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 : Morning Brief: We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and...

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, Chief Investment Officer, 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

William Pesek, Columnist, Nikkei Asia talks about Sanae Takaichi's victory in LDP's election.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Jo-Anna Henley Rampas of UNIMAS discusses Sabah political dynamics.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Ng Zhu Hann of Tradeview Capital, and Dr Ismet Yusoff of MSWG discuss challenges minority shareholders face in protecting their rights and ensuring fair treatment in M&A deals.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Wan Agyl, Transport Consultant, shares his expectations for Budget 2026, highlighting how upcoming allocations and policies could shape the future of the sector.nsights.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Khairy Jamaluddin, a podcaster and former health minister, on the protest of a proposed development in Bukit Damansara.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We bring you the latest on Bursa Malaysia and international capital markets.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Jessica Low, Senior Analyst at MBSB Research discusses how falling MGS yields affect Malaysian REITs.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Hugh Campbell, Co-founder of GP Bullhound, discusses opportunities and challenges for Malaysian tech startups.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

11:05 AM

P&L

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Our flagship show, we feature both game-changers and groundbreakers in the hot seat.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

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

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution can’t wait for budget cycles. We speak with environmental activists Khor Sue Yee and Andrew Sebastian about their environmental wish list for Malaysia’s Budget 2026.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

How can Budget 2026 account for the mental health needs and care that the population needs, both in the community and within the healthcare system? Tune in to find out.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

We speak to an expert in extreme physiology about what happens to the human body when we leave Earth’s atmosphere.

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture