We dive into the world of POPMART, the brand that's taken Asia by storm with its wildly hyped blind boxes and designer toys. We speak with POPMART’s Head of Southeast Asia and Middle East, Jeremy Lee, to unpack the youth-driven culture, creative strategies, and global expansion behind the craze.


This interview comes as the Chinese toy firm announced yesterday that its profits for the first six months of the year are expected to jump by at least 350%, with revenues more than tripling.


Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

We dive into the world of POPMART, the brand that's taken Asia by storm with its wildly hyped blind boxes and designer toys. We speak with POPMART’s Head of Southeast Asia and Middle East, Jeremy Lee, to unpack the youth-driven culture, creative strategies, and global expansion behind the craze. This interview comes as the Chinese toy firm announced yesterday that its profits for the first six months of the year are expected to jump by at least 350%, with revenues more than tripling. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Sharper and stronger than a double espresso. The Morning Run stretches your mind and braces you for the business day. It's your fast track into work where you can hit the ground running. From 6am to 10am weekdays, the Morning Run brings you the biggest stories and must-listen-to interviews. Stay enlightened, make educated business and investment decisions.

The Breakfast Grille

Featuring the cream-of-the-crop as well as the controversial, the Breakfast Grille is the flagship show of BFM. Expect no-holds-barred interviews to get to the truth and into the minds of business leaders, policymakers and changemakers.

The Blind Box Boom: POPMART's Playbook

Is your digital bank built to last, or is it just a very expensive app? Despite massive hype, only 24 of the 55 digital banks tracked across Asia have reached profitability. The rest remain trapped by vanity metrics, offering unsustainably high deposit rates instead of building real margins. 


As a massive wave of industry consolidation looms, Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab Group, joins The Breakfast Grille to reveal his Southeast Asian acquisition targets, why merging struggling banks is a trap, and what survival in the new financial landscape actually costs. 

Is your digital bank built to last, or is it just a very expensive app? Despite massive hype, only 24 of the 55 digital banks tracked across Asia have reached profitability. The rest remain trapped by vanity metrics, offering unsustainably high deposit rates instead of building real margins. As a massive wave of industry consolidation looms, Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab Group, joins The Breakfast Grille to reveal his Southeast Asian acquisition targets, why merging struggling banks is a trap, and what survival in the new financial landscape actually costs.

$220M War Chest: WeLab's Shopping for Banks 

Since 2017, Sarawakian corporate figure Dato' Sri Idris Jala has taken the PEMANDU transformation ethos beyond the corridors of Putrajaya through his consultancy, PEMANDU Associates. He outlines his latest pivot into capital investment through PEMANDU Capital and the growth targets for SME acquisitions.

Since 2017, Sarawakian corporate figure Dato' Sri Idris Jala has taken the PEMANDU transformation ethos beyond the corridors of Putrajaya through his consultancy, PEMANDU Associates. He outlines his latest pivot into capital investment through PEMANDU Capital and the growth targets for SME acquisitions.

PEMANDU Shifts Gears: From Advisory to Equity

Apple Inc. is 50 years old, a milestone once thought impossible when the company sat 6 weeks from bankruptcy in 1996. Today, as a $3.6 trillion "Empire," the Tim Cook era faces scrutiny for prioritising operational scale over the blockbuster hits of the Steve Jobs era.



David Pogue, CBS correspondent and author of Apple: The First 50 Years, joins the Breakfast Grille to dissect Apple’s near-death experience and debunk persistent myths surrounding Steve Jobs. He explores the stark transition from a "rebel" cult to a “Empire” status,  the critical innovations that could define the Tim Cook era, and why he believes Apple, at its core, remains a "Steve Jobs company".



Image Credit: Shutterstock. 

Apple Inc. is 50 years old, a milestone once thought impossible when the company sat 6 weeks from bankruptcy in 1996. Today, as a $3.6 trillion "Empire," the Tim Cook era faces scrutiny for prioritising operational scale over the blockbuster hits of the Steve Jobs era.David Pogue, CBS correspondent and author of Apple: The First 50 Years, joins the Breakfast Grille to dissect Apple’s near-death experience and debunk persistent myths surrounding Steve Jobs. He explores the stark transition from a "rebel" cult to a “Empire” status, the critical innovations that could define the Tim Cook era, and why he believes Apple, at its core, remains a "Steve Jobs company".Image Credit: Shutterstock.

The Blind Box Boom: POPMART's Playbook

In 1 playlist(s)

The Breakfast Grille

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips