Cover The CEO of leading parenting technology company Nuren Group shares what drives her vision to use technology to empower parents across Asia (Photo: Nuren Group)
The CEO of leading parenting technology company Nuren Group shares what drives her vision to use technology to empower parents across Asia (Photo: Nuren Group)
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Nuren Group’s CEO on leveraging digital platforms to help parents and future plans for her tech company that was recently listed on the Australian Stock Exchange
“We know mothers today are looking for trusted and reliable information about being a mum as well as innovative products that are safe for their family. We realised that despite there being so much information out there, there was a gap of reliable information depending on who gatekeepers and curates it,” Petrina Goh says, revealing that her own experience as a mum shaped her resolve to address this market gap through digital technology.
“When we started, we wanted to provide mothers the information, products and services they sought after in a one-stop platform, where they could also find community groups and support from other mothers.” This was the problem that spurred the creation of Nuren Group, the country’s leading parenting technology platform that just successfully listed an IPO (initial public offering) on the National Stock Exchange of Australia in August 2024–making it the first Malaysian parenting tech company to be listed on the NSX.
Through its innovative and empowering platforms such as Motherhood.com.my, Kelabmama.com, Ibuencer.com, and the Motherhood Parenting Superapp, Nuren Group was created to simplify and ease the journey of parenthood, from shopping for baby and mother care products to seeking out health information or even a like-minded community of parents.
Above Leading digital platform empowering women in parenting, education, and maternity wellness, Nuren Group, launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX) in 2024 (Photo: Nuren Group)
Leading digital platform empowering women in parenting, education, and maternity wellness, Nuren Group, launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX) in 2024 (Photo: Nuren Group)
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“When we started, there was a clear lack of comprehensive and supportive digital platforms with community groups that mothers could turn to,” Goh says. “There were many scattered pockets of community groups for parents around at that time, but they were all mostly offline and lacked a digital presence. So our goal was to aggregate those community groups in a way that mothers could access easily through one platform.”
As the leader behind platforms like Motherhood.com.my and the Motherhood Superapp, Goh has not only used AI tools and tech solutions to support parents but has also empowered women through career comeback programs and the growing ’mum influencer’ community.
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Goh recognised early on that many working mothers who halted their careers after giving birth appreciated the flexibility of being able to earn income from home. Platforms like Ibuencer.com allowed mothers to do just that.
“Technology and digital platforms could help these mothers create more opportunities to work from home by creating content through our platforms or become sellers, given the rise of digital marketplaces,” says Goh.
Above Goh is the founder and CEO of parenting platform Nuren Group (Photo: Nuren Group)
Goh is the founder and CEO of parenting platform Nuren Group (Photo: Nuren Group)
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I tend to take a week-long break every quarter. I don’t do any work during those breaks, I just learn.
“We have also received a lot of requests from stay-at-home dads these days. They contacted us asking if they too can contribute and be part of the group of creators and influencers. It’s pretty interesting because in parenting we often hear about the mum’s point of view, but rarely from the fathers. Like there’s no strong community for fathers to reach out to, you know? So we’ve also spearheaded initiatives for fathers too.”
This commitment to supporting parents shaped Nuren Group’s mission as it expanded into new markets, though Goh admits early missteps in regional growth taught her valuable lessons.
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“When we expanded to Thailand, we burnt through our seed money too quickly,” she shares. “We didn’t account for local cultural nuances, which taught me the importance of deep, focused research.” Today, she advises other entrepreneurs to balance innovation with thoughtful planning and to avoid the rush to expand without understanding local needs.
With Nuren Group’s recent IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange, Goh sees new opportunities to scale Nuren’s impact, secure valuable partnerships, and implement advanced technology to ultimately improve the lives of users on the platform.
Plans for the IPO funds include launching an AI-driven parenting chatbot in collaboration with hospital experts, designed to provide personalised, medically verified advice. “We want mothers to access reliable guidance beyond family or friends, right when they need it,” she says.
“The IPO shows that we are an established company and it will hopefully attract more partnerships with brands willing to invest time and support the mothers in our community. Now that we’ve received some attention from government agencies we are hoping to get more government support to extend our reach to more women, not just those who are already tech-savvy but mothers in rural areas and with limited access.”
Alongside her ambitious goals, Goh also emphasises the importance of pausing with intention every so often. Through this whirlwind journey of entrepreneurship and business growth, she has learned to carve out time each quarter for a week-long break to recharge and reflect.
“My advice for founders? Keep yourself up to date on trends. Personally, I try to keep weekends free for brainstorming and reviewing weekly tasks and achievements,” Goh says. “I also take a week-long break every quarter. During that break I don’t do any work. I step back to stay inspired, listening to speakers from all around the world and learning what’s trending both outside and in Malaysia,” she shares.
A mother of two, Goh highlights not only the positive impact of digital tools on women’s lives but also the importance of learning, adapting, and, occasionally, simply taking a breath in the fast-paced world that is the startup ecosystem.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
