For Mohamed Haikkel, the journey to entrepreneurship began long before his official titles. Today, he’s the Founder and CEO of SGFR Store Pte Ltd, but the lessons that shaped him came from moments of curiosity, courage, and resilience.
“Just start; even the wrong business will teach you the right lessons.” Those words define how Haikkel has approached every chapter of his entrepreneurial life. Since launching his first venture at the age of 17, he has learned that no step forward is wasted, even the ones that lead to mistakes.
An Entrepreneur from the Start
Haikkel’s business instincts revealed themselves early. In primary school, he sold country erasers and snacks; by secondary school, he and his friends had turned a simple idea into a small enterprise. They collected coconuts from a tree behind their school and sold them to new students during orientation week – a youthful act of resourcefulness that foreshadowed his future.
His first real “business reckoning” came when he noticed his classmates’ excitement over the new Captain America movie. Wondering if the hype could translate into sales, he began importing movie merchandise from Alibaba and reselling it on Carousell and in school. The demand was instant, and so were the lessons. “That’s how I first learned about demand and supply, and that’s really what shaped how I see business today,” he says.
Haikkel also credits his environment for shaping his competitive drive. “Like every Singaporean, I grew up in an environment that felt super competitive. I was never an A* student, but I was always so FOMO, and that pushed me always to want to do something great. It wasn’t just about standing out for myself, but also about creating things that could impact people around me.”
That sense of purpose stayed with him. “I was never the top student in school,” he adds. “But I wanted to make [my mother] proud, and business became the path where I could prove myself.”
The Birth of SGFishingRigz
At 16, after completing his O-Levels, Haikkel broke his leg – an accident that left him homebound and searching for something new to do. That’s when he discovered fishing. As he learned the sport, he realised there was an unmet need in the market. “When my friends started asking me how to fish, I noticed something. The uncles and aunties at fishing shops only wanted to sell to pros. Nobody wanted to help beginners.”
This insight led to his first company, SGFishingRigz, which sold beginner-friendly fishing kits complete with everything needed to start, including QR codes linking to tutorials. His focus wasn’t just on profit, but on accessibility and community as well.
But one moment changed everything. When Singapore’s circuit breaker ended, he saw hundreds of queenfish caught and discarded at Bedok Jetty, including juveniles. The waste disturbed him deeply. Determined to act, he shifted SGFishingRigz towards sustainability, partnering with Marine Stewards and Temasek Polytechnic to create eco-friendly circle hooks, biodegradable plastics, and rigs free from toxic lead.
By 2022, he had opened a physical shop in Tampines and was running a full-fledged business at only 18. However, when COVID-19 restrictions eased and people returned to travelling, interest in fishing faded. “Fishing was no longer the cool group activity it had been during COVID,” he recalls. Despite attempts to revive it through events and new gear, sales declined sharply.
A New Direction
Amid that downturn, Haikkel’s eye for opportunity found a new spark. He noticed that while customers browsed fishing gear, they often bought snacks and drinks on the side. Influenced by YouTubers who showcased viral American snacks, he wondered why Singapore lacked similar access.
That curiosity led to his first viral experiment: importing PRIME Hydration, the sports drink by Logan Paul and KSI. After posting a simple TikTok video, the stock sold out within a day. What began as an experiment became the foundation for SGFR Store, a brand that would redefine his entrepreneurial path.
“That whole journey taught me what entrepreneurship really meant,” he says. “It’s not just about making money, it’s about spotting problems, finding solutions, and pivoting when things don’t work.”
Hard Lessons and Harder Days
SGFR’s early success grew quickly. Through a school entrepreneurship programme, Haikkel travelled to Korea and met other young founders, which expanded his perspective. “My teachers encouraged me to network with other entrepreneurs, and I learned that pivoting was growth.”
Soon, SGFR was thriving, with new products, more stores, and rising revenue. But rapid growth came with costly lessons.
One supplier he trusted offered him a bulk deal worth almost $100,000, which was all the money SGFR had at the time. After the payment, the supplier disappeared. “At first, everything looked fine,” Haikkel recalls. “But once the big payment cleared, he vanished.”
Not long after, another betrayal struck. A man who had promised to help instead took his supplier contacts and sold directly to large retailers. “Overnight, the company lost its supply lines,” he says. Online backlash followed, with critics accusing him of overpricing. The combination of financial loss and public criticism pushed him to his lowest point.
Rebuilding from Rock Bottom
From that low came a new idea, one rooted in independence and creativity. “When I got out of the hospital, I realised something important: I couldn’t keep building my business on other people’s products. If I wanted SGFR to survive, we needed to create our own products.”
That realisation led to Quench, the world’s first canned ice cream milk drink inspired by Singapore’s balang-style pasar malam treats. The concept took months of research and development, with Haikkel and his partner documenting every trial on social media. By launch day, anticipation was immense. Quench sold out immediately, turning SGFR into a brand that created culture rather than simply following it.
Next came Cwumble Cwunch, a chocolate snack inspired by the viral Kunafe Dubai Chocolate. When shipment delays threatened their supply, Haikkel and his small team improvised, working tirelessly for five days to recreate the recipe themselves. “When we launched it, it sold out instantly and even got featured in Berita Harian,” he recalls. Today, Cwumble Cwunch remains one of SGFR’s signature products.
Building on the Singapore Spirit
“As a Singaporean, I put SG into our name: The SGFR Store. Every time someone sees it, they see Singapore,” Haikkel says proudly. He often reflects on his father’s stories about how Lee Kuan Yew built the nation by uniting people with different strengths. “That idea of building something bigger by uniting different strengths stayed with me.”
SGFR embodies that same spirit. His team includes childhood friends, former classmates, and even one-time critics who became collaborators. Together, they share a culture of teamwork and humility, the gotong-royong spirit of achieving success through mutual support.
“I failed multiple times, from my fishing business collapsing to being scammed and nearly losing everything. But just like Singapore, every setback forced me to adapt and reinvent.”
A Future Built on Community and Heart
Today, SGFR stands as more than a retail brand. Through partnerships with local creators and national athletes like Ilhan Fandi, the company has become part of youth culture in Singapore. Haikkel describes himself not just as a businessman, but as a storyteller, someone who documents the journey as openly as he builds it.
He also sees business as a platform for giving back. Through initiatives such as Terawih4Youth, SGFR helped bring hundreds of young people to mosques. The company’s partnership with Global Ehsan Relief raised $16,000 for Palestinian refugees, and Haikkel continues to speak at schools and youth events to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs.
Now operating eight outlets across Singapore, including its first franchise at Bussorah Street, SGFR plans to reach 15 stores by 2026 and expand overseas by 2027.
“None of this would have been possible without our customers,” he says. “From the very first day, they weren’t just buying snacks — they were building this journey with us.”
Through every pivot and challenge, Mohamed Haikkel has shown that success isn’t defined by how straight the path is, but by the courage to keep walking it. His story stands as a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the unshakable belief that even the smallest idea, when led with heart, can grow into something that inspires an entire community.
Website: https://www.thesgfrstore.com/
AUTHOR BIO
ALAN KOH
Alan Koh is the Founder and CEO of Impossible Marketing, a group of companies renowned for hyperlocal marketing strategies tailored to businesses in Singapore. His professional journey began in the banking sector, where he quickly rose through the ranks, garnering eight industry awards in just four years.
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