What does it take to build a localized large language model (LLM) in Malaysia?



In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Khalil Nooh, Co-Founder & CEO of Mesolitica, about how his startup is developing Malaysia’s own LLM, MaLLaM, and the challenges of AI sovereignty in the region. Khalil dives into his journey from early Natural Language Processing projects to creating an LLM tailored for the Malaysian context.



Key areas covered include:

- The evolution from chatbots and NLP to large language models (LLMs)

- The inspiration and technical challenges behind building MaLLaM

- How Mesolitica is leveraging AI for local businesses and government use

- The importance of AI sovereignty and local data governance

- Mesolitica’s approach to developing cost-efficient AI models

- How Mesolitica plans to scale its LLM across Southeast Asia

What does it take to build a localized large language model (LLM) in Malaysia?In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Khalil Nooh, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of Mesolitica, about how his startup is developing Malaysia’s own LLM, MaLLaM, and the challenges of AI sovereignty in the region. Khalil dives into his journey from early Natural Language Processing projects to creating an LLM tailored for the Malaysian context.Key areas covered include:- The evolution from chatbots and NLP to large language models (LLMs)- The inspiration and technical challenges behind building MaLLaM- How Mesolitica is leveraging AI for local businesses and government use- The importance of AI sovereignty and local data governance- Mesolitica’s approach to developing cost-efficient AI models- How Mesolitica plans to scale its LLM across Southeast Asia

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.

Mesolitica's Mission to Build a Localised Malaysian AI Model

This morning on the show, we speak with David Ng, Founder at Savor, a local F&B outlet aiming to encourage healthier lifestyles with their plant based meals.



David started the business with his wife, Beverly, and business partner, Peter back in 2019 after originally starting in the lifestyle coaching field. Their commitment to health and wellness goes beyond the plate as they have not only established a vibrant plant-based restaurant for consumers to enjoy vegan food but they also provide curated meal plans in their mission to enhance health and wellness for their consumers.



With that in mind, we’ll be talking about the inception story of Savor from how it started to where the business is at today, the challenges and hurdles they had to overcome in what’s becoming a very tough F&B industry and what’s in the works for Savor going forward.

This morning on the show, we speak with David Ng, Founder at Savor, a local F&amp;B outlet aiming to encourage healthier lifestyles with their plant based meals.David started the business with his wife, Beverly, and business partner, Peter back in 2019 after originally starting in the lifestyle coaching field. Their commitment to health and wellness goes beyond the plate as they have not only established a vibrant plant-based restaurant for consumers to enjoy vegan food but they also provide curated meal plans in their mission to enhance health and wellness for their consumers.With that in mind, we’ll be talking about the inception story of Savor from how it started to where the business is at today, the challenges and hurdles they had to overcome in what’s becoming a very tough F&amp;B industry and what’s in the works for Savor going forward.

Savoring Success: Building A Plant-Based F&B Venture

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Casper Foo and Lye Yu Min, the co-founders of co-working space Sandbox. Launched in 2017 with an initial RM300,000 investment, Sandbox has grown into a community-driven space attracting freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs.



As they compete with larger players like WORQ and Common Ground, Casper and Yu Min share the challenges they’ve faced, their vision for the future, and how Sandbox is creating a unique niche in the co-working landscape.



Tune in to learn more about their growth journey and what it takes to succeed in the co-working industry.

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Casper Foo and Lye Yu Min, the co-founders of co-working space Sandbox. Launched in 2017 with an initial RM300,000 investment, Sandbox has grown into a community-driven space attracting freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs.As they compete with larger players like WORQ and Common Ground, Casper and Yu Min share the challenges they’ve faced, their vision for the future, and how Sandbox is creating a unique niche in the co-working landscape.Tune in to learn more about their growth journey and what it takes to succeed in the co-working industry.

They Lost Their Favorite Cafe, So They Built Sandbox Co-Working Space Instead 

Be it in the morning, evening, or throughout the day, tea has never been left out of the list of Malaysian staples, with a variety of flavours for everyone to enjoy.



In this episode, we bring you one of the flavours with Kavievanan Subramaniam, the Founder of Tea Thambi, a local name that has become renowned for its distinctive and pleasant masala chai in Kuala Lumpur.



Kavievanan started his journey in 2020, during the challenging days of the pandemic, by selling masala tea on a bicycle through the streets of Little India in Brickfields. What began as a humble venture has now grown into a chain of roadside stalls and a café, with another café already in the works.



We speak to him about the inspiration behind Tea Thambi, the challenges he faced in establishing the business, and the strategies he used to achieve such rapid growth. We also discuss future expansion and Kavievanan's vision for Tea Thambi and its impact on the local community.

Be it in the morning, evening, or throughout the day, tea has never been left out of the list of Malaysian staples, with a variety of flavours for everyone to enjoy.In this episode, we bring you one of the flavours with Kavievanan Subramaniam, the Founder of Tea Thambi, a local name that has become renowned for its distinctive and pleasant masala chai in Kuala Lumpur.Kavievanan started his journey in 2020, during the challenging days of the pandemic, by selling masala tea on a bicycle through the streets of Little India in Brickfields. What began as a humble venture has now grown into a chain of roadside stalls and a café, with another café already in the works.We speak to him about the inspiration behind Tea Thambi, the challenges he faced in establishing the business, and the strategies he used to achieve such rapid growth. We also discuss future expansion and Kavievanan's vision for Tea Thambi and its impact on the local community.

Mesolitica's Mission to Build a Localised Malaysian AI Model

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