By SGN | 18 Mar 2025
Entrepreneurs often find inspiration in groundbreaking ideas or major life events. For Mathew Howe, it all began with something far simpler – pesto pasta.
“My daughters had a pesto phase,” he laughs. “For weeks, they would only eat green pasta for lunch. And green pasta, of course, means pesto. And pesto means basil.”
At first, he relied on store-bought basil, but it was often wilted, lacked fragrance, or was frustratingly out of stock.
“I found myself hopping from supermarket to supermarket just to track down a single packet of fresh basil,” Mathew says. “That’s when I thought, why not grow my own?”
What started as a simple solution to a lunchtime dilemma soon grew into something much bigger. A single basil plant turned into a thriving home garden, with fresh greens always within reach.
“We started having green smoothies every day, and on occasion, Korean beef lettuce wraps, always using produce from our own garden,” he shares.
More than just a source of fresh ingredients, the experience sparked something in Mathew – a passion for growing food and a deeper appreciation for its role in everyday life.
Little did he know that this small kitchen experiment would plant the seed for an entirely new chapter, one that would have him trading spreadsheets for soil, and a successful banking career for a startup dedicated to greening urban spaces.
From boardrooms to basil plants
Mathew had arrived in Singapore with nothing but a dream and two suitcases.
“I grew up in the UK, but I’ve always had ties to this part of the world,” he shares. “My mother is from Pahang, Malaysia, so Singapore and Malaysia have been a big part of my childhood. I spent countless summers here with family.”
So, when the opportunity arose to pursue a career in banking in Singapore, it felt like the right move. Having visited the region so often, he was already familiar with its culture and pace of life. But this time, it wasn’t just another visit; Singapore would become home.
For the next 15 years, Mathew built a successful career in finance, working with major firms like Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas CIB. He thrived in the fast-paced environment, navigating the highs and lows of the financial markets. But over time, a quiet restlessness began to set in.
“I wanted a new challenge, a next chapter,” he reflects. “I was at a stage in my life where I wanted to create something meaningful, something that could make an impact.”
Sowing the seeds of a startup
As Mathew’s interest in food deepened, he became fascinated by farmers and food producers – their dedication, their craft, and their stories.
“I wanted to understand them,” he says. “Who are they? Where do they come from? What led them to farming, and what keeps them going?”
The more he learned, the more he realised a key challenge: growing food in cities wasn’t easy. Space was limited, and, even in his own home, finding room to cultivate fresh produce was a struggle.
“That got me thinking: how can we make urban farming work for more people?” he says. “If I could find a way to grow food in small spaces, it wouldn’t just be for my family. I could help others do the same and help reconnect people with the food they eat.”
Then, in September 2019, an ordinary moment led to an extraordinary idea.
“I was in the middle of a haircut and staring at the empty wall behind me in the mirror,” Mathew recalls. “That was when I thought: what if we could grow food vertically, on a wall?”
That simple thought connected everything: Mathew’s love for home gardening, his curiosity about food production, and his drive to make urban farming more accessible. It was the push he needed to take things further.
“That day in the salon, an idea took root,” he says. “And I wanted to make it happen.”
Growing Grobrix in Singapore
For Mathew, choosing Singapore as the home base for Grobrix was both a personal and strategic decision.
“We’re homegrown. Everything from design and R&D to manufacturing happens here,” he says. “But more than that, I wanted to change the way people think about food.”
Singapore’s commitment to food security, especially its ‘30-by-30’ initiative (which involves building up the nation’s capability to produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030) made it the ideal starting point for Grobrix.
“The pandemic exposed how fragile supply chains can be,” Mathew shares. “People are now more aware of where their food comes from. Since Singapore has been investing in self-sufficiency for a while, urban farming seems to be a natural fit.
But turning an idea into a thriving startup wasn’t easy. “When I was a banker, I worked with the team assigned to me,” Mathew says. “As an entrepreneur, I had to build the right team from scratch. That was tough.”
“At the end of the day, a company is just people coming together to bring an idea to life,” he continues. “With the right people, things flow. With the wrong ones, nothing works.”
Fortunately, Singapore’s startup ecosystem provided the support Mathew needed as he navigated the challenges of building a business.
Through the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), he connected with experienced mentors who offered invaluable guidance, helping him avoid costly mistakes and steer through difficult periods.
“There’s no instruction manual for being a founder,” he says. “Having mentors who have lived through this journey before can make all the difference.”
ACE also provided one-on-one legal advice, which proved crucial in handling business and intellectual property matters.
