BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  The Duolingo for Personal Finance? Inside Vespid's Pivot

The Duolingo for Personal Finance? Inside Vespid's Pivot

Edrea Lee, Co-Founder & CEO, Vespid

16-Jun-25 10:00

The Duolingo for Personal Finance? Inside Vespid's Pivot

What if learning about money felt less like a lecture and more like a game? Vespid, a Malaysian startup, is building the "Duolingo for personal finance" to make financial literacy accessible and engaging for young people. But the journey here wasn't straightforward.

Co-Founder and CEO Edrea Lee shares the story of Vespid's major pivot, from an ambitious plan to be the "Robinhood for Malaysia" to a gamified education platform. She details how they validated this new direction, the lessons learned from an evolving founding team, and their current B2B strategy of partnering with financial institutions.

We discuss:

  • The pivot from an investment platform to a gamified EdTech app.

  • How gamification (streaks, points, rewards) boosts user retention.

  • Their B2B strategy for commercialisation and monetisation.

  • The evolution of the founding team and lessons in entrepreneurship.

  • Their pre-seed funding journey and plans for scaling.

For founders navigating a pivot, or anyone interested in the intersection of EdTech, FinTech, and gamification, this conversation is for you.

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:  technologyWomen in Businessmarketseconomyeducationentrepreneursfinancial wellnessyoung finance

Tags:  edtechfintechgamificationfinancial literacystartups





Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

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

Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter 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

Peter Chia, Senior FX Strategist, UOB discusses the performance of both the US dollar and regional currencies.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Shazrul Ariff Suhaimi of Khazanah Research Institute shares his views on Malaysia’s efforts to reform TVET through SKM framework changes and improved apprentice wages.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dato' Lee Gaik Cheng, Managing Director, PMCK Bhd

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Varun Mittal of Fintech Nation talks about the latest developments in the global crypto space.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Tanya Tai of Deloitte discusses how brands can capture and maintain consumer attention in today’s fast-paced social media landscape.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

LeapIn's founder Sara Zhu explains how their AI video analysis platform is revolutionizing hiring with a focus on skills, not CVs, boasting 100% enterprise client retention.

11:05 AM

P&L

Project Manager Preeta Nair explains why projects fail and how AI is becoming a critical tool to prevent costly mistakes and ensure success.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Economist Dr. Carmelo Ferlito challenges modern monetary policy, arguing why a focus on price stability is not enough and what a truly stable economy requires.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dato' Lee Gaik Cheng, Managing Director, PMCK Bhd

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

The Bonn climate talks concluded with more gaps than gains, raising concerns for developing nations and the 1.5°C global warming limit on the road to COP30. Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia, helps to unpack these implications.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Are students today under too much pressure, or simply not able to cope with stress? We get thoughts and tips from a licensed counsellor.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

Are you constantly in search of the rare and ultimate Labubu? Or maybe you’re one of those who doesn’t understand why people are? We unpack this trend.

7:00 PM

BBC World Service

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture