Exabytes

Exabytes represents a significant player in the Southeast Asian digital solutions market, having evolved from a simple web hosting provider to a comprehensive cloud and e-commerce enabler. Founded in 2001 in Penang, Malaysia, by Chan Kee Siak at the age of 19, the company's inception was driven by a gap in the local market for reliable web hosting services. Chan, then a college student running a part-time business selling PC hardware, identified the recurring revenue potential of web hosting, which led him to drop out of college to focus on his entrepreneurial venture.

The company's business model is centered on providing a one-stop-shop for businesses to establish and expand their online presence. Its primary revenue stream is derived from web hosting services, which historically contributed up to 90% of its revenue. Exabytes serves a broad client base, from individuals and students to SMEs, government agencies, and public-listed companies, totaling over 160,000 customers across 121 countries. The core market remains focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a segment Exabytes has catered to since its inception. Operationally, the company manages over 3,000 servers and hosts more than 100,000 websites.

Exabytes' service portfolio is extensive, covering what it terms the "ABCDE" of digital transformation: AI, Biz SaaS, Cloud, Digital Marketing, and E-commerce. Initial offerings of domain name registration and shared hosting have been supplemented over the years with cloud hosting, dedicated servers, VPS, and managed services for WordPress. The company has expanded into digital marketing, offering SEO, Google AdWords management, and web design. Strategic partnerships have been a key growth lever, allowing Exabytes to bundle services and reach a wider audience. It has collaborated with companies like Google Cloud to offer SME kick-starter bundles including Google Workspace, and with Freshworks to provide customer engagement software such as Freshdesk and Freshchat. This strategy allows clients to manage their entire digital footprint—from hosting and email to marketing and cybersecurity—through a single account.

The company's growth trajectory includes both organic expansion and a series of strategic acquisitions across Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. A significant milestone was the March 2019 investment from Malaysian private equity firm Ekuinas, which acquired a substantial stake for US$10.7 million to fuel regional expansion. This has supported acquisitions of companies like Master Web Network in Indonesia and APC Hosting in Singapore. With a strong presence in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, Exabytes aims to be a leading regional player, with stated ambitions to achieve an IPO.

Keywords: web hosting, cloud solutions, digital marketing, e-commerce services, SME digitalization, Southeast Asia IT services, domain registration, managed hosting, cybersecurity, business applications, SaaS, Google Cloud partner, Freshworks partner, data center services, enterprise IT solutions, website security, online presence management, Chan Kee Siak, digital transformation, cloud infrastructure