Malaysian Startup Addresses Smartphone Repair Woes Across Borders

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Secondlifeasia Expands To Thailand.

Secondlifeasia, Malaysia’s largest smart device repair company, announced its expansion to Thailand, through a joint venture with Appidea Co., Ltd with an initial investment of USD250,000.

Established in 2019, the homegrown startup has built an ecosystem with 35 outlets in Malaysia and is providing white-labelled device protection and repair services for various service providers. It is an Independent Repair Provider (IRP) certified by Apple, and a Realme Authorised Service Centre for a wide spectrum of devices including Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

“At Secondlifeasia, we are on a mission to saving the environment one device at a time. Our expansion to Thailand aims to empower repair culture in these markets by offering genuine spare parts and ensuring a swift turnaround for selected repairs within two (2) hours. Being a trusted repairer for world renowned smart device brands, our certified technicians will bring technical proficiency, and operational excellence rooted in 600 hours of theoretical and practical training, to these fast-growing markets,” said Jerome Teh, CEO of Secondlifeasia.

Secondlifeasia expands to Thailand, through joint venture with Appidea Co., Ltd, (left) Secondlifasia’s CTO & Co-founder, Alan Lee and CEO & Co-founder, Jerome Teh
The expansion will see Secondlifeasia strategically setting up a total of 3 centrally located brick-and-mortar outlets in Thailand by the end of 2024. It marks not just a geographical reach but also an evolution in service as these stores will also provide instant repairs for subscribers of its in-house device protection plan, Guard Genius.

Powered by proprietary AI technology called Sandy AI, Guard Genius offers customised protection plans tailored for new and out-of-warranty smartphones based on real-world user data, emphasising on affordability, preventive care, and customer-centric experiences.

"We are thinking ahead for our consumers. Based on our experience, current-generation smart devices can cater to users' needs according to how they utilize their devices. Aside from system updates, we believe that through Guard Genius and Secondlifeasia, we can prolong their lifespan and reduce the unnecessary consumption of precious resources," added Teh.

For Secondlifeasia, the decision to integrate an all-in-one smartphone maintenance and device protection into one holistic ecosystem deviates from the traditional smartphone repair service conventions. With a bootstrap investment of RM868,000 since its inception in 2019, the startup records an inclining growth of 424% year on year, and is expecting to hit an annual revenue of RM 7.0 million this year.

Fuelled by the momentum of the circular economy, the company is committed to reducing digital e-waste through responsible recycling practices, and disposal of e-waste in an environmentally friendly manner. In line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG12), the company’s efforts to reduce carbon footprint has helped saved, to date, over 1.4 million kilogrammes in carbon emissions through device repairs.

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