Ideas

By April Ong Vano, Head, Environmental, Social & Governance; and Jazlynn Quek, Summer Analyst

Known for its vibrant culture and diverse economy, the bustling capital of Malaysia has become a magnet for tech startups and innovation hubs. With government support, a growing pool of talent, and state-of-the-art infrastructure, Kuala Lumpur is transforming into a premier destination for technology and entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia. Its dynamic ecosystem fosters collaboration and innovation, positioning it as a crucial player on the global tech stage.

A team from Quest Ventures visited the city to meet with partners and get the latest updates on the Malaysian ecosystem.

Stability and Support: The Key to Malaysia’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem

Malaysia has experienced its share of economic fluctuations, but the advent of a new government has ushered in a period of increased stability and optimism, particularly for startups and ventures. This renewed stability has fostered a more conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth and investment. With supportive policies, improved regulatory frameworks, and initiatives aimed at boosting innovation and attracting foreign investment, the Malaysian startup ecosystem is poised for significant growth. This positive shift encourages venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to explore and expand their ventures, contributing to the country’s economic development and positioning Malaysia as a burgeoning hub for technology and innovation in the region.

Acting as a crucial link between Malaysian startups and investors, MAVCAP leverages government funding to partner with private investors, thereby propelling early-stage venture capital funds to invest in startups. As the first to invest in the Malaysian startup ecosystem, MAVCAP sets a precedent that attracts further private investment, essential for nurturing a vibrant entrepreneurial landscape. Additionally, MAVCAP independently follows the strategic direction set by the Malaysia Venture Capital Roadmap 2024-2030, which aims to establish Malaysia as an emerging venture capital hub in Southeast Asia through its three strategic pillars: Funding, Regulatory Reform, and Capacity Building. MAVCAP’s efforts align with these pillars, enhancing investor confidence and fostering a supportive regulatory environment.

The Malaysia VC Roadmap and the KL20 Action Plan are pivotal initiatives aimed at transforming Kuala Lumpur into a leading technology and innovation hub. The Malaysia VC Roadmap outlines the strategic framework to bolster the venture capital ecosystem, providing necessary funding and support for startups and entrepreneurs. This roadmap focuses on fostering innovation, improving regulatory frameworks, and enhancing investor confidence.

Complementing this, the KL20 Action Plan sets a visionary goal for Kuala Lumpur to become a top-20 global startup ecosystem by 2025. This plan includes initiatives to improve infrastructure, attract global talent, and create a conducive environment for tech enterprises. Together, these efforts are driving Kuala Lumpur’s emergence as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia, promoting sustainable growth and technological advancement in the region.

Pioneering Sustainable Investment Practices in Malaysia

MAVCAP demonstrates its commitment to sustainable and responsible investing through the development of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investment Tool in collaboration with Fuller Academy. This tool aids Malaysian VCs in incorporating ESG considerations into their investment decisions. In addition, MAVCAP’s impact programs, such as the 30% Club Malaysia, focus on increasing gender diversity by facilitating at least 30% women representation on the boards of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia.

In the same vein, other companies are actively advancing their ESG efforts to foster sustainable investment practices in Malaysia. In line with national initiatives like the Green Investment Tax Allowance, Green Technology Financing Scheme, and the Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Taxonomy, Artem Ventures ensures a robust ESG framework within its operations. Artem Ventures differentiates itself by introducing ESG frameworks to their startups through workshops, helping them select Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and agree on meaningful metrics. They prioritise early ESG integration by asking pertinent questions from the outset, ensuring that ESG considerations are ingrained in the investment process and tracked effectively. By tracking monthly data points from portfolio companies and tailoring their approach based on practical feedback, Artem Ventures is conditioning the ecosystem to prioritize ESG, mirroring MAVCAP’s efforts.

Adding to this robust ESG landscape is ERTH, one of our portfolio companies, dedicated to responsible e-waste management in Malaysia. Despite incurring logistics and marketing costs, ERTH maintains healthy profit margins by leveraging B2B channels to scale, even if it means sacrificing a third of the proceeds. The company collects Grade A, B, and C e-waste, optimizing the selling price for Grade C materials and negotiating a 60% increase in its value. Ensuring that all materials are properly licensed eliminates the risk of improper recycling. Despite the slow rate of 5G adoption and the concentration of e-waste in the manufacturing sector, ERTH effectively addresses the scattered household e-waste by accepting all types and sorting them later. The high barrier to entry in the e-waste recycling industry allows ERTH to maintain a competitive edge, as it takes considerable time for new competitors to reach its level of operation. Through these efforts, ERTH plays a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability and responsible e-waste management in Malaysia.

Together, MAVCAP, Artem Ventures, and ERTH exemplify the multifaceted approach Malaysia is taking to enhance its technology and innovation ecosystem while prioritizing sustainability. Their combined efforts not only foster economic growth and innovation but also ensure that ESG considerations are integral to the development of Malaysia’s burgeoning startup landscape.

