Ts. Lukas J. Tan

Growing up, Lukas exhibited remarkable talent and ingenuity, actively engaging in the family business as part of his daily life in his hometown. Alongside his secondary school mates, he showcased his technical prowess by constructing a 30-square-foot small house using wood and hardware at age 15. Lukas demonstrated a keen aptitude for woodworking, hardware repair, and electrical work. Throughout his childhood, he assisted his mother with her sewing business, learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and customer interaction.

Lukas explored various entrepreneurial ventures, including collecting old coconut shells and newspapers for resale after reprocessing, as well as trading fireworks during festive seasons. These endeavors were not only for survival but also a reflection of his creative understanding and pursuit of business opportunities. At the age of 10, his parents bought him an Intel 486 computer (1995). After school, he learned computer skills and began working as a computer technician in his relative's company, where he developed his passion for computers.

Lukas attended Li Hwa Primary School and SMK Bagan Jaya Secondary School in Butterworth, Penang. He then pursued his studies at Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, for two years before furthering his education at Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems Engineering (2007).

Lukas embarked on his career journey by joining Biz Power Solutions Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur as an intern (2006). There, he delved into the open-source community, including Ubuntu and osCommerce, marking the beginning of his path as a web programmer. During his tenure, Lukas was involved in projects such as Penjara Kajang software development.

He later joined NLP Research International Sdn Bhd, where the owner, Dave J, became his mentor and ignited his entrepreneurial spirit. Here, Lukas further honed his skills in web development, content writing, graphic design, and search engine optimization (2007).

In 2007, immediately after formally graduating with a Bachelor's degree, Lukas established his first company, Maple Software Creation, in Butterworth, Penang. His clientele spanned across Peninsular Malaysia, and he firmly believes in the mantra: ‘Customers are my teachers; they teach me, they push me, they demand of me, and they are the people who make me grow.’

Lukas ventured into various tech-related businesses, including FTZ classified site, Jobfisher blue-collar job app, GPS point location, BeList Property Management System, Autobot customer relationship management system, and Claim It membership and rewards point application. Despite facing failures, Lukas embraced each setback as a learning opportunity.

Lukas's most satisfying invention is Autobot CRM, inspired by the movie Iron Man (2008), which sparked the idea that he could create a computer version of Jarvis to streamline repetitive tasks in following up with business processes and customer relationships. He applied this concept in his company, enabling the creation of a sustainable workflow with fewer resources long before AI and business automation became widely introduced.

In 2014, Lukas incorporated Operion Ecommerce & Software Sdn Bhd in Butterworth, Penang. The name ‘OPERiON’ derives from the word ‘Operation,’ reflecting its goal of simplifying technical and business processes. When it comes to software development, Lukas prioritizes data security and privacy, emphasizing these aspects when designing software architecture, databases, and code flow, aiming for solutions that avoid strong dependencies.

Lukas focuses on independent object development or microservice architecture to ensure scalability and adaptability to dynamic market changes. This distributed architecture approach helps technology scale efficiently and handle market fluctuations.

As a technopreneur, Lukas has actively delivered technopreneur talks to over 40 universities since 2013. He has trained more than 300 programmers and advocates for programming as an essential skill for future success. Additionally, he served as a computer science lecturer at Han Chiang College (2016–2017). He has been appointed as Panel National Industry Expert for National Competency Standard (NCS) Industry Forward (2024) and invited to a development workshop for the Industry Forward sector, reflecting his significant contributions to Malaysia's national development in advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

In 2025, Lukas was featured on TV1, Berita RTM, and MYTV for the ‘Waspada Penipuan Digital’ programme, recognizing his commitment to digital safety and public awareness. Lukas's industry roles include serving as an Industry Advisor Panel member for the Faculty of Creative Technology at Limkokwing University, Cyberjaya (2022); Industrial Advisor for the School of Information Technology (SOIT), SEGi College, Penang (2021); Judge for MMU ACE Summer Programme – Final Pitch, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya (2021); Judge in Apprentice Challenge, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Penang (2021); Startup Pitching Competition Jury Panelist, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (2021); MWA Jury Panelist, Exabytes (2020).

Lukas admires the fusion of cultural dynamics, particularly the efficiency and innovation of China, alongside the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of Israel. He aspires to promote this cultural blend, seeing immense value in fostering a culture of adaptability, resilience, and collaboration. He also has a passion for art and music, viewing them as tools to cultivate creativity, and believes they make him a better entrepreneur.

Lukas is married and has one child. He enjoys reading and inventing for a better future, both for Malaysia and the world, and likes to engage in conversations with individuals interested in discussing new business opportunities and innovation, especially within the startup ecosystem.