Snafu Ventures

Skirted Expectations: Introduction Melvados, the frozen gourmet food brand under Foodedge Gourmet Pte Ltd, is a textbook example of a business that looks better on paper than it performs on the bottom line. With a 20,000 ft² central production facility, hundreds of B2B clients including Singapore Airlines, Hilton, and FairPrice, and an expanding retail footprint in Singapore, it should, in theory, be printing cash. Its product mix — long shelf-life, high convenience, and indulgence-oriented — sits squarely in the post-COVID consumer sweet spot. However, despite years of growth and diversification, Melvados remains only modestly profitable. Founders describe Melvados's financial stance as “running lean” and “focused on sustainability,” rather than growth or returns. It appears that margins are thin and cash flow is tighter than a business of this scale should allow. Today's blog features a more brief, casual analysis on why Melvados, despite serving a portfolio of major corporat...

A Quick Snapshot of the Photovoltaic Industry In 2024, global temps hit a record 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels, sparking a carbon surge driven by coal-fueled cooling needs, adding 100 million tonnes of CO₂, almost double China’s annual emissions. The urgency for low-carbon energy solutions is a present, investable imperative. However, biofuels aren’t guilt-free either, releasing plenty of carbon when burned. Hydropower’s stable but costly and limited by location, while wind’s cheap and quick to build, but its noise and “not-in-my-backyard” vibe slow adoption.  Solar modules stand out as the most scalable and modular option, ideal for both residential and commercial applications. Solar power might be the face of the clean energy revolution, but dig a little deeper, and the picture gets murkier. While the world rushes to install panels and slash emissions, the vast majority of solar modules are made with polysilicon sourced from carbon-intensive, ethically controversial supply ch...