Who Is EXSIM? The Developer Behind Causewayz Square, Asteriaz and Celestz

When buyers search “Exsim JB”, they usually want to know one thing: who is the company behind Causewayz Square, The Asteriaz and The Celestz, and what has it delivered before? This profile pulls together EXSIM’s published track record, from its first industrial parks and Bukit Jalil condominiums to its international awards, green-building record and listed hospitality arm, and explains how its Johor projects fit into that history. Every figure below comes from developer statements, FIABCI or major Malaysian business media, listed at the end. For a quick overview of the three Exsim JB projects, see our Exsim JB hub page.

Who is EXSIM? The short history

EXSIM is a Kuala Lumpur-based developer led by brothers Lim Aik Hoe and Lim Aik Kiat, with younger brother Lim Aik Fu also a shareholder in the group’s hospitality business. EdgeProp lists the developer as founded in 2008, under the motto “New Age Ingenuity”.

The family background is in timber: The Edge reported that the Lims’ family had been in the timber trade for four generations before moving into property. Their entry was well timed. During the 2008 global financial crisis, the brothers acquired about 29 acres across Bukit Jalil, Sungai Besi, Kota Damansara and Bukit Rimau for around RM105 million, giving them a land bank in fast-growing parts of the Klang Valley.

That counter-cyclical start shaped the company’s approach: buy well-located land, build distinctive products, and keep expanding into new markets as demand grows.

From industrial parks to condominiums: EXSIM’s early projects

EXSIM began with industrial and business parks under the Nouvelle brand before launching its first homes. According to The Edge, its early Nouvelle projects included:

• Nouvelle Kota Damansara (GDV around RM70 million) – where sub-sale lot prices had risen around 30% to 40% from the launch price by early 2013;
• Nouvelle Kemuning Business Park (GDV around RM65 million);
• Nouvelle Industrial Park 2, Shah Alam (GDV around RM55 million);
• Nouvelle Lot 10, Kota Damansara (GDV around RM50 million).

The industrial line continues today. In 2025, EXSIM’s Nouvelle Industrial Park @ Kota Puteri won a World Gold award in the Industrial category at the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards.

The move into homes came with The Treez in Bukit Jalil, described by EdgeProp in 2010 as EXSIM’s first residential project: a freehold, low-density development of 168 units on 2.6 acres with a GDV of around RM190 million. EdgeProp reported that more than 90% was sold in under three months. It was followed by The Leafz in Sungai Besi and Twin Arkz in Bukit Jalil, a 363-unit freehold serviced apartment project beside the Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort, where around 70% was reported sold before the official launch.

EXSIM’s portfolio: key projects by region

Since those first launches, EXSIM has built a portfolio across the Klang Valley and, since 2021, expanded into the northern region, the east coast, the south and East Malaysia, according to its EdgeProp developer profile. The table below lists representative projects named in published sources.

EXSIM awards: FIABCI recognition at home and abroad

EXSIM’s award record is one of the clearest, independently judged signals of its delivery quality. FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, runs the Malaysia Property Awards and the global World Prix d’Excellence, which judge completed projects on design, construction, sustainability and community value.

• FIABCI Malaysia Property Awards: six accolades, according to EXSIM’s developer profile on EdgeProp.
• FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence 2023: an award in the Residential High-Rise category, per the same profile.
• FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence 2025: World Gold, Industrial category, for Nouvelle Industrial Park @ Kota Puteri (FIABCI announcement).
• FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence 2026: two World Silver awards presented at the Hofburg in Vienna on 11 June 2026 – Millerz Square (Mixed-Use Development) and The Arcuz (Residential High Rise), as reported by The Edge and EdgeProp.

Both 2026 winners also scored 86% under QLASSIC, the Construction Industry Development Board’s quality assessment system for completed buildings. For buyers of off-plan homes, completed-project awards and QLASSIC scores are useful reference points because they reflect what a developer actually handed over.