Funding was another hurdle. “No matter how well you plan, things always take longer and cost more than expected,” Mathew admits. Fortunately, Startup SG’s grants and support helped over the years, particularly with securing intellectual property.
“Singapore isn’t just a great place to start a business,” he reflects. “It’s a place where ideas can take root and truly grow.”
Cultivating greener and healthier workplaces
At its core, Grobrix transforms office spaces into vibrant, living environments.
By introducing edible vertical gardens into workplaces, Grobrix helps teams reconnect with their food, with one other, and cultivate a shared sense of purpose.
“We spend so much of our lives at work,” says Mathew. “So why shouldn’t those spaces nourish us? Why shouldn’t they be places where we feel good – physically, mentally, and emotionally?”
This vision has already taken root in some of the world’s biggest companies. Grobrix has worked with leading names like American Express, Amazon and JLL, integrating edible vertical gardens into offices and hosting interactive experiences that promote engagement and well-being.
Through these sessions, employees can take part in hands-on activities like Farm-to-Table Sessions, where they can harvest fresh produce for healthy lunches, and Herbal Tea & Spa Water Gatherings, where they can drink refreshing, anti-inflammatory beverages that are a wellness-focused alternative to caffeine.
“Employees aren’t just clocking in,” Mathew adds. “They’re harvesting herbs for lunch, bonding over planting sessions, and becoming part of a culture that values sustainability and well-being.”
“When people can see, touch, and taste the difference a well-cultivated space makes, that’s when it stops being a place you simply work or visit; it becomes somewhere you grow.”
Thriving as an entrepreneur in Singapore
The shift from staring at a Bloomberg terminal on a trading floor to being hands-on with plants on a growing wall has been a complete lifestyle change for Mathew.
“Instead of donning suits, I’m more likely to be found experimenting with new crops or baking focaccia with herbs from our wall,” Mathew chuckles.
Typical mornings start early for Mathew, first with a walk with Maple Syrup, the family dog, then a run or swim. “It clears my mind and helps with focus,” he explains. “If I skip early-morning physical activity, the whole day will feel off.”
Breakfast is a non-negotiable ritual: a kale and berry smoothie, two half-boiled eggs (local style), and an Americano. Then, it’s out the door in his van, heading to client meetings, overseeing Grobrix installations, or leading workshops on urban farming.
No two days look the same. “One moment, I’m talking strategy with a CEO, the next, I’m working with our nursery team on germinating new plants,” he says.
Outside of work, weekends are for baking. Lately, Mathew has been perfecting his focaccia and has discovered a game-changing trick: folding oregano and thyme from his Grobrix wall into the dough instead of just sprinkling them on top.
“This way, the herbs don’t burn in the oven,” he explains. “When this catches on, just remember you heard it here first,” he jokes.
For Mathew, entrepreneurship isn’t just about building a business. It’s about nurturing growth in every form: ideas, community, and even the perfect loaf of bread.
Planting the seeds of the future
Looking ahead, Mathew envisions Grobrix becoming a global force in urban farming, making fresh, homegrown produce accessible to communities everywhere.
With a strong foundation in Singapore, the company is already expanding into Malaysia and the U.S., with aspirations to expand into Australia and the Middle East in the future.
“We want to see Grobrix walls in homes, offices, and schools worldwide, and turn urban dwellers into urban farmers, even if it’s just for a few hours a week,” he says.
By integrating farming into everyday spaces, Grobrix is helping to create a future where fresh produce is grown locally, reducing food miles, food waste, and unnecessary packaging. “When people have a hand in growing their own food, they start to value it differently,” Mathew explains.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, he offers some hard-earned advice: “Do it for the right reasons, not just because you want to escape your current job. When I left banking after fifteen years, I wasn’t just walking away from something,I was running towards a vision I truly believed in.”
“There were plenty of late nights spent tinkering with prototypes, weekends lost to troubleshooting, and moments of doubt,” he admits. “But my passion for urban farming and connecting people with their food made it all worthwhile. Without that, it would have been much harder to keep going.”
“Starting a business is no walk in the park. It will take over your evenings, weekends, and test your resilience. But if you’re cultivating something you truly believe in, that passion will keep you rooted through the challenges and help you grow stronger with every setback.”
To learn more about Grobrix and its mission to bring urban farming into everyday spaces, visit www.grobrix.com.
Meet Mathew
Mathew Howe is the founder of Grobrix, bringing fresh, homegrown produce to urban spaces with the world’s first modular edible hydroponic green wall. Passionate about sustainability, he’s on a mission to empower communities to grow their own food.
Connect with him here.
