“Resilience is built when you have no choice but to keep going.” – Benjamin Long and Kristoffer Jacek Soh, founders of Beep
Some of the best ideas happen by chance. Take Beep, an Internet of Things (IoT) start-up founded in 2018 to help vending machine operators modernise their equipment with cashless payment options and online connectivity.
Co-founder Kristoffer Jacek Soh recalls it all started when he joined a team competing in an international business plan competition back in junior college. “We won, which earned us the opportunity to attend a global entrepreneurship conference in Copenhagen. That week-long programme planted the seed for both Beep and Voltality, our electric vehicle infrastructure services arm.”
While the winning business plan never materialised, the experience fostered an entrepreneurial mindset. That spark carried over into a project he began with platoon-mate Terrence Tan (now the company’s head of product), which evolved into Beep. After their national service, the duo brought on Benjamin Long, a friend and former schoolmate of Soh, as a co-founder.
Building the company came with sacrifices: Soh gave up a National Infocomm Scholarship from Infocomm Media Development Authority, and both he and Long left university—though Long eventually returned three years later to complete his studies.
“Call it luck or fate: a few months after that pivotal decision, we landed our first major order of our IoT platform for vending machines. This paved the way for us to close our pre-seed funding round later in 2019 and scale to an additional 200 orders in early 2020,” says Soh.
Who do you turn to for advice?
Kristoffer Jacek Soh (KJS): I seek advice from people who are most relevant to the issue at hand. If I don’t know them, I ask my network for referrals. Over time, this approach has connected me with founders, industry specialists, and veterans across technical, commercial, operational, legal, and fundraising topics.
Benjamin Long (BL): This is a snippet from John Carmack’s interview with Lex Fridman that resonated with me. He spoke about the importance of learning things deeply, so you can spot inefficiencies others might overlook. He also said that while you can’t know everything, you should believe you can learn anything.
Please share a defining moment that set you on your current path.
BL: For me, it was building the system behind the StayMasked distributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was our first time working with major partners like GovTech and Temasek, and it proved that we could deliver on a national scale.
How has your definition of success evolved?
KJS: In school, success meant acing the next exam, keeping a perfect GPA, and topping the class. I carried that same milestone-driven mindset into building Beep. Consistent wins matter, but they’re just dots on a timeline. What matters more is the line you draw through those dots toward a bigger, ambitious North Star.
What emerging technology do you believe will shape the future of your field?
KJS: The future of electric transportation being shaped by rapid advances in battery and vehicle technology. Leaders like CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited) are pushing lithium-ion batteries to offer hybrid-like ranges of 1,500km or more, easing range anxiety for drivers. Meanwhile, charging technology is hitting new heights. Strategically placed fast chargers at highway stops, workplaces, and homes will make recharging more convenient than ever.
Additionally, sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising alternative, offering a similar range to lithium-ion but with better performance in cold climates and a lower environmental impact. Together, these innovations will address affordability, scalability, and convenience challenges, likely rendering battery-swap solutions obsolete except in niche commercial scenarios like logistics and delivery networks.
How have you built resilience and when was it most tested?
KJS: Resilience is built when you have no choice but to keep going. As COVID projects wound down, we faced a crossroads: scale back or find new markets. We spent over a year experimenting in healthcare, carbon credits, and eMobility. It was exhausting, and with the runway running low, we focused on eMobility just as the SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) collapse (in March 2023) froze funding. Balancing rejections from investors and maintaining client confidence was tough, but through grit, persistence, and some luck, we closed our seed round and built momentum for a Pre-A (Pre-Series A funding ) less than a year later. Those months tested my resilience more than ever but taught me how to adapt and thrive under pressure.
Photography by Eugene Lee of Enfinite / Hair & Makeup by Sophia Soh of Suburbs Studio