BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  Okapi Solar - Breaking Barriers to Solar Panels on Your Roof?

Okapi Solar - Breaking Barriers to Solar Panels on Your Roof?

Lai Zhern Yung, Co-founder, Okapi Technologies | Christopher Kwong, Co-founder, Okapi Technologies

14-Aug-24 10:00

Okapi Solar - Breaking Barriers to Solar Panels on Your Roof?

How can homeowners make the switch to solar energy without breaking the bank?

Founded in 2022, Okapi Solar is on a mission to make solar power more accessible to homeowners by offering financing solutions that eliminate the high upfront costs typically associated with solar panel installations. Okapi buys the solar panels first, and then leases it to homeowners.

Zhern Yung and Christopher, both with backgrounds in banking and engineering, share their journey of leaving the corporate world to venture into entrepreneurship. They discuss the challenges and opportunities they’ve encountered in the solar energy sector, and how their experience has shaped Okapi’s approach to financing.

Okapi Solar’s financing plans are designed specifically for landed residential properties, allowing homeowners to install solar panels with zero upfront payment and fixed monthly lease payments over a period of up to 10 years. The co-founders delve into the company’s business model, the balance between raising and deploying funds, and the importance of evaluating customer creditworthiness to maintain a healthy business.

As Okapi Solar targets financing 100 residential solar energy systems per month by the first quarter of 2025, Zhern Yung and Christopher also discuss their future plans, including scaling their operations, expanding partnerships with solar installers, and much more.

Tune in to learn how Okapi Technologies is lowering the barrier to solar power adoption, and what lies ahead for this innovative startup.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan, Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  technologyeconomyCorporatesmanagingmarketsenvironmententrepreneurs

Tags:  solar financing platformsolar panelsolar energy





Play / Pause

Listen now : Today I Learned

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Kingsley Jones of Jevons Global tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Vivek Vaidya, Partner from Frost & Sullivan, unpacks the implications of US tariffs to the global automakers.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

. Criminal lawyer Goh Cia Yee, joins us to break down the legal provisions pertaining to house arrests.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Prof. Datuk Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir shares how UCSI’s climb to 265th in the QS World University Rankings reflects its growth and impact.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Entry: Adrian Pereira of NSI discusses the importance of EPF contributions for foreign workers.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability discusses Malaysia's strategy to ramp up enforcement on environmental crimes through stronger police powers.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

Kingsley Jones of Jevons Global tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Jesse Liew of Principal Asset Management shares his perspective on opportunities in the local fixed income market as tariff war looms in the US.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Gerald Ambrose, former Country Head of Aberdeen Malaysia examines the Kwek family feud at City Developments Limited (CDL) and its lessons on succession.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

A&D Nature's Growth and Ambitions: Navigating the Plant Industry

11:05 AM

P&L

How SMEs & MTCs Can Unlock New Capital Opportunities

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Andrew Chan, Director, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Prof. Datuk Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir shares how UCSI’s climb to 265th in the QS World University Rankings reflects its growth and impact.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

Will the proposed Seed Bill threaten biodiversity, food security and smallholder farmers by giving corporations control over seeds?

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Are supplements safe if you’re on treatment for mental health disorders? We break down how the ingredients of supplements and certain medications interact with psychiatric drugs.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture