On our show today is a global family enterprise that could be dated back to a trading partnership formed in Hong Kong back in 1895. 

That’s right. Now headquartered in Singapore, our guest Jebsen and Jessen Group has evolved into a diversified industrial conglomerate specialising in engineering, mining and distribution activities through Southeast Asia and beyond.

These days, Jebsen & Jessen’s business can be split into seven units, namely: Cable Technology, Industrial Garnet, Ingredients, Life Sciences, Mobility, Industry & Beverage, as well as Packaging and Technology. 

The company has a turnover of S$1 billion. Its 3,000-man strong workforce spans across its operating entities in 12 countries. That includes 13 manufacturing facilities. 

But why are we talking to Jebsen & Jessen you might ask? Well, we are speaking to Jebsen & Jessen because the firm had said in May 2023 that it was and still is actively in search of acquisition targets particularly in the specialty chemicals and rigid packaging businesses.

The firm said then that it is on the lookout for targets in Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. But what was the rationale behind expanding inorganically? What are the opportunities here in Southeast Asia? 

And more importantly, how does Jebsen & Jessen intend to create synergies given the diversified nature of a conglomerate? How will it ensure efficiency and reduce overlaps in its business operations as it embarks on more mergers and acquisitions for growth?

On our show today is a global family enterprise that could be dated back to a trading partnership formed in Hong Kong back in 1895. 
That’s right. Now headquartered in Singapore, our guest Jebsen and Jessen Group has evolved into a diversified industrial conglomerate specialising in engineering, mining and distribution activities through Southeast Asia and beyond.
These days, Jebsen &amp; Jessen’s business can be split into seven units, namely: Cable Technology, Industrial Garnet, Ingredients, Life Sciences, Mobility, Industry &amp; Beverage, as well as Packaging and Technology. 
The company has a turnover of S$1 billion. Its 3,000-man strong workforce spans across its operating entities in 12 countries. That includes 13 manufacturing facilities. 
But why are we talking to Jebsen &amp; Jessen you might ask? Well, we are speaking to Jebsen &amp; Jessen because the firm had said in May 2023 that it was and still is actively in search of acquisition targets particularly in the specialty chemicals and rigid packaging businesses.
The firm said then that it is on the lookout for targets in Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. But what was the rationale behind expanding inorganically? What are the opportunities here in Southeast Asia? 
And more importantly, how does Jebsen &amp; Jessen intend to create synergies given the diversified nature of a conglomerate? How will it ensure efficiency and reduce overlaps in its business operations as it embarks on more mergers and acquisitions for growth?

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

Under The Radar

Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Under the Radar: Why is Jebsen & Jessen expanding through M&As in Southeast Asia? Its Chairman spills the beans.

Building safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence that could benefit all of humanity and enrich our lives. That’s what we are going to talk about today. 

Founded in 2015, our guest for today is AI research and deployment company OpenAI. 

The firm is famously known for its flagship AI model or chatbot ChatGPT, which reacts to questions in a conversational way. The chatbot could even admit its mistakes when confronted, and refine its answers for greater accuracy. 

Aside from that, OpenAI also boasts other products including Dall-E, which is an AI system that can generate realistic images using text prompts. 

OpenAI is an interesting company to talk about because of the limitless potential of generative AI solutions. Most recently, the firm had in October 2024 introduced canvas, an interface that allows ChatGPT to collaborate with human users on a project.

It also launched ChatGPT Search later that month. The solution is said to search the web in a much better way than before. It’ll include the links to sources such as news articles for easy referencing. 

But how much money can generative AI bring to the table in terms of efficiency?  How exactly do we draw the boundaries to the potential of generative AI? And how far does this compare against current market expectations looking at the AI-led boom in tech stocks for much of this year? 

Meanwhile, OpenAI had in October 2024 announced plans to open an office in Singapore, its second in Asia Pacific after Tokyo. It also held its first developer day in the country. But what are the opportunities in Singapore, and how does the firm intend to expand internationally going forward?

Also – with media reports circulating that the firm is in talks to transform its non-profit structure into a for-profit structure, what implications would this have on the firm’s direction of research?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International at OpenAI.

Building safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence that could benefit all of humanity and enrich our lives. That’s what we are going to talk about today. 
Founded in 2015, our guest for today is AI research and deployment company OpenAI. 
The firm is famously known for its flagship AI model or chatbot ChatGPT, which reacts to questions in a conversational way. The chatbot could even admit its mistakes when confronted, and refine its answers for greater accuracy. 
Aside from that, OpenAI also boasts other products including Dall-E, which is an AI system that can generate realistic images using text prompts. 
OpenAI is an interesting company to talk about because of the limitless potential of generative AI solutions. Most recently, the firm had in October 2024 introduced canvas, an interface that allows ChatGPT to collaborate with human users on a project.
It also launched ChatGPT Search later that month. The solution is said to search the web in a much better way than before. It’ll include the links to sources such as news articles for easy referencing. 
But how much money can generative AI bring to the table in terms of efficiency?  How exactly do we draw the boundaries to the potential of generative AI? And how far does this compare against current market expectations looking at the AI-led boom in tech stocks for much of this year? 
Meanwhile, OpenAI had in October 2024 announced plans to open an office in Singapore, its second in Asia Pacific after Tokyo. It also held its first developer day in the country. But what are the opportunities in Singapore, and how does the firm intend to expand internationally going forward?
Also – with media reports circulating that the firm is in talks to transform its non-profit structure into a for-profit structure, what implications would this have on the firm’s direction of research?
On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International at OpenAI.

