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Jonathan Chew · · 5 min read

How EPOS pulled its way up to 7-figure revenue

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Hello reader,

I recently started watching Breaking Bad. And let me tell you, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m a human being who needs sleep, I probably would’ve binged the entire series from start to finish – no breaks in between.

I’ve just finished season four (no spoilers for the next ones, please!), and I’ve noticed that there’s a running theme about making money and being a provider.

The show kicks off when Walt, the main character, refuses to take money or even a well-paying job from his wealthy friends so he can afford to pay for his cancer treatments. It’s an interesting look at how people – particularly men – like him feel like they cannot be a burden and the sheer lengths they’re willing to go to to be self-sufficient.

In other words, Walt and his business partner Jesse are basically the craziest bootstrapped two-man startup to ever exist – in the fictional world of prestige TV, that is.

Back in the real world where most of us live, there’s a Singapore-based startup specializing in point-of-sale systems that has bootstrapped its way to success, pulling in seven figures in annual revenue. There’s nothing illicit or illegal about PoS, but it’s badass enough that it enabled EPOS to sustain itself without external funding.

Today we look at:


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Cooking up a seven-figure revenue

Image credit: Timmy Loen

I’ve seen EPOS systems in almost every F&B place in Singapore: restaurants, food courts, you name it. It’s been around for a while, but this is the first time that I’ve seen EPOS as something more than just the device on which I tap my credit card – and boy, what a ride it’s been for the firm.

  • Everything and more: EPOS’ offerings for restaurant clients cover several front- and back-of-house functions, while retail clients get ecommerce integrations as well as data reporting and analysis.
  • Customer is king:CEO Ian Cheong, believes that the company’s strong customer service, which is available 365 days a year, plays a key role in building client loyalty. EPOS also has technicians on standby to fix hardware or systems on site.
  • Staying within the bounds: While other startups have an aggressive overseas expansion strategy, EPOS is going its own way and hyperfocusing on the Singapore market.

Read more: How EPOS bootstrapped its way to a 7-figure revenue


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TIA Writer

Jonathan Chew

Has a strange liking for grabbing tiny plastic things on wooden walls