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Not many would walk away from a high-flying career, earning six figures a year. But Sheaufen Tay and Sharlyn Koh chose to take that leap. Once colleagues at KPMG, the duo decided to forge their own path, breaking into the jewellery industry. It’s a crowded space where success is far from guaranteed, but the risk has clearly paid off. Their brand, Mondays Made, which specialises in demi-fine jewellery, now has two outlets in Singapore—just less than two years after its launch. The company is also on track to achieve multi-million-dollar sales this year. We spoke with Sheaufen and Sharlyn to uncover...

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. Singapore's leading sovereign wealth fund, GIC, with estimated assets under management topping S$1 trillion, consisting part of the country's vast reserves as well as, indirectly, proceeds from the CPF, has revealed in its annual report that it is actively deploying artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations. For the past year, AI has been helping the company audit and analyse its internal data for potential anomalies, aid its staff in evaluating potential deals, as well as scrutinise some of its investment decisions. To that end, GIC has created...

ZipZap, a new car subscription platform developed by the team behind car-sharing startup GetGo, has launched in Singapore today (July 29). The platform aims to offer the benefits of personal car access with the flexibility and financial accessibility that today's drivers increasingly seek. We saw a clear gap between short-term rentals and long-term ownership, and many drivers wanted something in between: consistent access to a personal car, without the stress of large upfront payments or being tied down for years. Toh Ting Feng, CEO of ZipZap and GetGo Subscribers can access their own dedicated car through a flexible, all-inclusive monthly...

Singapore’s F&B landscape is notoriously competitive—recent months have seen a wave of closures, with many struggling to stay afloat amidst rising costs and shifting consumer habits. One former F&B owner even went so far as to warn, “Don’t come to F&B right now.” This is why a brand like Jinjja Chicken is considered a rarity. The Singaporean F&B brand is known for its Korean fried chicken, and is still standing strong 10 years later. But that success didn’t come without blood, sweat, and tears. We spoke to Bernard Tay, the co-founder and Managing Director of the brand, who has come...

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. Data sourced from the Ministry of Manpower and Singapore Department of Statistics. While Singapore hasn't been affected by inflation nearly as badly as most other countries, there's no denying the fact that prices have gone up quite a lot since pre-pandemic levels. Cumulative inflation over the past five years has added 16.4% to the cost of consumer products across the board. To offset this and keep the value of people's incomes at least at the same level, salaries should have gone up by at least as much....

By the time he was 17 years old, Reuben Loo claimed to have accumulated seven figures by investing into crypto. Not only that, he'd also become an angel investor in the crypto and tech sectors, and was one of the first few polytechnic students to join Protege Ventures, Southeast Asia's first and Singapore's only student-run venture fund, as a venture capital analyst. Despite his achievements, Reuben has always felt inferior to those around him, and this was due to his eczema. Unfortunately, his condition led him to experience constant bullying in school, getting diagnosed with severe depression and developing suicidal tendencies....

Singapore’s food scene offers a wide variety of cuisines and innovative dining concepts; however, salmon dishes have traditionally been limited to a few standard preparations—grilled, pan-seared, or served plain as sashimi. Seeking to offer a new way to enjoy salmon, James Looi co-founded Yumimaru together with his university friend in November 2022. The business's speciality is shoyuzuke salmon, where sashimi-grade salmon is marinated in a homemade soy sauce blend.  It's a Japanese preparation technique, and James likens the flavour profile of Yumimaru's salmon to that of sukiyaki—a popular Japanese hotpot dish known for its rich, sweet-savoury broth—only lighter, with the...

[This is a sponsored article written in collaboration with Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec).] Globally, 2025 seems to be the year we embrace artificial intelligence (AI).  We're seeing more businesses increasingly prioritise AI integration into everyday activities, from using it for customer engagement to data analysis and automating simple processes. Even on a personal level, more and more people are actively using AI on a daily basis through tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's personal assistant Gemini. But with Malaysia's aim of becoming a high-tech nation by 2030, it's not enough to just be a user...

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. All data sourced from professional 3rd parties cited in the article. On the surface, Singapore's employment situation remains strong, with low unemployment of around 3% for both residents and citizens according to MOM, and plenty of vacancies (1.64 openings for every unemployed individual). However, it's only natural that it isn't quite the same for every single occupation. Your experience is likely to be vastly different to somebody else's depending on the sector, age, education or skill set. Demand for talent fluctuates depending on the business and even...