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 : Top 5 at 5

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Carlos Casanova, Senior Economist, UBP

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Bryan DeAngelis, Partner, Head of Washington Office, Penta Group

7:45 AM

Top Story

Sri Murniati Yusuf, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Director of Research at IDEAS

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dato' Sharman Kristy Michael, Founder & Executive Director, Steel Hawk Berhad

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Chan Ai Cheng, Immediate Past-President, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Shahnaz Al-Sadat, Chairperson, LeapEd Services

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Carlos Casanova, Senior Economist, UBP

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Andrew San, Head of ASEAN Equities, Amundi Malaysia

9:35 AM

The Property Show

Dr Suraya Ismail, Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Chang Lih Yen and Chan Qi Yang, Co-Founders, FinKnight

11:00 AM

The Workplace

Selvamalar Alagaratnam, Partner & Head of Employment Practice Group, Skrine

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Wong Wing Keong, Cybersecurity Principal Consultant, Wired Realm

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dato' Sharman Kristy Michael, Founder & Executive Director, Steel Hawk Berhad

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

Reinvention (Snap, Crackle & Pop #8) (REPEAT)

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

Keeping the Baram Peace Park Intact; Celine Lim, Managing Director, Save Rivers

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Are Southeast Asians Better At Dealing With Heatwaves?; Assoc Prof Dr Jason Lee, Director, Heat Resilience and Performance Centre, National University of Singapore

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Good Things

A New Way of Connecting People to Craft and Nature; Chong Siu Hou, Co-op Development & Operations, Kongsi Co-op | Teoh Jia Chern, Co-founder, FRIENDS Craft Cooperative

7:00 PM

Made in Malaysia

Exploring The Indie Rock Scene in Malaysia; Mohd Jayzuan, Founder, Projek Rabak & Co-organiser, Konvensyen Ipoh Sound

8:00 PM

Cruise Control

Daniel Fernandez, Managing Editor, dsf.my

9:00 PM

The Pulse