Green building record

In June 2026, EXSIM announced that 100% of its completed and ongoing high-rise developments are green-certified, a milestone reported by The Edge and EdgeProp. Its developer profile notes certifications under both the Green Building Index (GBI) and GreenRE.

The green focus is not new. As far back as its early Bukit Jalil projects, EXSIM was targeting GBI standards, and in Johor The Asteriaz is listed with GreenRE recognition and EV-ready parking. For owners, green features can mean practical benefits such as better natural ventilation and lighting, water and energy efficiency in common areas, and buildings that are easier to market to environmentally conscious tenants.

Exsim Hospitality and the Mana Mana brand

EXSIM’s founders also control a listed company, Exsim Hospitality Bhd (Bursa Malaysia: EXSIMHB), formerly Pan Malaysia Holdings Bhd. NST reported that Exsim Hospitality Holdings, owned by the three Lim brothers, acquired a controlling stake to grow the group’s short-stay accommodation business, which the family had run in the KLCC area since around 2018–2019.

The listed company now has two main engines, according to its results for the financial year ended 30 June 2026, as reported by EdgeProp:

• Fit-out and interiors (operating as EXSIM Concepto) – the largest contributor, with an order book of about RM495 million at 30 June 2026.
• Hospitality management under the Mana Mana brand – 3,838 signed units, of which 2,006 were operational and 1,832 under construction or renovation.

For the full year, revenue rose to about RM281 million and net profit more than doubled to about RM40.8 million. Why does this matter to JB buyers? Our research notes that Mana-Mana is planned as the hospitality operator for Causewayz Square’s Axis tower. A group with an in-house, listed hospitality operator brings experience in short-stay operations to a project located right beside the CIQ. Our Axis vs Brixton vs Dover tower guide explains how Axis differs from the residential towers.

EXSIM in Johor Bahru: three projects, two locations

EXSIM’s southern expansion is concentrated in Johor Bahru, with three projects in two locations.

The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh

The Asteriaz is EXSIM’s first project in Johor: a single 40-plus-storey tower of 848 serviced apartments on Jalan Abad, Kebun Teh, beside KSL City Mall. It offers 560 sq ft 1+1 units and 915 sq ft three-bedroom layouts, a space-themed facility deck, GreenRE recognition and a proposed shuttle to the CIQ and RTS. Completion is expected around 2029–2030. Read the full Asteriaz guide.

The Celestz @ Kebun Teh

The Celestz, sometimes searched as “Celest” or “Asteriaz Phase 2”, adjoins The Asteriaz with 735 units in a 44-storey tower, including a triple-key 753 sq ft layout aimed at room-by-room renting. Completion is also expected around 2029–2030. See our Celestz guide.

Causewayz Square @ JBCC

Causewayz Square is EXSIM’s flagship in Johor: a freehold, four-tower development of 4,525 units on about 7.7 acres in Tanjung Puteri, around 600 m from the JB CIQ and 800 m from the RTS station at Bukit Chagar. Piling began in September 2025 and the RM1.2 billion main building contract was awarded in January 2026, with target completion around 2030. A pedestrian link bridge to the CIQ/RTS area has been proposed by the developer. Buyers often call it “Exsim CIQ”, a nickname explained in our Exsim CIQ article.

EXSIM timeline: key milestones

Laid out in order, EXSIM’s published milestones show a steady move from industrial parks to award-winning high-rises and, most recently, to Johor:

• 2008: EXSIM founded; the Lim brothers acquire about 29 acres in the Klang Valley during the global financial crisis.
• 2009–2012: Nouvelle industrial and business parks in Kota Damansara, Kota Kemuning and Shah Alam.
• 2010: The Treez in Bukit Jalil launches as the first residential project.
• Early 2010s: The Leafz, Twin Arkz and The Petalz extend the KL South portfolio.
• 2021 onwards: expansion into the northern region, the east coast, the south and East Malaysia.
• 2023: FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence award, Residential High-Rise category.
• 2025: FIABCI World Gold (Industrial) for Nouvelle Industrial Park @ Kota Puteri; Causewayz Square piling begins in September; Brixton and Dover launched.
• January 2026: RM1.2 billion main building contract awarded for Causewayz Square.
• June 2026: two FIABCI World Silver awards; 100% green certification for the high-rise portfolio announced.
• 2029–2030 (expected): completion of The Asteriaz, The Celestz and Causewayz Square.

