BFM 89.9
The Business Station
Polar Cold: The Agritech Startup Rebuilding Urban Refrigeration
31 mins·10:00, 13 Apr 2026
Polar Cold: The Agritech Startup Rebuilding Urban Refrigeration
31 mins
·
10:00, 13 Apr 2026
·
Recommended
30 mins
Guest: Joe Khoo, Co-Founder, Polar Cold
In Southeast Asia, nearly 40% of food is wasted before it ever reaches the consumer. Much of this spoilage happens in the "last mile"—the chaotic journey between massive edge-of-city cold warehouses and the neighborhood restaurants, wet markets, and food courts that actually serve the community. For these SMEs, traditional cold rooms are a financial nightmare, often demanding over RM50,000 in upfront capital for equipment that frequently breaks down.
Founded in 2024, Polar Cold is replacing this broken system with a decentralised network of hyperlocal, energy-efficient cold rooms. Co-founders Jonathan Harvey and Joe Khoo have built a rental model that provides SMEs with industrial-grade, IoT-monitored cold storage for a fixed monthly fee.
Joe join us to unpack the operational reality of Hardware-as-a-Service, the hidden costs of tropical refrigeration, and their upcoming expansion into Malaysia.
Presenter: Audrey Raj
Producer: Audrey Raj, Carol Wong
B2B subscriptionssmeagritechclimate techcold chain logisticsfood securityhardware startupsupply chain
Share:
Recommended
Recent episodes
0
Latest stories
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 1:15PM
How Resilient are Singapore Equities?
7 mins
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 7 mins
How Resilient are Singapore Equities?
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 12:00PM
Can We Traz Perodua With This One?
42 mins
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 42 mins
Can We Traz Perodua With This One?
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 11:00AM
Dancing Between Traditions: Odissi & Ronggeng
40 mins
Podcasts · Apr 15 · 40 mins
Dancing Between Traditions: Odissi & Ronggeng