Imagine the convenience store you frequent. What did you run in there for? To top up your metro card? Or maybe you had that nostalgic craving for a gloriously colored slushy. Teens come out of school to grab snacks before their next lessons. There is one near every metro stop, if not more. Convenience stores are ubiquitous for just that reason—convenience.

It’s a story we often hear in emerging markets: people leaving rural areas for cities in search of a better life, only to find themselves in informal settlements with unsafe water, poorly built houses, and uncertain property rights.

In 2020, LiveIn Co-founder and CEO, Keek Wen Khai (“Khai”), faced a critical moment. Just as the Malaysia-based long-stay property rental startup was set to venture into Thailand, COVID brought most industries to a sudden standstill.

Denis Branthonne is the founder and CEO of Novade, a fast-growing company delivering enterprise apps for building and construction operations.