MYStartup, a national initiative backed by Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) and developed by Cradle Fund, has partnered with NEXEA, a venture capital and startup accelerator firm, to launch its third accelerator program. A total of 25 tech startups have been selected for this program from a pool of 60 applications representing […]

Netherlands-based investment firm Orient Growth Ventures has successfully closed its second fund, Orient Growth Fund II, amassing $90 million in commitments. This fund is a major increase from its inaugural $25-million fund raised in 2020. The firm has shown an escalating focus on backing early-stage venture capital managers across Southeast Asia and India. With Orient […]

Antler, a global early-stage VC firm headquartered in Singapore, has announced its largest pre-seed investment round to date, committing $5.1 million to 37 startups across Southeast Asia. The portfolio encompasses a wide range of sectors, including AI, B2B SaaS, fintech, and healthcare, addressing various regional challenges. Antler’s recent commitment to backing Singaporean startups, including BorderDollar, […]

Venture capital firm 500 Global has successfully closed its 500 Southeast Asia III fund, amassing $143 million in capital. It is the firm’s largest early-stage fund dedicated to Southeast Asia. It serves as its primary investment vehicle for startups throughout the region’s growth journey, from pre-seed stages to the cusp of initial public offerings (IPOs). […]

Former executives of Fave, Joel Neoh and Audra Pakalnyte, have joined forces to launch First Move, an early-stage fund specifically focused on supporting startups that cater to consumers in Southeast Asia.  First Move has a backing of venture capital firm 500 Global and in collaboration with the Consumer Tech Angel Syndicate, a close-knit group of […]

Solarvest Holdings Berhad, a prominent distributor of clean energy in Malaysia, has officially announced the selection of five grant recipients for the Seed Grant Round of Solarvest Innovation Lab 2023 (SIL 2023). The selected winners, Irradisol, Flumen, DespaQ, Hydrozon, and Hexacycle, were chosen from 30 applicants who have participated in the program since its launch […]

City University of Hong Kong has announced the launch of the HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition in Kuala Lumpur, extending its successful HK Tech 300 initiative to Southeast Asia. The competition is aimed at fostering innovation and technology development in the region and supporting start-ups. The HK Tech 300 initiative is a large-scale […]

Seven innovative companies have been selected for Cohort IV of ScaleUp Malaysia’s accelerator program, with upfront investments provided for the first time. The selection process was highly competitive, with over 200 applications received from countries across the region and beyond. The seven companies selected were chosen based on their potential to drive regional scalability and […]

The Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), a company that is wholly-owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, has joined Gobi Partners in co-investing $1.16 million (RM5 million) in Pitch Platforms Sdn Bhd (pitchIN). The investment, that was made through MTDC’s Business Growth Fund (BGF Fund) and Gobi‘s Superseed II Fund (Gobi SSII Fund), will be spent to […]

ScaleUp Malaysia, an accelerator that focuses exclusively on growth-stage companies in Malaysia, has recently launched Cohort 3 in partnerships with two venture capital firms. In an announcement, ScaleUp Malaysia said it has partnered with Singapore-based Quest Ventures and US-based Indelible Ventures. Collectively, these firms bring access to partners, investors, and other networks in Southeast Asia […]