KUCHING: Listing on the stock exchange is not just for tech companies, but also for farming ventures aiming to go public.
Sharing his own journey as founder of Homebuilt Agriculture Singapore, a business growing fruits and vegetables from Sarawak’s soil, SME Association of Sarawak’s Secretary-General, Alan Wei Hua Foung, said that from the start, the goal was to prepare the company for a listing.
“At Homebuilt Agriculture, we are, at heart, farmers, growing fruits and vegetables from Sarawak’s very own soil. Yet from the very beginning, I carried a dream to one day see my farming business listed,” he said.
He said this in his speech during the IPO Readiness & Tax Insights Conference at Riverside Majestic Hotel here today.
Bridging the gap between vision and reality, he said, required professional guidance.
“To bridge that gap between dreams and reality, I needed the expertise of professionals, people like at EMG, to guide us with structure, compliance and credibility,” he said.
According to Wei, Homebuilt Agriculture has already raised pre-Series A funding and is preparing for a Series A round in 2027, with the possibility of advancing to Series B in the same year.
He said this shows that even farming enterprises can take bold steps into public markets, provided they are willing to invest in governance and work with the right partners.
He added that an IPO journey required more than capital.
“It is not only about raising funds but about building trust, with regulators, with investors and most importantly with communities we serve,” he said.
Wei also said many SMEs form the backbone of the state’s economy but remain underserved when it comes to capital access and governance readiness.
“By preparing more enterprises for IPOs, Sarawak would build confidence in its markets, attract investors and open opportunities for future generations,” he said.
For the record, the IPO Readiness and Tax Insights Conference, organised by RDS Advocates and Solicitors, brought together business leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs for discussions on tax, compliance and corporate governance.
