From Fintech to Forests: Building the World’s Nature Tech Platform from Singapore

In the face of escalating climate threats, Southeast Asia finds itself on the frontlines of both vulnerability and opportunity. For Reuben Lai, his extensive experience in tackling a large-scale challenge in the region came from his time at Grab, where he built Grab Financial Group from scratch to improve financial inclusion for millions. From launching payments and lending products to securing a digital banking licence, Reuben grew the financial business into one of the region’s leading fintech platforms.

Reuben’s transformative journey at Grab sparked a bold new chapter: Arkadiah, a nature technology startup with an equally ambitious mission – to restore and safeguard ecosystems through technology.
 

A New Chapter

Reuben's decision to step into climate tech wasn’t driven by convenience, but by necessity. "The urgency and visible impact of climate change drove us to act," he reflects. "Research shows nature-based solutions can contribute up to 30% of the global climate solution. Yet, challenges like limited capital, manual processes, and complex regulations continue to block large-scale restoration."

With this in mind, Arkadiah was born. Using AI to fuse Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), satellite imagery and ground truthing, Arkadiah supports landowners, project developers, corporates and governments to value and steward natural capital through precise and verifiable carbon data, ultimately bringing transparent, traceability and trust to nature restoration.
 

Lessons from Building a Unicorn

Reuben’s experience with Grab deeply informs his leadership at Arkadiah. "One of the key takeaways I had was to maintain a relentless focus on user needs and deliver delight," he says. “We co-develop solutions that solve pain points and deliver clear, actionable insights."

The second lesson for Reuben was to build mission-aligned teams. "At Arkadiah, we’ve brought together ecologists, technologists, and geospatial experts, hailing from different parts of the world but who share a common purpose," he explained.
 

The People Behind the Mission
 

At the heart of Arkadiah’s momentum lies its diverse and passionate team. Headquartered in Singapore, the team hails from India, Germany, Sweden and the ​​​Netherlands​​, ​ alongside local experts. 

Gerry Ong, Co-Founder and Head of Geospatial, brings three decades of experience in the industry. His leadership was critical during Arkadiah’s early ground truthing missions in​ Asia, and recent expansion into​ Latin America. “The real test was adapting to unpredictable weather and remote sites,” Gerry shares. “We paired seasoned experts with younger teammates in the field—because field experience isn’t taught in textbooks.” 

One of those younger teammates is Foo Tun Shien, a Carbon Project Development Associate who has long been passionate about environmental issues. Tun recently led an onsite validation trip to the Philippines, working with local stakeholders to co-design restoration initiatives. “This trip changed how I see nature restoration,” he says. “It’s about empowering communities to become stewards of their land. The best carbon projects are built with local people, not just for them.” 
 

Made in Singapore, for the Region

Choosing Singapore as Arkadiah’s launchpad was strategic. "Singapore is a powerhouse in finance, tech, and talent," Reuben explains. "It’s also emerging as a leader in carbon markets, offering a supportive ecosystem for nature tech startups like ours." With these conducive factors, Reuben also sees Singapore not just as a location for headquarters, but as a living laboratory for innovation. “I see Singapore as a test bed for solutions that can address global climate challenges.” 

EDB’s support has also proven instrumental in connecting Arkadiah to global opportunities. Collaboration platforms launched by EDB, such as the Singapore Carbon Market Alliance (SCMA) and Earth Observation Initiative (EOI), have provided Arkadiah with strategic networks and industry access. “EDB has been a close partner to Arkadiah from the very beginning, be it connecting us with partners or offering strategic support to help us scale. I look forward to scaling Arkadiah with the multi-faceted support through the Global Founder Programme.”
 

A Platform for Restoration at Scale
 

In just 18 months, Arkadiah has built a platform that now monitors over five million hectares of land across 16 countries and supports more than 40 projects. One such project where Arkadiah provides digital monitoring, reporting and verification (DMRV) capabilities is the Brújula Verde, a Colombian carbon project. Both GenZero, ​a Temasek-owned investment company,​ and leading commodities group Trafigura have invested US$100 million in total to expand the project.

Looking ahead, Arkadiah is building more than a business – it is shaping an ecosystem. “We aim to become the largest nature tech platform driving reforestation and agroforestry across Asia and beyond,” Reuben states.

As Southeast Asia confronts climate change, Arkadiah is forging ahead to build the ​​​​systems needed to value natural capital. In doing so, investment into ecosystems will be catalysed and rural communities will flourish as stewards of their lands.
 

This article is part of a series spotlighting serial entrepreneurs building new global ventures from Singapore. Find out more at https://go.gov.sg/gfp