EXSIM’s design approach: themes, multi-key layouts and facility decks

EXSIM projects are easy to recognise, starting with the names: almost every project ends in a “z” – The Treez, Twin Arkz, Millerz Square, The Asteriaz, Causewayz Square. Beyond branding, a few design habits recur across the portfolio and are visible in the JB projects.

• Themed facility levels. The Asteriaz uses a space theme throughout, from the Luna Pool and Moon Deck to the Galaxy Venue and Cosmic Library. Causewayz Square has 29 podium facilities on Level 12 and sky decks on Levels 57 and 60 with an infinity pool and BBQ decks; see our Causewayz Square facilities guide.
• Flexible multi-key layouts. Twin Arkz included dual-key units as early as 2013. In JB, Causewayz Square offers dual-key Type B and F layouts, and The Celestz has a triple-key Type B, designed so an owner can live in one section and rent another, or rent rooms separately.
• Compact, efficient entry units. Studios and 1+1 layouts (such as the 560 sq ft Asteriaz Type A) keep the entry ticket accessible for first-time buyers and investors.
• Mixed-use podiums. From Millerz Square to Causewayz Square’s ~90,000 sq ft retail podium, EXSIM often combines residential towers with retail, putting daily needs within the building.

For buyers, this means EXSIM products are typically designed with both own-stay comfort and rental flexibility in mind, which suits locations like the JB CIQ where tenants range from Singapore commuters to short-stay visitors.

How buyers can get to know EXSIM better

The most direct way is to see completed EXSIM projects in person and compare them with the new project’s materials:

1. Visit completed projects such as The Treez, Twin Arkz or Millerz Square in KL and look at common-area upkeep and how facilities are used.
2. Read the award citations published by FIABCI to see what judges recognised.
3. Check QLASSIC scores, which measure workmanship on completed buildings.
4. Visit the JB sales gallery and show units to judge sizes, ceiling heights and finishes first-hand.
5. Read the SPA closely for built-up area, delivery period, payment schedule, defect liability period and the specification list.

What EXSIM’s track record means for JB buyers

A developer’s history cannot guarantee the outcome of a new project, but it gives buyers useful evidence to weigh. Based on the published record, a few patterns stand out:

1. Location-first land buying. From Bukit Jalil in 2008 to the CIQ in JB, EXSIM has tended to secure land in areas about to benefit from new infrastructure or growth.
2. Independent quality recognition. Multiple FIABCI awards at national and world level, plus 86% QLASSIC scores on recent completions.
3. Consistent green standards. A fully green-certified high-rise portfolio as of 2026.
4. Design-led products. Themed facility decks, dual-key and triple-key layouts aimed at both own-stay and rental buyers.
5. Hospitality capability. A listed sister company managing thousands of short-stay units under Mana Mana.

As with any off-plan purchase, read the SPA carefully, understand the progressive payment schedule and check the expected completion timeline; our step-by-step guide to buying a new launch in JB covers this. For the latest SPA price list on any Exsim JB project, WhatsApp us.

Sources

• EdgeProp – EXSIM developer profile
• The Edge – Exsim grows footprint in Bukit Jalil
• EdgeProp – Impressive debut for The Treez, Bukit Jalil
• FIABCI – 2025 World Prix d’Excellence winners
• EdgeProp – Exsim achieves 100% green certification
• The Edge – Exsim FIABCI World Silver awards 2026
• NST – Exsim buys stake in Pan Malaysia to grow short-stay business
• EdgeProp – Exsim Hospitality full-year results

This guide is general information, not financial advice.