Gavin Chia is the CEO of Moomoo Singapore. They’re transforming the investing experience through their award-winning digital investment platform.
Their unique ecosystem combines professional-grade tools, real-time market data, and a vibrant investment community that connects everyone from first-time investors to market experts and analysts.
👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?
I lead Moomoo Singapore, where we provide a digital investment platform that makes it easier and more accessible for people to invest in financial markets.
My role involves building and growing an entire investment ecosystem. This means working with multiple partners, from fund houses and research providers to educational institutions and regulators like SGX to create a comprehensive platform where investors can trade, learn and grow their wealth.
At the same time, I'm constantly listening to user feedback to improve our technology.
🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?
Despite running a fintech company today, I actually started out as an aeronautical engineer. I graduated from NTU with an aeronautical engineering degree. Later, I pursued a Master of Science in Business Analytics at NUS.
It might seem like quite a leap from designing aircraft to leading a digital investment platform, but there's actually a fascinating parallel. Both fields require precision, careful attention to data, and complex problem-solving. The analytical mindset I developed studying aeronautics has been incredibly valuable in understanding and improving investment systems.
🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
The biggest highlight of my career has been successfully launching and growing Moomoo in Singapore. We entered a market that already had established players, but we saw an opportunity to do things differently by focusing on both technology and accessibility.
What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is seeing how we've helped reshape the investment landscape in Singapore.
We've made it possible for many first-time investors to access global markets through our platform, while also providing sophisticated tools that even experienced investors appreciate.
Today, over 1M users use Moomoo in Singapore. This is just the beginning though. We're constantly working on bringing more features and opportunities to our users, and I'm excited about what's ahead for Moomoo in Singapore.
🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?
I'm particularly fascinated by how AI is revolutionising the financial services industry, especially in investment analysis and decision-making.
Just a few years ago, the kind of market analysis tools we now have in our phones were only available to institutional investors with expensive terminals.
At Moomoo, we're riding this wave by integrating AI capabilities to help our users make more informed investment decisions.
For example, we're using AI to analyse massive amounts of market data and provide real-time insights, helping retail investors understand market trends and company fundamentals more easily.
💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?
My advice for anyone starting in fintech is simple: be passionate, work hard, and stay hands-on. There's no substitute for really understanding your product and your users from the ground up, especially when you're dealing with people's investments.
What's equally important is having a 'can-do' attitude. At Moomoo, we embody this through our recent 'I Also Can' campaign, which sends a powerful message that anyone can start their investment journey with the right tools and knowledge.
This mindset is crucial, whether you're building investment products or using them, believing in possibilities helps you overcome challenges.
I've seen how this positive, solution-focused approach drives innovation and breaks down traditional barriers in our industry.
So for those just starting out: stay curious, be willing to learn, and always maintain that 'can-do' spirit. It's what turns challenges into opportunities in our fast-paced industry.
🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?
I can talk about market trends and stock analysis for hours - it's not just my job, it's genuinely my passion. I especially enjoy breaking down complex market concepts and making them accessible to others.
There's something exciting about helping people understand market movements and seeing them develop their own investment insights.
🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?
Lord of the Rings, hands down. The epic scale of the trilogy is just incredible, from the stunning New Zealand landscapes to the massive battle sequences.
🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, every time. It's the perfect combination of rich chocolate ice cream and those chewy brownie pieces. I know there are plenty of creative flavors out there, but sometimes you just can't beat a classic done really well.
FYI. We've edited this interview for clarity.
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