John-Hans Oei is the CEO and founder of Cultiveat, a tech-driven urban farming company which is the first in Malaysia to practise sustainable precision farming to grow pesticide-free, non-GMO produce on a large scale.

Oei, who comes from a hospitality-industry background, first co-founded Microbs in 2013, a waste-management company. Its waste and cleaning solutions help the F&B industry reduce drain and pipe clogs from food and organic waste. It was while working closely with farmers and restaurateurs, helping them manage their organic waste in an environmentally friendly way, that Oei identified huge waste and productivity problems with traditional farming methods, and came up with the idea for Cultiveat.

The company’s technology-enabled farm was able to maintain the perfect environment with measures like temperature and light control, and a regulated watering system. Oei then created an efficient and sustainable system that produces high-quality or Grade A vegetables and fruits, minus the harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Oei graduated with a degree in hospitality and tourism, and before deciding to pursue entrepreneurship, became the youngest hotel manager in the industry in Langkawi at the age of 22.

He is married to Charmaine Kon, Cultiveat’s head of marketing.