, NRF 2025 promises limitless possibilities in retail, from enhanced customer experiences to digital transformation strategies. It also aims to foster conversation among leaders in the global retail system, with representatives from over 25 retail associations worldwide in attendance.  In part one of this three part Under the Radar Specials series broadcast LIVE at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian speaks to Samuel Sanghyun Kim, Vice Chairman & Group CEO, Lotte Retail for an inside look into the retail arm of one of Asia’s largest and most diversified conglomerates – Lotte Group.  Samuel and Tian Tian talked about Lotte Retail's business verticals, as well as the bright spots for growth, its recent moves to expand in Southeast Asia and in Singapore, as well as its plan to invest US$5.06 billion in shopping malls by the end of the decade to diversify its portfolio.

It’s all about the payments landscape today as we speak to a global leader in real-time cross border payments.  Founded in 2014, our guest for today is fintech player Nium, a company whose mission is to deliver the global payments of infrastructure of tomorrow, today.  And there is an interesting story behind how the company came about. The firm was born out of frustration after its co-founder Prajit Nanu faced numerous challenges in sending money from India to Thailand to arrange a bachelor’s party for his friend.  A Thai resort had refused to use his credit card and had insisted on a bank transfer of US$640. And while you might imagine the transfer to be a relatively seamless process, Nanu’s bank in India required an extensive list of documents to facilitate the transaction.  But such issues may be a thing of the past. After all, Nium said its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans over 220 markets, 100 of which in real time.  Funds can also be disbursed to accounts, wallets and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. The firm also has a growing card issuance business available in 40 countries.  With its proposition and its extensive payment network, the San Francisco and Singapore headquartered firm achieved the unicorn status after a series D funding round in 2021. It is valued at US$1.4 billion as of September 2024.  But why are we speaking to Nium you might ask? Well, Nium had in November 2024 opened its new headquarters in Singapore. Its Singapore headquarters will serve as the firm’s strategic hub for the Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa regions.  So how far will the new headquarters position the firm for exponential growth? Did the firm also set up its headquarters here to be closer to its largest shareholder – Singapore’s Temasek? Meanwhile, the firm also said then that it aims to go public within two years. Again – to what extent is the firm on track to do so?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Anupam Pahuja, EVP and General Manager of Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Nium.

Money Matter’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian was at Sentosa to attend the Asia Tech x Singapore or ATx Summit held at Capella Singapore.  Organised by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore or the IMDA, the event covers a range of topics such as agentic and embodied AI, space satellite and communications, quantum compute and digital sustainability through a series of plenary sessions.  There is also a variety of forums and roundtables to facilitate closer partnerships between the public sector and the digital industry.  Among them, is the first OpenAI Forum in Asia. The series is aimed at sparking thoughtful dialogue on how AI can enhance culture, society, and everyday life.  The forum session dived into OpenAI’s first ever museum partnership in Asia, with the Peranakan Museum and in collaboration with Ask Mona, a French AI studio that specialises in cultural experiences.  In a pilot collaboration, they came up with ways for museum visitors to speak to artifacts like a kamcheng jar or the traditional Peranakan attire using AI-generated conversations, and provide a fresh and interactive way to connect people with heritage ahead of Singapore’s SG60 celebrations. Tian Tian found out more about the experience from Sandy Kunvatanagarn, Head of APAC Policy at OpenAI. 

In November 2023, the Singapore Land Authority, the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched a collective tender to appoint a master tenant to rejuvenate a row of shophouses along Smith Street, as well as the adjacent pedestrian mall. That’s where the former Chinatown Food Street was located before it lowered its shutters in 2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In part two of this two-part “On the Go” Specials of Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian joined Carrie Wong, Director of Business Planning, Singapore Land Authority at Chinatown for a preview of the rejuvenated site.  They also discussed the features to watch out for as shops along the refreshed site progressively open.

In November 2023, the Singapore Land Authority, the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched a collective tender to appoint a master tenant to rejuvenate a row of shophouses along Smith Street, as well as the adjacent pedestrian mall. That’s where the former Chinatown Food Street was located before it lowered its shutters in 2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In part one of this two-part “On the Go” Specials of Under the Radar, Money Matter’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian joined Carrie Wong, Director of Business Planning, Singapore Land Authority at Chinatown for a preview of the rejuvenated site.  They also discussed the challenges and objectives in giving the project site a new facelift.

Have you ever tried longkang fishing, or catching fish in canals or drains as a child?  If you have, you just might be familiar with the company that we’re talking about today – Qian Hu Fish Farm.  After all, Qian Hu’s longkang fishing experience remains a core memory of many born in the 1990s. With its beginnings as a humble fish farm in 1988, Qian Hu now looks at aquatic and pet care solutions, with a global footprint in 80 cities and countries.  The company prides itself on its expertise in ornamental fish breeding, aquaculture and pet accessories, with a focus on innovation and technology.  At its ornamental fish trading division, Qian Hu Fish Farm Trading, the firm farms, imports, exports and distributes fish, with direct exports to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.  And the number of species and varieties exported – over 1,000 of them.  The industry that Qian Hu lies in is an interesting one to talk about, given Singapore's status as one of the world's top exporters of ornamental fish.  Despite its position, the market remains niche, with Singapore’s export value standing at about US$35 million back in 2022.  So who are the players within the industry, and what can ornamental fish exporters like Qian Hu do to improve its output and position for further growth in land scarce Singapore? Should they also diversify beyond ornamental fish? Speaking of which, Qian Hu had in 2017 established an aquaculture division in the Chinese province of Hainan to farm antibiotic-free edible fish. The division has since expanded to look at farming Marbled Goby and Vannamei shrimp in Singapore. But how has the firm’s strategic expansion into aquaculture helped it position for future growth?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Yap Kok Cheng, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Qian Hu.

Earlier this year, we shared with you that we will be bringing you some on the ground reporting of key business events, launches, features or developer’s days under the “Under the Radar Specials” banner.  This time, Money Matter’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian fulfils the promise she made, travelling over 50 hours to bring you insights from a key business event that is said to be the equivalent of a Taylor Swift concert in the world of finance – the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting held in Omaha, in the US on the 3rd of May.  She is joined by Willie Keng, Founder, Dividend Titan.com who also attended the year’s event. The duo reflected upon their journey to the shareholder meeting as well as key highlights and nuggets of financial wisdom they gained from the “Oracle of Omaha” – Warren Buffett. The meeting turned out to be arguably one of the most important in Buffett’s career, with the value investor making a surprise announcement to retire at the end of the year and for Vice-Chair Greg Abel to succeed him. In part three of this three-part “On the Go” Specials of Under the Radar, Willie and Tian Tian talked about the peripheral activities shareholders can take part in during their trip to Omaha. Link to Part 1 of our coverage on Berkshire Hathaway's 60th Shareholder Meeting: https://omny.fm/shows/moneyfm-under-the-radar/under-the-radar-specials-travelling-50-hours-to-berkshire-hathaway-s-shareholder-meeting-in-omaha-part-1-heading-to-omaha Link to Part 2 of our coverage on Berkshire Hathaway's 60th Shareholder Meeting: https://omny.fm/shows/moneyfm-under-the-radar/under-the-radar-specials-travelling-50-hours-to-berkshire-hathaway-s-shareholder-meeting-in-omaha-part-2-warren-buffett-s-retirement