In a market flooded with expensive, complex software, MyLekha is winning by doing the opposite. By offering a comprehensive suite of inventory, sales and employee management tools for just $5 a month, the startup is proving that high-end digital transformation doesn't have to come with a costly price tag for Cambodia's SMEs.

Ke Chankrisna, CEO and Founder of MyLekha Tech Solutions, stated that the MyLekha app is a point of sale (POS) system that enables users to manage their business, inventory, sales and customer data from anywhere, regardless of their location.

“When using this app, business owners can also manage their business every time on all devices, including smartphones, computers, tablets, iPads and so on,” he said.

MyLekha was created in late 2019, during a particularly challenging time when the Covid-19 pandemic was intensifying. Chankrisna recalled then, many businesses were facing trouble. However, MyLekha was pushing itself up.

Chankrisna cited three main factors that motivated him to start the business. Firstly, he had a god-father who ran a cafe, but struggled to earn income as he was unable to manage the business flow - mainly expenses and income - well, so it failed.

“Another case was from my friend, Heng. He used a system to operate and help his business, however, as it was a foreign system, it didn't fit with his business in Cambodia, so when he needed support or wanted to update it, he couldn’t get it. That was a reason to have a sales system to fit all businesses in the Kingdom.”

Reverse Renovation Reward Award

In 2024, Chankrisna won the Reverse Renovation Award, organised by Techo Startup Centre with support from Wing Bank. Wing Bank played a key role at every stage, providing business expertise, personalised mentorship and valuable feedback that helped the founders sharpen their business models and solutions.

“That was our second time to join the competition. For our first try, we didn’t even get selected to continue to the next round; we applied and failed. However, in the Cohort 4th competition, we ranked in first place among others,” Chankrisna said.

Despite the initial rejection, he said he gained invaluable experience to develop his business. And his plan proved a success, with MyLekha securing the top prize of 40 million riel (about $10,000) at the Techo Startup Centre’s Demo Day.

Supported by Wing Bank, the win validates MyLekha’s mission to provide "one-fit-for-all" scalable tools that streamline financial management for Cambodia’s underserved SMEs, Chankrisna said.

“Also, there were some factors to become champion. We learned to build team spirit and teamwork, and financial transparency, so we felt more confident to fulfill our duties to succeed, as you can see now.”

He noted that the improvements he has made to his company have paid off, bringing him better recognition in the sector, mainly that the company is able to identify which service and device is the most effective to solve clients’ challenges. Another factor that drove MyLekha to success, Chankrisna said, was strong commitment.

“For MyLekha's journey, there are three players that I really want to thank. The first person is our co-founder, who has now left. Another is all the team members who are working together to contribute. The last is all relevant partners and supporters, especially Techo Startup Centre and Wing Bank.”

Never give up

Chankrisna admitted that facing numerous challenges almost made him abandon his dream of running MyLekha. He felt completely lost when the business failed to generate enough income to sustain operations.

Since launching, he has also received negative feedback from users, especially those who used the service for free. However, he always takes them on board and uses them to improve the service. Chankrisna said he views it as invaluable constructive criticism.

However, his family's unwavering support motivated him to persevere. Additionally, when he considered quitting, his young team stepped up, offering the ideas and collective support needed to move forward. These factors became his primary reasons to continue.

“In the next five years, I would like to see more people know about MyLekha, and I also want to see it become more important for businesses and shops to prioritize before they hire new staff, meaning that they will offer jobs to those who know how to use our app.”

Chankrisna also wants to expand his businesses into Asian markets in the future, as many countries have a similar business model as Cambodia.

“Therefore, whether you run a small retail store or a large restaurant chain, MyLekha can be tailored to meet your specific needs and improve your overall efficiency. We are more than just software; we are your technology partner for growth,” he added.

This article was originally reported by Kiripost. Read the full story here.