Selling fruits is hardly a sexy career nowadays.
So why did these three Malaysians with financial backgrounds quit their stable careers and are now running Fruit Depot, their own fruit-based business?
Stemming from sabbaticals
The founder of Fruit Depot is Lim Jen Na. She began her career in the humanitarian space with the UNHCR, but later transitioned into Deals Advisory at one of the Big Four firms.
Then, there’s Ling Sze Hsien, who goes by Eve. A co-founder of the business, she’s a chartered accountant in Malaysia with over nine years of experience in auditing.
Finally, meet Ng Geet Ein, also known as Angie. This co-founder is a Licensed Tax Agent and Chartered Accountant in Malaysia with 15 years of experience across the tax spectrum. She currently runs her own tax practice.
While this trio of powerful ladies are the ones behind Fruit Depot as of now, the business actually began with Jen Na and another business partner who has since left the business.
“The idea for Fruit Depot came quite unexpectedly,” Jen Na shared with Vulcan Post. “I was actually planning to take a sabbatical at the time, but an opportunity arose when we connected with a local farmer in Melaka who was growing the famous lohan guava.”
Apparently, it’s quite hard to find good-quality guavas, but Jen Na and her business partner managed to do just that with this farmer. Believing in the farmer’s produce, they brought it into Klang Valley.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, validating their belief that there was a genuine demand for high-quality local guava.
“It was a market need we felt strongly about, especially since many times, both we and our parents would find ourselves having to throw away an entire bag of fruits just because they were not tasty, too soft, mushy, or simply not fresh enough,” Jen Na explained.
Not long after, Eve and Angie, who were also on their sabbaticals, joined them.
“We found ourselves aligned in terms of what we wanted to experience in the next stage of our lives. After years of working in consulting, advisory and compliance, we were eager to challenge our business acumen and apply the knowledge we had gained to build something for ourselves.”
Juicing it up
Starting with guavas, the team began building relationships with other suppliers, from durian farmers to passionfruit growers. “These were fruits we’d personally be happy to buy and eat ourselves,” Jen Na explained.
While they initially focused on selling whole fruits, the trio wanted to diversify and appeal to a young audience. Hence, they introduced cold-pressed juices.
“This move allowed us to tap into a growing market of health- conscious professionals and younger consumers seeking convenient, nutritious options,” Jen Na explained.
The juice blends are developed with function in mind. It starts with the team identifying what busy professionals (like they once were) actually need.
“In our past lives, work often took center stage while health took a back seat,” she pointed out. “So when we started Fruit Depot, we wanted to create something practical—products that fit seamlessly into everyday routines while helping people get the nutrients they often overlook.”
Efficacy aside, these juices of course must be enjoyable to drink.
Fruit Depot now offers five flavours: Focus Fuel, Beauty Boost, Morning Charge, Green Machine, and Pump Power. Occasionally, they also offer seasonal flavours such as a pure guava cold-pressed juice.
All juices are currently made from home, which helps the young team manage costs.
Being produced in small batches means that everything stays as fresh and nutrient-packed as possible. The small batches also allow for better quality control while reducing waste.
These can all be ordered through their social media platforms or via WhatsApp.
Going beyond juices, they’ve even expanded into premium food and fruit cart services, which are targeted at the corporate market.
“The fruit cart, in particular, has proven to be a high-ticket offering, driving a significant shift in our revenue distribution and positioning us to cater to both corporate events and high-end gatherings,” Jen Na said.
Competing with other juicers
These days, though, almost every juice brand out there claims the same things: no preservatives, no added sugar, all-natural, fresh, and so on. Fruit Depot gets that these have become industry standards.
“What sets Fruit Depot apart is how we’ve thought through the entire experience—from ingredients to how our products fit into a customer’s lifestyle,” the founder said.
For one, each of their juices is thoughtfully crafted to include at least one superfood, giving it that extra nutritional edge.
Their blends are also function-driven, designed specifically for busy professionals. There are options for different points in the day: a morning immunity boost, a mid-day pick-me-up, or a pre-workout power shot.
“We keep things fun and relatable with playful names and punchy one-liners. It keeps our brand human, lighthearted, and memorable,” they added.
Fruit Depot also offers flexible subscription packages to fit different routines.
“As a bonus, because of our existing fruit business, customers can also add fresh local or imported fruits to their juice orders,” Jen Na shared. “We offer doorstep deliveries on a weekly basis, making it even easier to eat (and drink) better without the hassle”
A fruitful future
With their finance backgrounds, the trio is focused on hitting key revenue milestones by strengthening performance across Fruit Depot’s existing verticals.
This includes ramping up marketing efforts to build brand awareness, promoting the cold-pressed juices, fruit carts, and whole fruit offerings more aggressively.
But in the bigger scheme of things, their long-term goal isn’t just to be a fruit seller or juice brand. Rather, it’s to create a lifestyle ecosystem centered around healthier living and better choices.
Jen Na said, “As the wellness trend continues to gain traction, we see this as an opportunity to align our brand with the growing demand for conscious living. Whether it’s a weekday juice, a weekly fruit delivery, or an event cart at an office celebration, our focus is on staying flexible, accessible, and human in our interactions.”
Featured Image Credit: Fruit Depot
