Under the Radar: What are the key opportunities and barriers of growth for biofuel providers? CEO of Hong Kong-based EcoCeres spills the beans.
Under The RadarShow Notes
Today we turn our attention to look at renewable energy as companies around the world look to decarbonise and reduce their consumption of traditional fossil fuels. Founded in 2008 with a mission to address the challenges of climate change, our guest for today is pure-play renewable fuel producer EcoCeres. Backed by international investors Bain Capital and Kerogen Capital, the company transforms sustainable feedstocks into advanced biofuels and renewable products such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The firm says its solutions turn 100% waste-based biomass into renewable fuels, renewable chemicals and materials resulting in up to 90% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. So far, EcoCeres said some of its customers include Cathay Pacific and HSBC, and that it holds 20% of the global SAF market in the years 2022 to 2023. EcoCeres is a company that we want to speak to given the rise in adoption of biofuels around the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions. For one thing, the International Air Transport Association (or IATA) had estimated that Sustainable Aviation Fuel could contribute around 65% of the reduction of emissions needed by the aviation industry to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by the middle of this century (or 2050 that is). So what opportunities does this present for EcoCeres looking ahead? What are the barriers to producing enough biofuels for consumption, and which markets will be key to the growth of the biofuels industry? Speaking of markets, EcoCeres opened Malaysia’s first commercial-scale sustainable aviation production facility in January 2026. But what were the reasons behind the move, and which are the other markets of interest to the firm? Meanwhile, media reports out in December 2025 and January 2026 noted that EcoCeres was eyeing a potential Hong Kong IPO that could raise about US$1 billion. But what was the rationale behind the move and how would the company use the proceeds, if it turns out to be true? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Matti Lievonen, CEO, EcoCeres. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Under The Radar
This time, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian reports from Hong Kong, where Chinese e-commerce giant Taobao announced one of its most significant strategic shifts for its overseas business in recent years to focus on the quality and distinctiveness of products listed on its platforms. To support the shift, Taobao embarked on a comprehensive upgrade to its cross border shopping experience, with expanded direct access worldwide to curated stores and products from China. Taobao also noted that the new strategy is backed by substantial investments in the region, adding that it spent over RMB 100 million on marketing efforts alone in Singapore for this year’s single’s day campaign period. But how exactly does the new direction prepare Taobao for its next phase of growth in both Asia Pacific and Singapore, where e-commerce competition is intensifying of late? In this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, Tian Tian seeks to answer the question by speaking to Ye Tian, General Manager, Taobao & Tmall Overseas and Cora Cai, Country Head, Taobao Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Artificial intelligence is shaking up the enterprise technology landscape and for software giant SAP, the stakes are particularly high. After all, the German company spent over half a century building software solutions that connect core business processes from finance, supply chain management, manufacturing, human resources to even analytics in a single, integrated environment. These solutions were optimised for humans to track operations, manage finances and conduct scenario testing across departments and silos. But what will happen to the enterprise software firm when the ones taking charge of these business processes are no longer humans, but AI agents? Well, it’ll have to build an ecosystem for catering to the needs of autonomous enterprises. In May 2026, the firm launched the SAP Business Platform that teaches AI agents how to use and work through its enterprise software based on the context of its customers’ workflows. Besides teaching agents how to use its software, SAP also introduced the SAP Autonomous Suite, which enables SAP’s existing business applications with AI agents capable of running processes from start-to-finish. Finally, it also launched the Joule Work, a new user experience that redefines how people work with enterprise software. For instance, instead of navigating multiple applications and screens to search for data or to conduct scenario testing, users can interact with Joule, who will then find out the right combination of workflows, data and even seek the help of AI agents. But can SAP turn decades of enterprise data, workflows and customer relationships into an advantage to supercharge its growth in the AI era? And where does Asia Pacific fit into its next phase of growth? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Verena Siow, Regional President, Asia Pacific, SAP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes. But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm’s technology. Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend. At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments. Instead of competing with the world’s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches. The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its “hub” port in Singapore and other “spoke” ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East. But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters. That flexibility is proving to be important in today’s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher. For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026. The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea. So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What comes to mind when you think of the phrase “flamed-grilled” burgers, or even to “have it your way”? For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether. The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons. Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world’s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs. It is more notably one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years. In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International’s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade. The firm also launched the Popeye’s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years. But perhaps what’s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025. Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain’s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035. So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.