MAR VIN FOO 胡马宾
Founder. Builder. Writer.
Founder & Principal, The Thousand Ships
Building cross-border platforms at the intersection of sustainability, infrastructure, trade, property and technology.
Founder & Principal, The Thousand Ships
Building cross-border platforms at the intersection of sustainability, infrastructure, trade, property and technology.
From Singapore into ASEAN and beyond, my work increasingly centres on bringing people, capital, technology and opportunities together around projects that can create lasting commercial and social value.
Building beyond a single business.
The Thousand Ships began as an idea: that businesses, communities, technology and capital can be connected to solve problems that no single company can address alone. Today, that idea is developing across circular infrastructure, real estate and residency networks, regional trade, technology and strategic partnerships. The work is executed through iMerv Digital Pte. Ltd. and its growing network of partners and project platforms.
What I build. What I learn. What I believe. MARVINFOO is where I document that journey.
Circular Infrastructure
Developing regional approaches to resource recovery, waste reduction, modular processing and circular infrastructure through The Thousand Ships’ RCIP platform.
循环基础设施 – 资源回收，规格式废弃物处理 造就 “千船循环基础设施” 平台。
Cross-Border Platforms
Building bridges between capital, technology, operators and local opportunities across ASEAN.
跨越资本，科技，运营与商机的东盟合作平台。
Real Estate & Residency
Exploring how real estate, hospitality, residency, communities and capital can form a connected regional ecosystem.
拓展房产，酒店业，社群与资本的区域商业生态。
Technology & AI
Applying technology, AI and data to improve decision-making, storytelling, operations and platform development.
实践科技，AI与数据的决策，演说，运营和平台开发。
The Journey So Far
Writing, Opinions, Perspectives
有幸出席“2026临沂外贸优品（新加坡）经贸对接会 #173
昨晚承蒙学强邀请，我有幸出席“2026临沂外贸优品（新加坡）经贸对接会”，与来自临沂和新加坡的企业家及各界朋友交流。#173 席间最难得的，是与一桌背景各异的新老朋友畅谈——既有在新加坡扎根的第一代华人，也有传承至第四代的新加坡华人，还有正在新加坡工作、并积极探索东盟商机的中国朋友。不同的人生经历与商业视角汇聚在一起，让这个夜晚格外丰富。 跨境合作不只关乎产品与市场。真正决定一段关系能走多远的，往往是信任、物流、安全与信誉。机会可以促成一次会面，但唯有可靠的履约、清晰的责任和长期建立的互信，才能让合作跨越地域与周期。 新加坡与临沂之间的双向联系，可以成为更广阔区域合作的起点：从中国与新加坡出发，延伸至东南亚，并进一步连接美国、欧洲及其他国际市场。重要的并非一开始就定义所有可能，而是先把正确的人、可信的能力与共同的长期视野连接起来。 感谢学强的盛情邀请，也感谢当晚每一位新老朋友的真诚交流。许多有意义的合作，往往始于一张餐桌、一场坦诚的对话，以及彼此愿意长期同行的信任。 — Grateful to 学强 for inviting me to last night’s 2026 Linyi High-Quality Export Goods (Singapore) Economic & Trade Matching Conference. One of the evening’s highlights was sharing a table with people whose connections to Singapore span remarkably different journeys—from first-generation Chinese immigrants to fourth-generation Singaporean Chinese, alongside friends from…
Robots, speed dating and an unmanned booth: notes from The Business Show Asia and AIMX 2026 #172
Robots, speed dating and an unmanned booth: notes from The Business Show Asia and AIMX 2026 #172 The Business Show Asia promised scale—8,000+ visitors and 250 exhibitors—while AIMX focused on real-world and embodied AI. For The Thousand Ships, I found potential collaborations across Singapore, Japan, China and the Philippines. “Speed Networking” was business’s answer to…
#171 He Has Enough CPF for a BTO Flat.Why Could S$2,000 Still Cost His Family a Home? 一个家 • 2,000新元 • 四次求助
中文版在下方 A reader’s journey through HDB, MND, e2i, SkillsFuture and Singapore’s public-private ecosystem asks a simple question: when help is advertised, can citizens see how decisions are made—and does anyone own the outcome? By Mar Vin Foo | 24 August 2026 The National Day Rally promised to help families thrive. The next morning, one family…
When home becomes a real distance of our own creation and karma #170 当家园成为我们亲手与因果共同造就的真实距离
What makes a place feel like home—its landmarks, its stories, or the people who remember them with us? I was recently invited to a screening of That Girl in Pinafore (《我的朋友、我的同学、我爱过的一切》), Chai Yee Wei’s 2013 Singaporean comedy-musical, at the Tanglin Club. In that nostalgic setting, the film felt like a time capsule. It preserved many…
It was inspiring to be part of Franchising & Licensing Asia 2026 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. #169
It was inspiring to be part of Franchising & Licensing Asia 2026 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. #169 Across F&B, education, fashion and other sectors, one message came through clearly: as brand owners expand into Southeast Asia, they are seeking trusted partners who can drive sustainable revenue while creating meaningful benefits for…
Beyond Partnerships: Where Growth Comes Next #168
Beyond Partnerships: Where Growth Comes Next #168 I had the privilege of attending the SMEICC Conference Series 2026, organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI). The conference reinforced that we are navigating a world that is increasingly fragmented, geopolitically contested and being reshaped by AI. Yet amidst these challenges, ASEAN continues…