Ultifresh began as a B2B brand, but now its affordable apparel is also available in vending machines
In today’s economy, it’s rare to find a quality t-shirt for just S$4—but Ultifresh has been making that possible.
Since its launch in 2018, the brand has sold millions of t-shirts in Singapore and around the world, all while tackling one of the fashion industry’s biggest challenges: sustainability.
We spoke to its co-founders, Frank Yap and Gerald Eng, both 37, to uncover the journey behind Ultifresh and how it aims to transform the global apparel scene.
Opportunities in the clothing industry
Ultifresh was initially spearheaded by Frank, whose entrepreneurial journey began in 2010 at just 22.
After leaving Nanyang Technological University after only two months in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, he was determined to forge his own path. He identified a gap in Singapore’s uniform market back then, which was dominated by bland designs and limited fabric options.
Undeterred by his family’s reservations, Frank moved to Guangzhou, China, that same year to launch his first apparel company in a joint venture, starting with just one factory worker. Disagreements with his partner eventually led him to leave four years later, by which time he had grown the operation to over 20 employees, generating S$150,000 in monthly revenue and serving clients across both China and Singapore.
Frank still saw opportunities in the clothing realm and, armed with S$30,000 from his share in his first company, soon launched Apparel Empire, which today claims to be Singapore’s largest customisable apparel manufacturer for corporates. The company serves both small and large local and international clients, including Harvard and Meta.
The idea for Ultifresh came from Frank’s experience running Apparel Empire. Over the years, he observed the environmental cost of traditional fabric production and maintenance. Washing a single t-shirt can consume approximately two to four litres of water each time, and the fashion industry also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Frank realised that tackling the environmental footprint of clothing through better fabric technology—particularly by reducing washing—was a tangible way to make a difference.
Traditional fabrics are prone to trapping bacteria. Sweat, warmth, and moisture create a breeding ground for mould and bacterial growth that together emit a foul smell after one or two wears. Ultifresh sought to solve this problem by leveraging anti-bacterial and anti-odour technology.
While brands like Under Armour already offer similar performance fabrics, their high prices can be off-putting. Frank wanted to create a more accessible alternative, focusing on making high-quality, functional anti-bacterial apparel affordable for everyday consumers.
As such, Frank invested S$700,000 to launch Ultifresh in 2018, and brought his friend Gerald on board—who has years of apparel sales and marketing experience—to help grow the business.
It took two years for them to develop their anti-bacterial t-shirts
Each piece of Ultifresh’s flagship product, its anti-bacterial dry-fit polyester t-shirt, goes for around S$4.
“We want people to know that even though we’re a first-world country, we don’t need to sell our clothes at S$100 a piece,” he said.
Besides t-shirts, Ultifresh offers caps, jackets, and formal shirts, all developed with its proprietary technology.
It took Frank two years to develop this technology before launching the brand in 2018. The anti-bacterial treatment is applied after fabric production by soaking the freshly made apparel in an in-house solution, making it versatile and suitable for any type of cloth.
He worked with Chinese fabric engineers to perfect a formula that is both safe and able to withstand repeated washes.
Ultifresh’s tests show that the technology eliminates 99.94% of bacteria, allowing a garment to be worn up to three times without smelling bad.
Pivoting during a pandemic
Ultifresh primarily operated on a B2B model in its early days, supplying businesses through its online store or selling white-label repackaged apparel.
The brand, however, faced a challenging launch and struggled to gain recognition in its early years. “At the start, Gerald even had to go door-to-door to tell people about our Ultifresh apparel,” said Frank.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a staff member suggested producing masks, given the global surge in demand.
As such, Frank and Gerald took the leap and invested S$900,000 to launch a disposable mask product line under the Ultifresh brand, supplying to Singaporean and Malaysian companies. The pivot paid off, with over 60 pharmacies in Malaysia alone offering its products.
Leaning back on Apparel Empire’s expertise in customisation, the duo soon offered reusable, customisable masks as well, increasing Ultifresh’s visibility globally and boosting apparel sales once demand picked up again.
Growing their presence across the globe
When demand for apparel returned, Ultifresh pivoted back to apparel sales.
Despite making only “around 10 cents” per t-shirt, the co-founders claim that Ultifresh’s lean margins are offset by high volume, and quality is never compromised. Frank and Gerald also shared that they don’t believe in taking much from the company, where they “keep their own salaries low while paying their employees fairly.”
“Keeping our retail price low encourages consumers to try our apparel for themselves. When they do, they often come back for more because of how durable it is,” Gerald added.
Currently, Ultifresh has over 5,000 partners across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, China, and Singapore, who either distribute Ultifresh products or repackage them under their own logos. These firms, according to Frank, sell about 10,000 t-shirts a day across the world.
But Ultifresh is not content with just supplying to businesses. It’s now making a move to aggressively cater to consumers.
Since Jun, Ultifresh has targeted consumers directly by installing clothing vending machines in Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia.
Eighty of these have been placed in locations like bus interchanges, MRT stations, border checkpoints, and malls. Data-driven insights help stock the correct sizes and colours for each locale, catering to the needs of customers all over the world.
In Singapore, students under the city-state’s financial assistance scheme are hired at S$30/hour to act as brand ambassadors—they are stationed near the vending machines to help draw in customers, allowing Ultifresh to build a local presence while giving the students some extra pocket money.
Overall, more than 15 million of Ultifresh’s flagship t-shirts have been sold. The company has a 40,000 sq ft warehouse in Johor Bahru to store stock.
Looking ahead
Moving forward, the founders aim to expand into more countries, continuing to provide sustainable, high-quality, and affordable clothing while helping to curb fast fashion worldwide.
India is next on their radar, thanks to its large population, hot climate, and high market potential. One of Ultifresh’s partners there highlighted temperatures reaching 55°C in some regions, coupled with water shortages, underscoring the need for breathable, odor-resistant apparel.
Ultimately, the company hopes to grow further. Since its launch, Ultifresh has come a long way, with revenue growing 300-fold—from S$31,370 to S$9.43 million in just seven years.
Also Read: They lived off savings to build their sustainable paint startup, now it’s in 8 markets
Featured Image Credit: Ultifresh
Last modified: December 1, 2025
