Hi!
I am Jeremy Ko.
As a student, I studied at Dunman High School (2004), then Business Administration at Singapore Polytechnic (2008) before graduating with a Second Upper Honours Degree in Communication Studies at Nanyang Technological University (2014).
While studying at NTU as an undergraduate, I was awarded with:
- Dean’s List
- Tan Guk Eng Scholar
- University Exchange Scholar (China)
- NTU President Research Scholar (URECA)
- FYP Paper accepted as Conference Paper by International Communication Association, presented in Puerto Rico
- Honoured as one of the top outstanding graduates
I have been working in various jobs ever since I was 12. I started my first gym in 2010 fresh out of National Service, just before I entered university. It eventually closed in 2011 due to cashflow issues. Movement First was started when I was a Year 3 student. I share this to show that it is not impossible to juggle being a good student while starting your first business.
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I am predominantly an entrepreneur in the sports and fitness industry. I am passionate about health, aging gracefully, seeking contentment and finding purpose. When I started my business more than 10 years ago, there were not many blogs I could read from to learn about running a business, especially in the Singaporean context. A significant contributing factor of a successful business can be attributed to luck – sufficient effort meeting the right opportunities at the correct timing. Building one successful business could be considered luck, but to have a track record of building multiple concurrent and sustainable businesses consecutively should imply some degree of skill, acumen and execution.
None of the below businesses are a result of my solo effort as such an endeavour in the modern world could be considered foolhardy. With a good founding team each focusing various aspects of the business, everyone can go further than a lone effort.
In 2013, Movement First was founded. The original focus was on Strength and Conditioning Equipment and has since expanded to the entire gamut expected in the fitness equipment industry.
In 2016, Javy Sports and First Aid was founded because our customers told us that there was a lack of such equipment in Singapore, and not well stocked. The range of products include Physical Education Equipment, Early Childhood, Active Aging and first aid supplies for sports industry.
In 2018, Fit Bloc was founded. There was a growing demand for rock climbing facilities, and we found a site which could encompass that, and much more at 87 Science Park Drive. As a climber since I was 17, it was also a passion project. In 2022, we opened a 2nd branch at Depot Heights Shopping Mall.
In 2019, we started KC Metal and Trading to cater to our existing clientele who wanted a specialized company to fabricate metal products for them. We own a local workshop for simple fabrications and also work with overseas factories for products which may require stainless steel or aluminium parts.
In 2021, Arkkies was founded. We created five different concepts to test the market response and demand. As of late 2024, we have opened 16 gyms, and closed one due to poor business. This is a pace of an outlet every 2-3 months. We did this without relying on investors, external shareholders or franchising. It required painful personal sacrifices, savings, reinvesting current earnings, astute cash flow management and leverage on existing businesses. I believe this is a feat not replicated by any other fitness brand in Singapore.
As an investor in private companies, I have invested in Stoked (cafe), Boulder Movement (bouldering gym chain with 4 outlets) as well as overseas factories when we see alignment in their values and long term partnerships.
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While I find short and bite size information easy to consume on Instagram and TikTok, they often lack the substance necessary to give context, and allow for a deep dive. It has also affected my own attention span in being able to focus on tasks which truly matter. Topics that matter need deep thought, 2nd-level thinking and cannot simply rely on heuristics. Hence, this blog will be my attempt towards fine-tuning my own thought process, and share my thoughts towards education, business and health.
I am 36, a father to two children, both below twelve. I enjoy being an involved parent. In my free time, I volunteer through writing letters for needy residents, conducting house visits to understand municipal issues or using my vehicle to do food delivery. I also mentor young entrepreneurs on a pro-bono basis.
I can be contacted at