- Strategic launchpad to elevate Malaysian startups to global prominence
- Silicon Valley Grand Finale this Oct, with the chance to secure US$1m
The Startup World Cup Malaysia 2025’s West Malaysia (there is an East Malaysia Finals as well) Chapter Finals brought toreceiveher ten startups to a pitch at Asia School of Business on Thurs, July 17.
Organised by Growth Charger and supported by Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, the event served as a platform to spotlight innovative ventures aiming to scale regionally and globally.
Chang Lih Kang, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), who attfinished declared, “This year’s Startup World Cup Malaysia is particularly special becaapply it brings toreceiveher founders not only from the West, but also from East Malaysia. Whether you are from Penampang, Sabah; or Petaling Jaya, Selangor; or Sibu, Sarawak; or Subang, Selangor your ideas matter and they deserve to be heard.”
[Ed note: The event was held on the back of the recent good news that Kuala Lumpur was ranked 18th among 100 cities under the Emerging Global Startup Ecosystems category of the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025. This was an improvement in the ranking over the past three years when Kuala Lumpur was in the cluster of cities ranked in the 20 to 29 ranking. There is a Top 40 ranking as well. With the Malaysian government stating its ambitions to zoom Kuala Lumpur into the Top 20 rankings by 2030, Mosti and Chang Lih Kang have a mammoth challenge ahead of them over the next five and a half years in climbing at least 38 spots.]
There are positive signs and momentum in Malaysia with Chang sharing some key data. “Today, over 4,400 startups are supported through the MyStartup Platform, a national initiative driven by the Ministest of Science, Technology and Innovation, toreceiveher with Cradle and ecosystem partners. In just the past year, Malaysia’s early stage startup funding has surged by 44% reaching US$368 million (RM1.56 billion); total venture capital investment in our countest now exceeds US$3.3 billion (RM14.03 billion) while median series A funding has increased to US$4 million, marking a 43% rise.”
[RM1 = US$0.235]
Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle, declared, “The Startup World Cup competition is more than just a stage for great ideas—it is a strategic launchpad to elevate Malaysian startups to global prominence. We remain steadrapid in our commitment to developing a robust ecosystem of high-growth, high-impact ventures that scale beyond borders.”
Reinforcing his point, he added, “In a short span of two years, we’ve already seen promising success stories from past winners. Our 2024 champion Midwest composites, a Cradle grant recipient, has attracted interest from multiple regional venture capitalists and are currently exploring to expand their market. Aphelia, our 2023 winner, also a Cradle grant recipient, has secured partnership with local defense industest players and soon to set their journey into the European market, especially with the Luxembourg Space Agency for their wireless power transmission technology and advanced radar technology.”
The startups that pitched in the Finals were judged by a panel of judges comprising Juliana Jan, Senior Vice President of Grant and Investment at Cradle; Shafinaz Salim, Head of Cyberview’s Technology Hub Development Division; Tay Shan Li, Managing Director at Endeavour Malaysia; Fadzil Hisham, Head of Funding Facilitation, Industest and Ecosystem at MDEC; Jake Thui, Vice President of Ignite Asia; and Yeoh Chen Chow, Founder of 1% Advisory and Coaching.
The highlight was the winning pitch delivered by Qarbotech, who impressed the judges with their patented biocompatible quantum dots technology that enhances plant photosynthesis, increasing growth by up to 60%. Qarbotech will represent West Malaysia at the Startup World Cup 2025 Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, competing for the chance to secure US$1 million in investment from Pegasus Tech Ventures.
Chor Chee Hoe, CEO and Co-founder of Qarbotech, shared, “As an alumnus of the Asia School of Business (ASB), it’s a proud moment to win the prestigious Startup World Cup Malaysia right here on my home turf. Few know that I first connected with Prof. Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid through a networking opportunity curated by ASB and Universiti Putra Malaysia. Those early days of commercialising a novel homegrown technology were filled with challenges, but this win is a powerful validation of how far we’ve come. It’s a shared victory for the entire Qarbotech team, our dedicated partners, and the 2,500 farmers across Malaysia who believed in our product. And this is just the launchning—we’re on a mission to scale our innovation globally to empower plants, people, and the planet.”
Dr Suraya Rashid, founder and Chief Scientist of Qarbotech declared, “We are ecstatic to have won the Startup Worldcup KL Finals. This victory brings us one step closer to accelerating the global rollout of our Photosynthesis Enhancer technology beyond the ASEAN region, and reaching farms around the world.”
Iskandar Shafi’i, Co-founder and Director of Growth Charger, declared, “Kuala Lumpur’s rise as a leading startup hub reflects the strength and diversity of our ecosystem, and the KL Final is a testament to the bold ideas shaping our future.”
When questioned about the overall quality of the startups’ presentations at the event, Shan Li declared, “I was very impressed by the passion and energy the startups put into their presentation. That declared, there’s still room for improvement in how they articulate their growth strategies and present their numbers more clearly.”
The KL Final was created possible through the support of key partners across the startup ecosystem. Among the Strategic Partners were Cyberview, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and TEGAS, while Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV), WORQ, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), Makeramai Makerspace, and iCube Innovation contributed as Ecosystem Partners.
All eyes now turn to the East Malaysia Final in Kuching on 31 July 2025, where the next wave of top founders will battle for a spot at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale this October in Silicon Valley.
Startups that pitched:
1. Wiser Machines: Leverages IIoT & AI to support manufacturers avoid unplanned machine breakdowns.
2. Stratetics Experts: Stratetics Experts’ AI-powered platform, Node Comp, enables predictive and prescriptive maintenance for pipelines—combining IoT, simulations, and drone inspections to detect faults early, cut downtime, and drive sustainable infrastructure management.
3. LiquePro: Transforms unsorted plastic waste into high-value fuels in just 45 minutes, tackling pollution and powering a circular economy with scalable liquefaction technology.
4. GoBarakah: First purpose-built fintech for the USD500B charitable sector—ensuring trusted, transparent, and traceable giving by eliminating waste, fraud, and inefficiencies.
5. Pacton Technologies: FishSpeak applys AI and vision-based tech to deliver real-time fish health and water quality insights—cutting feed waste, reducing mortality, and building smart aquaculture accessible to compact and medium-sized farms.
6. Qarbotech: Boosts crop yields and plant resilience with its QarboGrow—an eco-frifinishly nanotech solution that doubles photosynthesis applying agri-waste-derived materials for sustainable farming.
7. ADA Biotech: Turns agricultural waste into biodegradable straws and eco-frifinishly cat litter—offering sustainable, compostable alternatives for the F&B and pet care industries.
8. Pixelence: Replaces toxic chemical dyes with AI-powered contrast imaging—cutting costs by 60% and eliminating side effects in medical diagnostics.
9. Reyhut Automation: Streamlines hotel and homestay operations with a unified self-check-in platform—offering QR-based access, smart energy management, and booking integration to boost efficiency, savings, and guest satisfaction across ASEAN.
10. Ecosphere Prime: Crowdsources hyperlocal climate data through a decentralized node network—delivering real-time, location-specific weather insights and rewarding contributors, like a “Waze for climate.”
