Cleaning barnacles and algae off the hulls of some of the world’s largest liners – that’s the work of our guest for today.

Founded in 2018, Neptune Robotics is a pioneer in AI-powered robotics and uses robots to reduce biofouling or an accumulation of microorganisms, algae, plants and animals on ship hulls.

For context, removing biofouling and hull cleaning is important for the maritime industry because it helps ships reduce drag and consequently fuel consumption. It could also result in the transfer of invasive aquatic species to different parts of the world as the vessel travels.

The process can be done by traditional divers. But in the case of Neptune Robotics, the firm is able to use its proprietary robots called Magneto to do so.

The firm is also said to have raised the industry standard by countering currents of 1 knot to 4 knots to allow for 24-hour cleaning a day in anchorages, instead of the 4 hours a day of traditional cleaning by divers.

Neptune Robotics started commercial operations in 2020 and has seen its cleaning services expanded to 60 ports in Asia and endorsed by some of the world’s largest liners, shipowners and operators.

The firm has also reportedly received US$17.25 million in series A investments in 2022 and is currently backed by Sequoia China, the venture capital giant behind Apple, Whatsapp and Shein.

Why are we speaking to Neptune Robotics you might ask? Well, the firm had in November 2024 expanded to Singapore, bringing its service coverage to over 55 per cent of the international merchant vessels’ stops. The expansion in Singapore would allow the firm to support shipowners and operators along China-Singapore shipping routes.

But really how important is Singapore as a market for the firm? Also – what are the longer term opportunities for the firm as the maritime industry seeks to address the issue of biofouling to push ahead on their decarbonisation agenda?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Elizabeth Chan, Co-founder & CEO of Neptune Robotics.

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Converting complex data landscapes into actionable insights that can drive strategic business outcomes.

That’s the work of our guest for today, Qlik.

Founded in 1993, Qlik is a software company that focuses on data integration, analytics and artificial intelligence, providing enterprise grade artificial intelligence and machine learning powered solutions that work with diverse data sources.

The firm serves over 40,000 global customers including some of the brands that we interact with on a day-to-day basis.

Take for instance, Dominos Pizza. In this scenario, Qlik built a comprehensive data tracker to streamline Dominos Pizza’s 85,000 data sources into a single view of its customers and global operations.

Another example would be how Qlik worked with Urban Outfitters to reduce the time taken to complete store level reporting from hours to minutes. But who does Qlik work with right here in Asia? What should we know about its business and the opportunities present in the region?

Meanwhile, Qlik is also an interesting company to look at right now because it is expanding through both organic and inorganic means.

It had in November 2024 announced the launch of a new cloud region in Mumbai to enhance its global cloud infrastructure and meet growing demand for local data storage and advanced AI capabilities. But what are the opportunities in India and how far would a deeper presence in India benefit regional ASEAN markets?

The firm had also in May 2023 acquired data management vendor Talend, but how has it integrated the firm into its business, and how has the acquisition benefitted Qlik more than one year down the road?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Chong Yang Chan, Managing Director, ASEAN & Greater China Region, Qlik.

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It’s a deep dive into the private equity landscape as we speak to an investment firm that’s indirectly owned by Temasek Holdings.

Set up in 2015, our guest Azalea Investment Management defines itself as being in the business of PE investments, with a focus on the development and innovation of new investment platforms and products.

The firm said its goal is to bring private assets to a wider investor base through a phased approach, while educating the investing public at the same time.

Azalea Investment Management achieves this through two investment programmes or platforms, (1) the Altrium programme as well as the (2) Astrea Platform.

Under the Altrium programme, accredited investors can co-invest with Azalea and access strong performing private equity fund managers globally, but with lower barriers to entry.

The Astrea Platform, on the other hand, is a series of investment products developed based on diversified portfolios of PE funds. The platform is said to target long-term minded investors including Singapore retail investors looking to co-invest in private equity with the asset managers.

But why are we speaking to Azalea Investment Management you might ask? Well the firm had closed a number of funds of late. In July 2024, the firm’s Astrea 8 PE bonds closed 2.8 times subscribed at over S$1 billion, with bonds distributed to diversified investors across institutions such as endowments, pensions and insurance companies as well as accredited investors.

More recently, it had in October closed two funds at over US$480 million as a whole, higher than the US$400 million target for both funds combined.

But how does the firm assess the outlook for private markets in 2025 and what is next for its product line up?

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Chue En Yaw, Chief Investment Officer, Azalea Investment Management.

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