Why BK Tan Believes the Best Appliances Don’t Shout
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Makers at Work
A series that profiles the people behind NNIO: founders, product curators, and thinkers who make deliberate decisions to create better products for everyday living.
Co-founder @ NNIO
Over 30 years in consumer electronics, BK is now reshaping the home appliance landscape with NNIO. Singapore’s newest, most quietly confident brand. With a belief that simplicity beats gimmicks, he’s built a company that stands for clean design, functional tech, and fair pricing.
What’s your story — how did you get into the appliance space, and what are you building at NNIO now?
I’ve spent most of my career in consumer electronics. 30 years in, I’ve seen the industry evolve from hardware basics to the current wave of smart everything. But somewhere along the way, I started noticing a gap. Products were getting more complicated, not better.
In 2024, I started NNIO with one clear goal: build honest, essential appliances. Things designed to work well, last long, and look good. Today, I’m focused on scaling NNIO across Singapore and Southeast Asia, bringing meaningful design to Singapore homes.
What problem does NNIO solve? What is your vision?
We think a lot of home appliances today are overdone. They promise “smart” but deliver complexity. You’re left with more buttons, more noise, more maintenance.
At NNIO, we strip that all away. We make things simple on purpose. No hidden costs. No unnecessary features. Just products that do their job well and don’t break your routine or your budget.
Our bigger vision is straightforward: build things that make life easier, not more distracting. That’s how we believe we can create a better tomorrow, with less chaos, more clarity.
What makes NNIO different from other home appliance brands?
We’re not here to impress. You won’t see app-connected air fryers or fans that need software updates. Just good, solid products that work.
We work with manufacturing partners we trust, and we keep a close eye on quality and design. Everything’s chosen with Singapore in mind: tight spaces, humid weather, busy schedules.
We price things fairly from the start. People respect that.
Is there one product that really captures what NNIO is all about?
The bladeless fan.
It’s the kind of product that sounds like a luxury, but we’ve made it practical. Clean lines, quiet operation, no exposed blades, which means safer for kids and pets, and easier to clean. You get a sleek, modern design without paying the premium.
What’s the best and hardest part of building NNIO?
The best part is seeing people use and enjoy the products. When someone tells us, “This just works,” that’s the win.
The hardest part is staying quiet in a loud market. A lot of brands shout to get attention. We’ve chosen to stay grounded and build slowly, which takes patience. But we’d rather earn trust than buy attention.
Are you hiring? What kind of people are you looking for?
We’re small but growing. We’re hiring across sales, supply chain, and ops.
If you believe a good product should speak for itself and that a great team runs on thoughtful, honest communication, you’ll fit right in.
We’re big on working clean. That means fewer meetings and clearer communication. We care more about whether you can explain a problem simply than how many buzzwords you know.
What’s something you believe that most people in your industry don’t?
That boring is good business.
Too many brands chase attention and hype. But most homes don’t need that. What they need is reliability. Clean design. Clear pricing. That’s what we do.
What quote has stuck with you or shaped how you work?
I’ve always liked what Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said:
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
It’s easy to say we believe in simplicity. Harder to stick to it. We’ve made it our operating principle here. That mindset shows up in every product we make.
