Startups and up-and-coming entrepreneurs are a wellspring of creativity and innovation. Last evening, the Emerging Enterprise (EE) Awards celebrated the brands leading the way.
Jointly hosted by The Business Times and OCBC at JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, the annual awards celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and resilience of young businesses with up to 10 years of operations and annual turnover of up to S$20 million. In this 19th edition, nine local and regional companies took home top honours from a field of 28 finalists, drawn from close to 600 applications across Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia. Entries from outside Singapore made up almost 40 per cent of the total.
Credit: The Business Times
The ceremony recognised businesses across the Emerging Enterprise Award and Emerging Enterprise Sustainability Award categories, as well as promising startups. For the first time, up to six enterprises in total could receive the two awards.
The ceremony was also graced by Guest-of-Honour Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry who delivered the opening speech and presented the awards.
Credit: The Business Times
“As we celebrate the achievements of tonight’s finalists, we are reminded that building a successful enterprise takes courage and tenacity, from coming up with a seed idea, a prototype, overcoming the valley of death, to creating a viable business and the grit to keep adapting and moving forward to sweet success and overcome adversity,” she said.
The winners
Among the Emerging Enterprise Sustainability Award recipients was Inthira Kalanjiam, founder of LAFRE, the first Malaysian sanitary pad brand to introduce Braille packaging nationwide. She made the change after learning that many visually impaired women struggle to buy intimate care products independently, as most packaging in Malaysia does not carry Braille.
Credit: The Business Times
LAFRE’s pads also feature proprietary technology that delivers 50 times the absorbency of conventional pads, locking in moisture and protecting the vaginal microbiome. This makes it Malaysia’s only sanitary pad brand with a 100 per cent absorbent factor. The brand also offers overnight panties, disposable underwear, and maternity and postpartum sets.
Speaking to Her World after the ceremony, Inthira said the award brings great recognition to the brand. “I’m very happy for myself and my team, and I think we made Malaysian local brands proud.
Credit: OCBC
“It’s also a big step for women entrepreneurs. If any ladies out there want to fight for their career, please just go ahead.”
She added that at its core, LAFRE aims to tackle period shame. “We don’t want women to feel shame about themselves. We want them to feel confident, to love their body and care more about their health. That’s what LAFRE stands for.”
Nivedita Venkateish, founder of Singapore adult incontinence care brand Aire, took home the Most Promising Sustainability Startup Award.
Credit: The Business Times
Aire’s products were co-created with Singaporean seniors and include adult pull-up pants, adult diapers and overnight variants. They are made with soft, breathable material suited to tropical climates, come in sizes calibrated for Asian body types, and use proprietary dual-protection technology for rapid absorbency of more than two litres.
The designs are also caregiver-centred. The tape-style diaper is easy for caregivers to use, and its fully breathable design helps prevent rashes, itch and pressure sores, which are common and painful complications for bedridden seniors.
Nivedita told Her World after the ceremony that the win caught her by surprise. “What we’re doing is not considered sexy. It’s adult incontinence, it’s not AI, it’s something that is not talked about. I’m really grateful for the recognition.
Credit: OCBC
“This award is really meaningful and gives a lot of motivation to myself and my team that what we’re doing has the ability to make an impact. Because if people as esteemed as this judging panel thought so, then we’re on to something.”
