- Growth Charger will bring one Malaysian Startup to Silicon Valley in conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia Day
- The program is supported by a prominent lineup of partnerships, including Cradle MYStartup, MDEC, WORQ, and CloudMile.
Growth Charger, a leading startup accelerator and incubator, has been selected to host the Malaysia Finals of the Startup World Cup 2024. The Malaysia Finals, held in conjunction with Malaysia’s Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations, will offer one exceptional Malaysian startup the opportunity to compete on the global stage in Silicon Valley. The winner of this national competition will have the chance to vie for a grand prize of USD $1,000,000 in investment at the Startup World Cup 2024.
The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance innovation and the startup landscape in Malaysia in accordance with the Malaysian government aims to be among the top 20 in the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) by 2030 and to make Kuala Lumpur a key digital and startup hub in Southeast Asia. By bringing one Malaysian startup to Silicon Valley, Growth Charger aims to showcase Malaysian entrepreneurial talent on a global platform, thereby increasing opportunities for innovation and investment. This initiative aligns with the goals outlined in the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021-2030, which emphasises the importance of attracting global attention, fostering innovation, and encouraging investment to strengthen the local ecosystem.
“At Growth Charger, we envision a future where Malaysian startups lead in global innovation. Leading the organization of this year’s Startup World Cup (Malaysia) 2024, our mission is to highlight the incredible talent within our local startup ecosystem. This event is the perfect platform to showcase our startups to the world. After a thorough evaluation, our esteemed judges have identified and selected the Top 10 finalists, representing the best of Malaysian innovation. We eagerly anticipate their pitches on the regional Finals and look forward to seeing one of them advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley this October. This finalist will not only represent Malaysia but also compete for a grand prize of USD $1,000,000 in investment, providing a transformative opportunity to engage with top investors globally. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Pegasus Tech Ventures for this incredible opportunity and to all our partners in Malaysia for their unwavering support.” Iskandar Shafi’i , Director and Co-founder at Growth Charger.
During the partnership signing ceremony held at WORQ’s newly opened branch located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur in Intermark, Growth Charger is proud to announce a title partnership with Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) through MYStartup and strategic partnership with the
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to support this initiative. Additionally, we have secured WORQ and CloudMile as ecosystem partners, and key players in the startup ecosystem, including Cyberview, Invest Selangor, The Hive Southeast Asia, Gobi Partners, Iris Capital Partners, Curine Ventures, Kumpulan Modal Perdana (KMP), Artem Ventures, Sunway iLabs, Ficus Capital, Ignite Asia, Indelible Ventures, TRIVE, Antler, International Medical University (IMU), and Endeavor as supporting partners. These partnerships will provide invaluable support and resources to participating startups, enhancing their chances of success on the global stage.
”Cradle is proud to join forces with Growth Charger for the upcoming Malaysia Finals of the Startup World Cup 2024. This collaboration underscores our deep commitment to empowering Malaysian startups to succeed in the international arena. By working alongside other key ecosystem players, we remain steadfast in our role to nurture innovation and provide the crucial support that our startups need to thrive. Through strategic initiatives and partnerships, we believe that our homegrown startups can bloom beyond borders, thus advancing Malaysia towards its vision to become one of the top 20 global startup ecosystems. We are hopeful and confident in the future successes of all participating startups as they take on this global challenge.” said Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle
“MDEC is committed to accelerate Malaysia’s position as a leading digital economy through initiatives like the Malaysia Digital (MD) national strategic initiative, which focuses on fostering innovation, talent development, and investment within the digital ecosystem. The Startup World Cup Malaysia Finals 2024 is a key step in this direction, providing our startups with a global platform to showcase their potential.” said Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
“WORQ is proud to support the Startup World Cup (Malaysia) as an ecosystem partner alongside Growth Charger, aligning with our commitment to fostering a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives national economic growth through our cloud office infrastructure,” shared Wong Chea Hao, Head of Real Estate and Product Development at WORQ.
“Dream big. Build bold. CloudMile, your tech ecosystem partner, empowers Malaysian startups to disrupt the world through the Startup World Cup!” Lester Leong, Country Manager CloudMile Malaysia.
Among the 10 startups finalists selected during the semi-finals, the winner of the Malaysia Finals will have a unique opportunity to pitch their startup in Silicon Valley before world-class judges, compete for a grand prize of USD $1,000,000 in investment, and network with venture capitalists, global startups, and industry experts. This opportunity will not only put the winning startup on the global map but also provide a significant boost to their growth and development.
L-R
Top: Frank Kang (Associate Partner, Antler), Jake Thui (Vice President, Ignite Asia), Kenny Lee (Assistant Vice President, Iris Capital Partners), Christopher Quek (Managing Partner, TRIVE), Brendan Beh (Ecosystem and Partnerships Lead, SunwayiLabs), Ainie Mazlan (Head, Strategy & Partnerships, Endeavor), Low Zhen Hui (Managing Partner, Artem), Najmi Aidil (Senior Analyst, Ficus Capital), Arieff Aaron Abdullah (Director of the Selangor Biotechnology Coordination Office, Invest Selangor), Kaveh Wong (Founder, Curine Ventures), Jasdeep Maan (Senior Investment Manager, Gobi Partners)
Bottom: Dato’ Syed Haizam Jamalullail (Managing Partner, The Hive Southeast Asia), Lester Leong (Country Manager, CloudMile), Yarham Yunus (CEO, Kumpulan Modal Perdana), Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke (Group CEO, Cradle), Fadzli Hisham (Funding Facilitation Head, MDEC), Chea Hao Wong (Head of Real Estate & Product Development, WORQ), Iskandar Shafi’i (Director, Growth Charger).
The 10 selected startups for Startup World Cup (Malaysia) 2024 Finals include:
- Pandai, Malaysia #1 learning app for school students with gamified quizzes aligned to a specific school curriculum.
- Braintree Technologies, Multi-action agriculture robotics solution, capable of millimetre level agriculture of precision.
- Vidanex, AI-driven pathology solution accelerates cancer diagnosis by delivering swift and precise results through advanced algorithms.
- Faradays Energy, Hydrogen green technology company that specialises in the development, manufacturing, and deployment of advanced hydrogen fuel cell systems for various applications.
- Midwest Composites, Engineered composites for Aerospace, Military, Automotive & Mass Transit.
- Ejen2U, Platform that helps entrepreneurs to manage stockists and agents digitally and helps increase their sales and agent numbers through “data analytics.”
- Reclimate, Produces biochar by heating plant materials without oxygen, creating a carbon-rich substance for soil enhancement.
- Messengerco, AI platform that streamlines corporate gifting with instant supplier replies and quote
- ScancerAI, Revolutionizing lung cancer diagnostics by leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies.
- MengajiOnline, One stop centre platform to teach and learn about islamic studies across the world.
The Startup World Cup is a global series of conferences and competitions designed to connect startup ecosystems worldwide and spotlight the most talented entrepreneurs, offering them the chance to win a US$1 million investment prize. The competition involves regional finals held across the globe, culminating in a semi-finals and Grand Finale in San Francisco.
Growth Charger currently manages 128 portfolios and has accelerated over 250 startups, of which have raised a total investment of over USD $173 million. With a history of successful collaborations with government agencies such as MDEC, Cyberview, MaGIC, MoU, Sidec, TERAJU and Yayasan Peneraju, Growth Charger has solidified its position as a key player in the startup ecosystem. This experience and expertise will be crucial in supporting the participating startups throughout the competition.
For more details about the Startup World Cup Malaysia Finals 2024, please visit: [https://www.growthcharger.com/startup-world-cup-malaysia-growth-charger-2024]
