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60% growth (2023)
REVENUE
Resilience Profile
Benns Ethicoa
Malaysian cacao crashed 99.9%. This company pays farmers 3x market rates and won the country's first international chocolate awards.
Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾
Malaysia
Southeast Asia's Islamic finance capital with 34 million consumers, uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures with strong halal certification infrastructure and sophisticated retail markets.
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Islamic Finance Capital
Sophisticated Southeast Asian market combining Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences, where founder-led brands in halal products, specialty foods, and natural beauty leverage multicultural heritage and strong ASEAN connectivity.
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Resilient Brands
$4.69M funded
REVENUE
Resilience Profile
Applecrumby
Nine years between funding rounds—surviving on margins while competitors burned cash. Now holds the world's first TCF diaper patent.
Petaling Jaya 🇲🇾
RM10-20M (estimated)
REVENUE
Resilience Profile
A Cut Above
A 428-square-foot salon became Malaysia's premier hairstyling academy after an 8-location express chain taught its founder when to cut losses.
Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾
Undisclosed
REVENUE
Resilience Profile
Ghee Hiang
168 years old, seven years in court. Four families at war nearly destroyed Malaysia's oldest confectionery. Sesame oil—not pastries—now generates 70% of revenue.
George Town, Penang 🇲🇾
~USD 1.1-1.8M
REVENUE
Resilience Profile
ADA Serviced Office
From 200 sq ft during the 2008 crash to 100,000 sq ft across 7 locations. ISO 9001 certified. VC-backed rivals folded; ADA survived both crises.
Bayan Baru, Penang 🇲🇾
Profiled Brands
Not disclosed
REVENUE
Bottega Mediterranea
One location for eleven years. Then three in two years. When pandemic shuttered competitors, its grocery model kept revenue flowing.
Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾
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