Malaysia’s tech news in August 2023 touched on items including: AirAsia Group’s moves into super-app territory; the Malaysian Prime Minister’s aim to generate 5000 startups by 2025; Malaysian digital collectibles platform, Connektr; and more.
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Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap 2021-2030 (pdf link)
- Malaysia: FWD Startup Studio and 1337 Ventures launch FWD Startup Studio Accelerator cohort 5, a 13-week program for insurance-tech or adjacent vertical startups
- Malaysia: Slush, major tech startup event from Finland, expands with new conference in Kuala Lumpur, Slush’D KL 2023, set for October 26th
- Malaysia: Digital Penang Hardtech Accelerator Program applications are open to August 25th, providing coaching and mentoring towards commercialization
- Malaysia’s Capital A, formerly AirAsia Group, partners Philippines’ UnionDigital Bank to embed BigPay, Capital A’s fintech arm, in Southeast Asian markets via super-app integrations
“Capital A is entering into a partnership with UnionDigital Bank, the digital bank subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines, involving three key subsidiaries, namely AirAsia, airasia Superapp, and BigPay…”
“AirAsia is the airline business of Capital A, while airasia Superapp is the one-stop travel platform offering services from flights, hotels, ride-hailing, loyalty programs and more. BigPay is the fintech arm providing accessible and secure digital financial services with the vision of improving financial wellbeing and accessibility in Southeast Asia.”
“UnionDigital Bank’s role will be to provide embedded finance in partnership with BigPay within the airasia Superapp travel platform, the main booking channel for AirAsia flights in the Philippines.”
- Malaysia: China’s EVE Energy lithium battery manufacturer breaks ground on new manufacturing facility – its 53rd – in Kedah, with initial investment of $422M
- Malaysia: Ministry of Science, Tech & Innovation announces that Cradle Fund has contributed $400M to GDP, and created over 80K jobs, since 2003 establishment, via grant and investment programs
- Malaysia: An intro to Collektr, aiming to be Southeast Asia’s go-to platform for digital collectibles
- Malaysia: CompAsia, ‘recommerce’ platform for used electronics, gains Series A, partnering major telcos to assist with buyback and trade-in programs
- Malaysia: An intro to 6 Malaysian startups featured on Forbes Asia’s 100 To Watch list, working on generative AI in medical diagnostics, drones, vertical farming and beyond
Malaysia: Digital Penang initiative
- Malaysia: PM sets target of 5000 new startups in the country’s digital economy by 2025, with ‘single window’ initiative to streamline cooperation between industry and gov’t agencies
- Download: ‘Digital Trust Insights 2023 – The Southeast Asia Perspective’ from pwc, a survey of 122 business, tech & cybersec execs across Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore
- An intro to i2Cool and Super Bamboo, startups backed by City Un of Hong Kong’s HK Tech 300 incubator, providing building-cooling paints and sustainable building materials respectively
- Malaysia’s iPrice ecommerce platform, backed by Indonesia’s Bukalapak, launches product price comparison site for Australian market
Creative Digital District / George Town, Penang, Malaysia
ASIA TECH DAILY
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