Failure didn’t stop this Sabahan engineer from bouncing back with a new biz that’s now 4 Y/O

For a lot of people, it’s quite normal to throw in the towel when the venture you’ve spent time and sweat on doesn’t work out. After all, knowing when to let go is part of being an entrepreneur.

But a common trait that most successful entrepreneurs have is the resilience to not let one defeat stop you from trying again.

And Edwin Ng from Penampang, Sabah, the founder of kombucha brand Releaf that’s turning four this year, is a prime example of that.

Experiencing the lifecycle of a business

Back when he was studying for his MBA in Penang, Edwin noticed a rising trend of indoor hydroponic farms overseas, particularly in countries like Japan, China, and the USA. 

Intrigued by its efficiency, he decided to set up a prototype in early 2018 at his own rented house.

All while juggling his studies and his career as a part-time Technical Support Engineer at Vitrox, a Penang-based electronic components company that has been featured on multiple Forbes Asia’s Best Under A Billion lists.

But Edwin knew it needed a team to grow, so he approached some coursemates and one of his MBA lecturers, Dr Janaka Low, to join the startup. This led to his lecturer offering them a space in his empty landed house to set up.

“In exchange, [he asked] for a few percentages of business shares if the prototype results are good and the business is able to gain profit in the future.”

It was a win-win situation, with Edwin and his team being able to execute their goals and Dr Janaka gaining an investment opportunity.

Three months went by before their prototype indoor hydroponic farm was up and running. In that time, they bought books, attended courses, watched YouTube videos to learn the basics.

It didn’t take long before the vegetables they grew were ready to harvest. Being a small-scale prototype farm, the team was able to sell out every batch of vegetables they grew since October 2019 to friends and family.

But then the pandemic hit and it went downhill from there.

With all the movement restrictions, it became hard for his team to upkeep the indoor hydroponic farm. None of the partners were able to visit and manage the crops, leading to a loss in revenue as well. 

Then Dr Janaka suggested that Edwin and his team close down the business entirely. By then, the prototype farm was unable to cover its monthly expenses with a good profit as maintaining it came at a high cost. 

So with the uncertainty of the pandemic, the team called it quits around the end of April 2020. And when his studies ended, Edwin continued on as a full-time engineer.

Taking another leap of faith so soon after the last

Now, some people would probably take a break from entrepreneurship at this point, either to regain their bearings or rebuild their finances.

But just two months later, Edwin was back in the game with a new venture in mind. This time, a kombucha business inspired by an old friend’s Facebook post about her own brewery.

“I realised that this fermented tea contains many health benefits, and I believe that many consumers started to prioritise their health after MCO,” he clarified after reading research papers on it.

Determined to give the business opportunity a shot, he called his friend Casandra Timothy and learnt the art of brewing with her. 

Together, the pair collaborated with two of Edwin’s coursemates to fine tune her recipe for better taste and fragrance. 

“We kept brewing and drinking, and kept throwing many batches of kombucha,” he described the R&D process. “We gave out free samples to friends, lecturers, and colleagues to get feedback, in order for us to brew out a perfect taste and smell of kombucha.” 

After six months of hard work and countless failures, the quartet managed to brew Releaf’s first drink—their Original Black Tea kombucha (RM11.90 for 300ml).

Giving it his all and trusting the process

To push the business further, Casandra and Edwin joined Sabah Pitch Borneo in 2020 where they became one of the top 10 finalists. 

Part of their reward included RM20,000, which was used to purchase more brewing equipment and tools to expand Releaf’s production capacity. 

It also allowed them to R&D new flavours like Jasmine Green Tea kombucha (RM11.90 for 300ml) and Lemon Ginger kombucha (RM13.90 for 300ml), broadening their ability to cater to different tastes. These can be bought online through their website and Shopee, or at partnering stores.

Aside from the financial support, winning the competition also enabled Releaf to work with University Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Specifically, Edwin shared that they’re researching ways to improve the quality of their kombucha and increase its lifespan. 

But kombucha itself is quite a common business these days, so the brand took the extra step to pay for lab tests and obtain nutrition facts. 

Besides that, another way the brand sets itself apart is through its sustainability commitment. For example, all of Releaf’s glass bottles are recollected from buyers once empty for reuse.

“We’re [also] exploring how we can convert SCOBY into secondary new products, [like] green materials and organic fertilisers that can benefit our environment and society,” he said.

Dictionary time: SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast,” is an ingredient used in the fermentation and production of kombucha.

Trusting your entrepreneurial instincts and just doing it

Currently, Releaf’s production office is based in Gelugor, Penang and they’ve sold about 6,000 bottles thus far. 

So perhaps the second time’s the charm. But how do you push through after your first business defeat?

To Edwin, it’s all about instincts. “I believe the phrase ‘When God closes a door, he opens a window’, so I followed my intuition and decided to give myself a chance and try again,” he confided. 

“In the journey of entrepreneurship, I believe it’s important for us to explore and keep finding the right path for ourselves. You may not be good at selling vegetables, but you may be successful selling kombucha.”

With that, he believes entrepreneurs should treat failure as part of a learning curve. In his own words, you don’t have to be great to start because by not taking action, the probability of success is 0%. But if you dare to try, it increases your chances. 

As for what was done differently with Releaf compared to the hydroponic farm, Edwin shared that it’s just a matter of good timing and the right group of people. 

At the moment, Releaf still remains a side hustle while he continues to work as an engineer for Vitrox. Once the brand achieves higher profits or gains a high capital from investors, though, he’s prepared to dedicate more time and effort to it.

Featured Image Credit: Releaf