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 : Front Row: Baroque Brilliance with The klpac String Orchestra offers a lively...

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

Michele Schneider of Market Gauge 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

Liew Chin Tong, Deputy MITI Minister speaks about how Malaysia plans to address US tariff policies.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Sarah Jane Mahmud of Bloomberg Intelligence gives us her thoughts on the banking industry in Singapore and Malaysia in the face of Trump's tariffs.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Wael Jadallah, GM and Head of Asia Pacific & the Middle East of Moody’s shares about competition in the data analytics industry and more.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Oon Kim Hung, President of MARGMA shares his insights on the impact of US tariffs on Malaysia’s glove industry.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Ahmad Mohd Ripin, Deputy Director, Monetary Policy Department, BNM shares his perspective on inflation.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Michele Schneider of Market Gauge tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Sarah Jane Mahmud of Bloomberg Intelligence gives us her thoughts on the banking industry in Singapore and Malaysia in the face of Trump's tariffs.

9:35 AM

What's The Focus

We wrap up the week’s biggest conversations to keep you in the know.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Fresh Fashion That Lasts

11:00 AM

Mattsplained

Matt Armitage, Founder, Kulturpop

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Wan Nuradiah, Public Affairs Lead, Ipsos

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Ow Chen Lun, Executive Director of MSB Global Group Berhad

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Front Row

PEN Malaysia is hosting "One Hour: On Belonging," a fundraiser with poets, performers, and activists to support artistic and humanitarian work in Palestine and Myanmar. We find out what’s in store.

3:20 PM

Front Row

We speak to tenor Scott Woo, about The Poetics Collective's tribute to Germanic choral tradition.

3:40 PM

Front Row

Baroque Brilliance with The klpac String Orchestra offers a lively introduction to one of classical music’s most expressive eras. We discuss what audiences can expect.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

How does learning about the patterns and behaviour of a disease help us fight it? A cancer epidemiologist gives us a peek into her work.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

Bar None

9:00 PM

The Selector