SABAH-based WAIG Consultancy Sdn Bhd was among the five national winners of Shell LiveWire 2025, who each received RM30,000 in start-up funding and access to the global LiveWire network, opening doors to international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
WAIG is a hydraulic consultancy specialising in using computer modelling and marine surveys to predict impacts from potential projects and developments, so stakeholders can make informed sustainable decision.
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Below is an interview with its founder, Jack Teo:
Question: Firstly, congratulations on winning! Tell us how you feel about winning?
Answer: We are very proud to be able to be one of the top five winners, and this really gave us a lot of confidence and motivation going forward.
Q: Please share about your family, how many members you have, where you are from and your education.
A: I have a beautiful and caring wife, and we have two boys that are in their terrible three. I am originally from Labuan, but had the opportunity to study, and then work in Kota Kinabalu since my teen years. In terms of education, I had been lucky to have the chance to study abroad in Perth, and that is where I learnt in depth about oceanography, meteorology and the modelling of these environmental parameters. These subjects opened my mind and I consider this as the spark that leads to WAIG.
Q: How did you start this venture; whose idea was it to start this business?
A: I started when I noticed there are not many local consultancies that provide hydraulic modelling services in this region, and looking at the potential in blue economy, I decided to jump in and get my hair wet.
Q: Tell us more about your entrepreneurial journey from the start until this point in time: Was it tough to get here?
A: Nothing is easy definitely. Not only did we have clients that took our honesty for granted and refused to pay, we also faced different issues such as restrictions during Covid that hindered us from doing our best. We will not say we are anywhere yet, but will keep on going to make WAIG a recognisable firm.
Q: Please share the challenges you faced on this journey and how did you overcome them?
A: One of the problems that we face is clients refusing to pay us. It was our fault being naïve. We went ahead to finish the work despite client being late in their payment. Of course, there is no overcoming this, our growth was stunted but we persevered and learnt from this.
Q: How has the Shell LiveWire programme benefited you in improving your business?
A: This programme was great. We were taught to look more at the business side, instead of just being a pure scientist/researcher. This allow us to plan the future of WAIG more strategically so that the firm is more sustainable.
Q: What have your progress or milestones been since you won the state Shell LiveWire finals?
A: Since winning the state Shell LiveWire finals, we’ve been able to secure two significant projects. Both of them are, I would say, future-defining for WAIG. We hope we can provide our best for this two clients and springboard WAIG into another level.
Q: How did you prepare yourself for the national finals as you were pitted against other winners from different states?
A: Our mentors had been crucial in our preparation. All the guides and lessons from them were implemented in our pitch, and thanks much to Aaron and Lilyana, we were able to be one of the five that won.
Q: Now that you have won the finals, what is next for your business?
A: Next up will be upping our service and capacity. We are looking to have two more staff coming in in coming months, along with more equipment and high-end computers. We intend to serve our clients our very best and grow more for the year 2026.
Q: Where do you see your business 10 years down the road?
A: We hope that we are able to make a difference in the community, not only by providing a good quality local service, but also retain our local talent with meaningful employment instead of letting them move abroad searching for opportunities.
Q: Any advice for people out there who want to be an entrepreneur?
A: I would say don’t blindly follow other people’s success story, and embrace the grind.
