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.”  

Finally, Chankrisna was inspired by his initial partner’s struggles. Despite owning a tech company, the partner lacked a system to manage his own operations and failed to resell imported software. This gap highlighted the urgent need for a localised, effective management solution, such as MyLekha.

“When we first launched, the main challenge was education related to technology, as there were some limitations. While we aimed to build technology to be comprehensive and to help and serve all kinds of businesses that we called “one fit for all”, it was hard for us to achieve what we set,” he said.  

Another challenge was funding. Chankrisna created MyLekha with a small budget and had to spend a large chunk on clouding, causing them to brink on the edge of failure at times. He added that teamwork, time management and financial management were also challenges.  

Chankrisna said initially he had $15,000 to launch the business with the support of his first partner. However, when Covid-19 broke out, the financial operations were interrupted, leaving him with only $1,000 to $2,000 to start the business.  

“It should be noted that we provided services for free for the first few years. When we offered the service for free, there were many clients, but when we started to charge, there were few clients.”  

Chankrisna confirmed that his partner, who ran a tech solution company, was a key person to promote the MyLekha service to businesspeople. “He used MyLekha to replace the system that his clients used that didn’t fit or help them much. But MyLekha could help them, when it was a free service,” Chankrisna said.

“However, after five years of offering services for free, we started charging just $5 a month, but we lost clients. That was a hard time for us, but we kept exploring pain points and the key clients that really fit with the service and can pay to use it,” he said, adding that the mindset has started to shift.  

“To date, there are more than 200 businesses using our service, and they really appreciate the service as all owners can easily manage their operations.”  

Most of Chankrisna’s clients are cafes, restaurants and marts in target locations of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Battambang and Banteay Meachey.  

“However, some areas are not our main targets, but they are still interested in our services. They include Koh Kong, Stung Treng, Mondolkiri and Ratanakiri provinces. Therefore, MyLekha helps in business operations in more than 10 provinces nationwide.”  

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 prioritise 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. 

A part of the country's development

Chankrisna created the business to also be involved in social development, as well as building more open space for business startups to develop software and engineering to respond to the ongoing development of business models.  

“More importantly, I have offered job opportunities for the young generation, who love this sector, to explore and build their capabilities and passion into reality,” he added.  

Therefore, he encourages young people to pursue their passions, particularly aspiring entrepreneurs. However, he emphasised the importance of gaining knowledge first, suggesting they learn from those who experienced failure before success.  

Chankrisna noted that these stories provide vital lessons and highlight important starting points that are essential for any new venture to succeed.

Sreang Lyhour, a Full Stack Developer Intern at MyLekha Tech Solutions, said, “I decided to join MyLekha because it’s one of the well-known tech companies in Siem Reap, and I really liked its goal of using technology to support local businesses.  

“What made it more interesting for me was having experienced seniors who are always willing to help, guide, and share their knowledge, especially when it comes to technical skills and problem-solving.”  

She added that the work environment at MyLekha is open and flexible, which allows both staff and students to take responsibility for their own work and learn through real experience. “During my time here, I learned a lot, not only technical skills, but also how to think about and solve real business problems,” she said.  

“Moving forward, I plan to use what I learned at MyLekha, especially the quality-first mindset and high standards, to work more effectively and contribute better to future projects and business challenges.”  

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