Local to Global

Are there Singapore brands as internationally known as our piquant chilli crab? (See page 32.) Beyond a doubt. And with many more on the rise.

Hegen has sold over 10 million “sqround” baby bottles that were designed as a labour of love. Cloversoft makes the kind of eco-friendly tissues you find in top luxury resorts — and which you can also buy nationwide. Allies of Skin, sold in Walmarts across the US, has a new European HQ staffed by 21 nationalities who speak 18 languages.

Then there’s Castlery, which has opened a new flagship store along Orchard Road on the back of a sixfold pandemic boom fuelled by US online sales.

And Growthwell is stepping up its regional distribution of its squid, fish and chicken products. They’re so appetising, I’m sure that, like us, you never would have guessed they were made from plant-based ingredients.

This note isn’t intended as a roll call of brand names, but I did want to proudly emphasise that all of these firms are homegrown. All are led by founders with drive, resilience and a talent for first recognising and then seizing opportunities for growth. The domestic market may be small, but the world is their oyster.

At The Peak, we’re Singapore-proud, and these are our Singapore stories.