Thriving Through Adversity: Resilience and Innovation Amid the Pandemic

However, it has not always been smooth sailing for all. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges, forcing many businesses to shut down. Yet, just as diamonds form under pressure, some companies managed to not only survive but thrive during these difficult times. PostCo, one of our portfolio companies, is a prime example of such resilience. As the pandemic shifted consumer behaviors and increased reliance on digital and contactless services, PostCo quickly adapted its business model to meet these new demands. By leveraging its strengths in logistics and technology, the company expanded its services to provide more flexible and convenient parcel collection and return solutions. This ability to innovate and pivot in response to market changes allowed PostCo to grow and find new opportunities amid the crisis, demonstrating that even in the face of adversity, businesses with agility and vision can emerge stronger. Today, PostCo offers a compelling value proposition by streamlining the product return process through its innovative platform. PostCo eliminates the hassle of having to email retailers to exchange products by providing a Shopify-like plug-in, allowing seamless returns without involving the retailer directly. With over 100,000 drop-off points in the UK and Australia, PostCo is now looking to expand into Asia, where the market is heavily oriented toward marketplaces. By focusing deeply on the reselling aspect, PostCo has strategically positioned itself to prove that returns can be beneficial. The aim is to change the perception of returns from being a burden to an opportunity, demonstrating that with the right approach, returns can indeed be embraced and profitable.

Digitalisation in Malaysia: Transforming the Economic Landscape

Digitalisation in Malaysia is rapidly transforming the country’s economic landscape, driving innovation, efficiency, and growth across multiple sectors. PitchIN plays a crucial role in this digital transformation by providing innovative crowdfunding solutions that leverage digital platforms to democratise access to capital. Initially developed by Watchtower & Friends, an accelerator that identified a gap in the market, pitchIN has since become Malaysia’s largest equity crowdfunding (ECF) platform. They offer a range of services including equity crowdfunding, a secondary market for trading shares of previously funded companies, and Token Crowdfunding (TCF). TCF, which has emerged with the rise of digitalisation, allows companies to issue utility tokens, asset-backed tokens, and tokenized securities, providing various rights to holders such as revenue sharing and exclusive access to services. This digital fundraising method aligns with the broader trend of integrating blockchain and fintech innovations into the financial ecosystem, streamlining investment processes and broadening the scope of potential investors.

PitchIN also works with ecosystem partners such as agencies, universities, venture capitals, accelerators, and industry anchors to onboard more investors and lead deals. The introduction of the PSTX secondary market, designed to facilitate easier entry and exit from ECF deals, and the ongoing efforts to integrate traditional companies and investors into the Web3 ecosystem, further illustrate pitchIN’s commitment to enhancing Malaysia’s digital economy. Their efforts are supported by ECF tax incentives and a vision for PSTX to become the secondary market for all private companies in Malaysia.

A Place Where’s (APW) evolution from a traditional printing factory into a vibrant collaborative event space is another testament to the impact of digitalisation. By embracing the digital shift, APW has transformed itself into a hub for creative and entrepreneurial activities, providing a versatile venue for events, co-working, and community engagement. This adaptive reuse of industrial space reflects a broader trend in Malaysia where businesses are reimagining their operations and business models to align with digital opportunities. APW’s transformation underscores the importance of flexibility and innovation in the digital age, showcasing how traditional industries can thrive by integrating digital strategies.

Digitalisation also extends to various other sectors in Malaysia, including finance, healthcare, education, and retail. The adoption of e-commerce, digital payment systems, telehealth services, and online learning platforms has surged, driven by both consumer demand and the necessity brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is further fuelled by the Malaysian government’s support for digitalisation as evidenced through various policies and incentives aimed at encouraging businesses to adopt digital technologies. Tax incentives for investments in technology, grants for digitalisation projects, and support for digital startups are just some of the measures in place to foster a robust digital economy. Together these initiatives drive profound changes across the economy, fostering innovation and growth while creating new opportunities for businesses and investors. Efforts by pitchIN and APW contribute to a dynamic and forward-thinking entrepreneurial ecosystem, which bode well for Malaysia to become a leading digital economy in the region.

The Malaysian startup ecosystem is on a promising trajectory, driven by innovative initiatives, robust support structures, and a growing culture of entrepreneurship. Kuala Lumpur, with its vibrant and dynamic environment, stands at the forefront of this transformation, attracting both local and international investors. As the digital wave spreads, other parts of Malaysia are also expected to experience significant growth in the coming years, creating a fertile ground for new ventures. For investors seeking opportunities in a burgeoning market, Malaysia represents a compelling destination with immense potential and a bright future.

This post first appeared on e27.

James Tan penned a note for the concluding insights of the Singapore Venture Funding Landscape 2023 report by DealStreetAsia and EnterpriseSG.

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Singapore, like most of the rest of the world, is a price-taker when it comes to global venture capital funding. Silicon Valley, which constitutes more than 50% of global venture capital funding, drives trends and valuations. So when it cooled significantly last year, funding around the world, including in Singapore, also cooled.

Every sector has been affected. If venture capital firms were not completely disinterested in looking at new deals then at least a cautious approach to new deal flow was seen. In 2023, venture capital firms would be in portfolio support – ensuring that their existing investees have the support and wherewithal necessary to tide through the difficult year.

Singapore’s resilience lies in its ecosystem, which recently leapt 10 spots from 18th to 8th globally. This ecosystem resilience is manifested in the interconnections between its different parts, where as a single startup, it is weak but as a collective of peer support from other startups, support from public sector, support from corporations, and support from institutions of higher learning, it is strong.

Despite the funding winter, when investors look at the broader landscape of Southeast Asia, they will see strong macro fundamentals – fast-growing economies with an emerging middle class. Investors would be wise to take a long term view of Southeast Asia. This is a region which has emerged from every difficult period stronger than before, including COVID-19 in which Southeast Asia, especially Singapore, bounced back from the pandemic faster than most of the rest of the world.

We are cautiously optimistic about the fundraising landscape in the next 12 to 24 months. Startups that have survived the funding winter would have found a strong base case for their business and should presumably fund-raise from a stronger position.

New emerging sectors of global importance will drive Singapore’s funding activities. These sectors include robotics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

Click for full report.