Under the Radar: OpenAI’s MD for international markets Oliver Jay on its Singapore operations, potential of generative AI and future research direction 

Today we’re going to talk about a logistics company that started out of a second hand van a decade ago. 

Founded in 2014 by a group of three friends, our guest is e-commerce express logistics company Ninja Van Group. Fast forward to the present, the firm is now a technology enabled logistics organisation backed by marquee investors including GeoPost, Alibaba, and B Capital Group.

Just to give you a sense of the firm’s scale, Ninja Van said it has a 100% coverage across Southeast Asia, with established operations and networks in six key markets. 

It offers logistics and supply chain products and services for nearly two million shippers, with some two million parcels delivered by its team of over 66,000 people daily. 

Ninja Van is a company that we want to look at because the firm had in April 2024 launched a cold chain offering called Ninja Cold, as well as a business-to-business offering Ninja B2B, as part of efforts to diversify beyond e-commerce and search for higher margin businesses. 

The move come as the firm’s latest financial filings for the financial year ended June 2023 revealed a loss of S$326.8 million in 2023  versus a loss of S$250.2 million in 2022. 

So how does the firm assess its latest financial numbers? What does this say about the opportunities and challenges in operating and expanding within the logistics space? 

And how successful has Ninja Cold and Ninja B2B been over half a year after they were launched?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lai Chang Wen, CEO, Ninja Van.

Today we’re going to talk about a logistics company that started out of a second hand van a decade ago. 
Founded in 2014 by a group of three friends, our guest is e-commerce express logistics company Ninja Van Group. Fast forward to the present, the firm is now a technology enabled logistics organisation backed by marquee investors including GeoPost, Alibaba, and B Capital Group.
Just to give you a sense of the firm’s scale, Ninja Van said it has a 100% coverage across Southeast Asia, with established operations and networks in six key markets. 
It offers logistics and supply chain products and services for nearly two million shippers, with some two million parcels delivered by its team of over 66,000 people daily. 
Ninja Van is a company that we want to look at because the firm had in April 2024 launched a cold chain offering called Ninja Cold, as well as a business-to-business offering Ninja B2B, as part of efforts to diversify beyond e-commerce and search for higher margin businesses. 
The move come as the firm’s latest financial filings for the financial year ended June 2023 revealed a loss of S$326.8 million in 2023  versus a loss of S$250.2 million in 2022. 
So how does the firm assess its latest financial numbers? What does this say about the opportunities and challenges in operating and expanding within the logistics space? 
And how successful has Ninja Cold and Ninja B2B been over half a year after they were launched?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lai Chang Wen, CEO, Ninja Van.

Under the Radar: Ninja Van’s CEO on moving into B2B delivery and cold chain businesses, challenges in operating within the logistics industry now

It is all about the business of love today as we speak to a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. 

Founded 25 years ago, our guest today is Match group, which pioneered the concept of online dating and continues to foster innovation in the dating industry daily. 

The firm boasts a portfolio of brands and is more commonly known as the company behind Tinder, Match and Pairs, providing matching services in over 40 languages to users all over the world.

Today, Match Group has a footprint in 20 offices worldwide, hiring some 2,000 employees. Here in Asia, it is headquartered in Singapore, with its regional team spread across markets including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Vietnam and Thailand. 

The company recently reported its third quarter financial performance, where its operating income stood at US$211 million, down 14 per cent on the year impacted by impairments of tangibles and other charges relating to its exit from Hakuna and other live streaming services. But what were the reasons behind the exit, and how is its Asia business faring on the whole?

Speaking of Match Group’s Asia business, the firm is largely zoomed in on the Japanese market through its dating and marriage app called “Pairs”. 

With a total of over 20 million registered users, Pairs is said to have facilitated every one in 10 marriages in Japan. But what are the key learnings from Pair’s operations in Japan, and how far can the operating model in Japan be replicated in other Asian markets with lower marriage rates?  

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia.

It is all about the business of love today as we speak to a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. 
Founded 25 years ago, our guest today is Match group, which pioneered the concept of online dating and continues to foster innovation in the dating industry daily. 
The firm boasts a portfolio of brands and is more commonly known as the company behind Tinder, Match and Pairs, providing matching services in over 40 languages to users all over the world.
Today, Match Group has a footprint in 20 offices worldwide, hiring some 2,000 employees. Here in Asia, it is headquartered in Singapore, with its regional team spread across markets including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Vietnam and Thailand. 
The company recently reported its third quarter financial performance, where its operating income stood at US$211 million, down 14 per cent on the year impacted by impairments of tangibles and other charges relating to its exit from Hakuna and other live streaming services. But what were the reasons behind the exit, and how is its Asia business faring on the whole?
Speaking of Match Group’s Asia business, the firm is largely zoomed in on the Japanese market through its dating and marriage app called “Pairs”. 
With a total of over 20 million registered users, Pairs is said to have facilitated every one in 10 marriages in Japan. But what are the key learnings from Pair’s operations in Japan, and how far can the operating model in Japan be replicated in other Asian markets with lower marriage rates?  
On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia.

Under the Radar: Why is Jebsen & Jessen expanding through M&As in Southeast Asia? Its Chairman spills the beans.

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