With over 2,500 centers onboard and over $64 million in annual gross transaction volume, AOne is quietly transforming the education sector with its all-in-one SaaS platform. But can it win against deeply entrenched behaviors in the industry?



In this episode, Dr. Darren Gouk, Founder & CEO of AOne, shares his journey from nutritional chemistry to edtech founder, the reason behind their 2019 private from marketplace to SaaS, and how they’re helping learning centres & academies digitise operations and scale.



We unpack:


Why he built AOne and the early challenges of convincing learning centers to digitise


Why they shifted focus from bookings to backend solutions for educators


Their roadmap to deepen services, expand regionally, and raise funds


How AOne balances product development with customer adoption


How AOne is evolving from SaaS product to platform ecosystem for learning centres

With over 2,500 centers onboard and over $64 million in annual gross transaction volume, AOne is quietly transforming the education sector with its all-in-one SaaS platform. But can it win against deeply entrenched behaviors in the industry?In this episode, Dr. Darren Gouk, Founder &amp; CEO of AOne, shares his journey from nutritional chemistry to edtech founder, the reason behind their 2019 private from marketplace to SaaS, and how they’re helping learning centres &amp; academies digitise operations and scale.We unpack:<ul><li>Why he built AOne and the early challenges of convincing learning centers to digitise</li><li>Why they shifted focus from bookings to backend solutions for educators</li><li>Their roadmap to deepen services, expand regionally, and raise funds</li><li>How AOne balances product development with customer adoption</li><li>How AOne is evolving from SaaS product to platform ecosystem for learning centres</li></ul>

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.

From Marketplace to Must-Have? AOne’s Edtech Evolution

In a "red ocean" flooded with digital marketing agencies, how does a new player stand out and deliver results that go beyond just creative ideas? For Kredence Creative Solutions (KCS), the answer lies in a results-driven, full-funnel strategy that has seen them grow from a small startup to a seven-figure agency purely on the back of client referrals.



Co-Founder and CEO Tan Suet Keem joins us to share the journey of launching in 2020 and scaling the business from serving SMEs to landing big brands. She discusses their evolution towards "humanising digital" through online-to-offline solutions and their ambitious vision to build a marketing holding group.



We discuss:




Their strategy for thriving in a "red ocean" agency market.


The evolution from performance marketing to an integrated O2O approach.


How they grew to a 7-figure agency purely on client referrals.


Their plan to scale beyond services with e-commerce and ebooks.


The long-term vision to become a holding group and pursue an IPO.

In a "red ocean" flooded with digital marketing agencies, how does a new player stand out and deliver results that go beyond just creative ideas? For Kredence Creative Solutions (KCS), the answer lies in a results-driven, full-funnel strategy that has seen them grow from a small startup to a seven-figure agency purely on the back of client referrals.Co-Founder and CEO Tan Suet Keem joins us to share the journey of launching in 2020 and scaling the business from serving SMEs to landing big brands. She discusses their evolution towards "humanising digital" through online-to-offline solutions and their ambitious vision to build a marketing holding group.We discuss:<ul><li>Their strategy for thriving in a "red ocean" agency market.</li><li>The evolution from performance marketing to an integrated O2O approach.</li><li>How they grew to a 7-figure agency purely on client referrals.</li><li>Their plan to scale beyond services with e-commerce and ebooks.</li><li>The long-term vision to become a holding group and pursue an IPO.</li></ul>

Humanising Digital? KCS's Bet on Online-to-Offline

Finding a reliable and trustworthy handyman in Malaysia can be a frustrating gamble of opaque pricing and uncertain quality. Handibee is trying to fix this broken market with a different approach: a membership-based home warranty service that offers homeowners peace of mind.



Founder and CEO Mohamed Shakir joins us to share how a personal negative experience inspired him to launch Handibee. He breaks down their unique business model, where members get access to certified technicians at fixed hourly rates, and how they plan to scale by partnering with property developers to reach their profitability target of 15,000 homes.



We discuss:




The membership-based model for home repairs and maintenance.


How they differentiate from on-demand platforms by focusing on trust.


Their growth strategy through partnerships with property developers.


How their risk aggregation model works (like insurance for repairs).


Their path to profitability and future plans for expansion.

Finding a reliable and trustworthy handyman in Malaysia can be a frustrating gamble of opaque pricing and uncertain quality. Handibee is trying to fix this broken market with a different approach: a membership-based home warranty service that offers homeowners peace of mind.Founder and CEO Mohamed Shakir joins us to share how a personal negative experience inspired him to launch Handibee. He breaks down their unique business model, where members get access to certified technicians at fixed hourly rates, and how they plan to scale by partnering with property developers to reach their profitability target of 15,000 homes.We discuss:<ul><li>The membership-based model for home repairs and maintenance.</li></ul><ul><li>How they differentiate from on-demand platforms by focusing on trust.</li><li>Their growth strategy through partnerships with property developers.</li><li>How their risk aggregation model works (like insurance for repairs).</li><li>Their path to profitability and future plans for expansion.</li></ul>

Fixing the Broken Handyman Market, One Membership at a Time

Approaching the RM1 billion milestone and serving over 320,000 users, wealth tech platform Versa is a key player in Malaysia's wealthtech scene. But in a competitive market, how do you build a business focused on fostering long-term financial habits, not just facilitating short-term transactions?

Founder and CEO Teoh Wei Xiang joins us to share Versa's journey and its strategic evolution. He discusses their recent RM30 million Series A funding round, their new focus on using AI for personalisation, and the playbook for scaling a mobile-first wealth platform for the next generation of investors.



We discuss:




The strategy for reaching the RM1 billion asset milestone.


Why they focus on "selling financial behaviors," not just funds.


How their Series A funding will be used for AI, product, and growth.


The importance of their partnership with lead investor AHAM Capital.


Their path to profitability by balancing acquisition costs and customer lifetime value.



For founders in the fintech space and anyone interested in building a consumer tech brand, this is an exploration into product strategy, digital-first marketing, and the future of wealth management.

Approaching the RM1 billion milestone and serving over 320,000 users, wealth tech platform Versa is a key player in Malaysia's wealthtech scene. But in a competitive market, how do you build a business focused on fostering long-term financial habits, not just facilitating short-term transactions?Founder and CEO Teoh Wei Xiang joins us to share Versa's journey and its strategic evolution. He discusses their recent RM30 million Series A funding round, their new focus on using AI for personalisation, and the playbook for scaling a mobile-first wealth platform for the next generation of investors.We discuss:<ul><li>The strategy for reaching the RM1 billion asset milestone.</li></ul><ul><li>Why they focus on "selling financial behaviors," not just funds.</li><li>How their Series A funding will be used for AI, product, and growth.</li><li>The importance of their partnership with lead investor AHAM Capital.</li><li>Their path to profitability by balancing acquisition costs and customer lifetime value.</li></ul>For founders in the fintech space and anyone interested in building a consumer tech brand, this is an exploration into product strategy, digital-first marketing, and the future of wealth management.

From Marketplace to Must-Have? AOne’s Edtech Evolution

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