An Exclusive Lifestyle Feature Inspired by the IPO Prospectus Speech of CEO Nicholas Lim Pinn Yang
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 November 2025 – On a bright November morning in Kuala Lumpur, the atmosphere at Foodie Media Berhad’s IPO Prospectus Launch felt less like a corporate event and more like the turning of a page in Malaysia’s digital history. As CEO Nicholas Lim Pinn Yang took the stage, the room filled with journalists, creators, partners, and industry leaders already sensed they were witnessing something larger than a listing announcement. They were witnessing a movement, one born from a father’s market stall in Penang and now poised to reshape Southeast Asia’s digital media landscape.
A Journey That Began at a Market Stall
Before Foodie Media became a 46-million-strong lifestyle ecosystem, it began with something much humbler: a young boy helping his father sell goods at a local Penang market.
Nicholas recalls watching his father hustle before sunrise, searching for the best spot to set up for the day, demonstrating products with sincere passion, never once complaining about the grind. Those quiet lessons, resilience, grit, seeing people as more than customers, would later form the DNA of Foodie Media.
“Success isn’t built overnight; it’s earned through resilience, passion, and the desire to serve others,” Nicholas reflected.
“My father taught me: if you have a dream, go for it. Live life with no regret.”
Those values travelled with him well beyond the market stall.
The Birth of Foodie Media: One Camera, One Dream
Nicholas and his co-founders, Rui Mei and Pinn Jian, didn’t start with capital, a formal office, or a professional studio. They started with a single camera and a conviction, that local businesses deserved visibility, that stories mattered, and that digital content could uplift entire communities.
What began as Penang Foodie, a simple platform celebrating the island’s food culture, soon grew in ambition and reach. Local cafés, hawkers, SMEs, and family-run shops found in Foodie a reliable voice that amplified their stories to a wider audience. Over time, the brand evolved into something no one predicted:
A lifestyle empire spanning five Southeast Asian countries. Today, Foodie Media operates 37 lifestyle-focused brands across:
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia
- 🇸🇬 Singapore
- 🇹🇭 Thailand
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia
- 🇵🇭 Philippines
With a combined 46 million followers and over 100 million video views monthly, Foodie Media is now the largest digital lifestyle network originating from Malaysia.
Behind the Numbers: The People Who Built the Movement
Despite impressive metrics, Nicholas made one thing clear: Foodie Media’s true engine isn’t data, it’s people.
- The content editors who work late into the night perfecting visuals.
- The operations team who keeps the network running.
- The sales and campaign teams who champion local SMEs.
- The creators who carry passion into every frame.
- The businesses, large and small, who entrust their growth to Foodie Media.
“Behind the platforms are people,” he emphasized.
“People who crafted the content, trusted us with their stories, and grew with us.”
The acknowledgment was heartfelt, and richly deserved.
IPO Day: A Milestone, Not a Finish Line
Launching the Prospectus marks the beginning of Foodie Media’s next chapter: listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.
But Nicholas framed the milestone not as a financial achievement, but as a renewal of purpose, an opportunity to share growth, scale impact, and create long-term value for stakeholders, creators, partners, and communities.
“This moment is not merely about achieving a financial milestone. It’s about renewing our commitment to creating long-term value and sharing our growth with everyone who believes in us.”
What the IPO Will Power Next
Foodie Media’s forward strategy is expansive and ambitious, centred on three key pillars:
1. Building the Workforce of the Future
The company plans to attract fresh talent and expand new-media verticals, empowering a next generation of creators and digital thinkers across Southeast Asia.
2. A State-of-the-Art Live-Streaming Hub
A new purpose-built studio, designed to power content, commerce, and creativity, will allow Foodie Media to capture the booming live-selling and live-streaming markets.
3. Investing in AI-Driven Content Infrastructure
With integrated AI software, Foodie Media aims to scale content operations, optimise campaigns, and streamline backend efficiency, setting new standards in regional digital media innovation.
A Heartfelt Tribute to the People Who Walked This Journey
Nicholas saved some of his most emotional words for those who built the foundation.
- To the creators who trusted the platform.
- To the businesses who partnered with Foodie on campaigns.
- To SMEs and family-run F&Bs who saw Foodie as a storytelling ally.
- To former staff who contributed to the company’s early days.
- To current employees who spent nights refining ideas and writing “gtg” before logging off.
“You’re the best people I could ever hope to work with and fight alongside,” Nicholas said.
And to Maybank Investment Bank Berhad, serving as Principal Adviser, Sponsor, Sole Underwriter, and Sole Placement Agent, Foodie Media acknowledged their guidance in what marks Maybank’s first ACE Market IPO.
The Malaysian Dream, Rewritten for a New Generation
Perhaps the most resonant line of the day was when Nicholas said:
“That, truly, is the Malaysian dream we’re building together.”
A dream where local creators become regional voices.
- Where small businesses gain visibility.
- Where Malaysian digital brands rise on the global stage.
- Where content becomes a bridge, connecting community, creativity, and commerce.
As Nicholas ended his speech, the message was unmistakable: this IPO is not an ending, it’s the beginning of Foodie Media’s most exciting chapter yet.
“Our journey is only beginning, and the best is yet to come.”
And for Southeast Asia’s digital economy, that journey is one worth following.
