Midwest Composites set to compete in Startup World Cup Grand Finale
Article reposted from Digital News Asia. View the original article here
Pic: (From left): Cradle Fund Group CEO, Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke; Midwest Composites CEO, Sethu Raaj; Growth Charger director, Iskandar Shafi’i and Pegasus Tech Ventures Investor, Yonathan Vincent Xavier.
MALAYSIA, 11/08/2024 (Digital News Asia) - The Malaysia Finals of Startup World Cup 2024 coincided with Malaysia’s Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations, reflecting the country’s aspirations to become a leader in the global startup ecosystem by 2030, as outlined in the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021-2030.
Pic: The 10 startup pitched their decks during Startup World Cup (Malaysia) 2024 Finals
A total of ten high-potential startups, selected from a competitive pool, presented their business solutions across sectors such as education technology, healthcare, green energy, agriculture, and digital platforms. These finalists, chosen for their innovative approaches and market-ready solutions, impressed a panel of judges, including industry leaders and investors from MDEC, The Hive Southeast Asia, Iris Capital Partners, Artem Ventures, Ignite Asia, MRANTI, and Sunway iLabs.
Iskandar Shafi'i, Director and Co-founder of Growth Charger, said,
“Growth Charger is pleased to announce that Midwest Composites has emerged as the winner of the Startup World Cup (Malaysia) 2024. Their achievement is a testament to the innovation and potential within Malaysia’s startup ecosystem. As they head to Silicon Valley this October, we believe they will make a strong impact on the global stage and compete for a US$1 million (RM4.35 million) investment. We are grateful to Pegasus Tech Ventures, organiser of Startup World Cup 2024, and our partners for making this journey possible.”
Sethu Raaj, CEO of Midwest Composites, said,
“We are grateful to have been selected as Malaysia’s representative to the Startup World Cup in San Francisco. We look forward to demonstrating to the world that Malaysian startups are world-class and have innovations that are on par with any global ecosystem.”
Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle Fund, said,
“We are proud to support the talent and innovation demonstrated by our local startups at the Malaysia Finals of this year's Startup World Cup. At Cradle, we remain dedicated to exploring avenues and opportunities, such as this Startup World Cup, to showcase some of our best Malaysian startups on the international stage. These efforts reflect our commitment to nurturing and empowering these ventures to achieve their full potential locally and globally, ultimately realising the country’s vision to become one of the top 20 global startup ecosystems. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Midwest Composites and wish them all the best as they compete in the grand finals in San Francisco.”
The event was supported by numerous key ecosystem players, including Cyberview and MDEC as strategic partners, WORQ and CloudMile as ecosystem partners, and supporting partners such as 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), Endeavor, JomHack, NTT Group, NTT Startup Challenge, and Nestspace.
Shafinaz Salim, Head of Cyberview’s Tech Hub Development Division, said,
“The Startup World Cup Championship is a testament to the incredible talent and vision of entrepreneurs who are shaping Malaysia’s future. We are thrilled to see Midwest Composites, a startup from our current Cyberview Living Lab® Accelerator (CLLA) cohort, emerge as the champion. We would also like to congratulate Vidanex and Faradays Energy, also from our current cohort, along with two of our alumni, Pandai and MengajiOnline, for making the list of finalists. This achievement highlights their exceptional talent and innovative spirit, underscoring the importance of supporting and nurturing them towards potentially becoming Malaysia’s next unicorns.”
Lester Leong, Country Manager of CloudMile Malaysia, said,
“CloudMile and Growth Charger unite to foster a vibrant startup ecosystem in Malaysia. Together, we provide the tools and resources they need to thrive, with the objective to elevate the Malaysia startup scene. Madani Malaysia!”
The Startup World Cup is a global competition connecting startup ecosystems worldwide. With regional finals held globally, the Malaysia Finals of the Startup World Cup 2024 represent a critical step in Malaysia’s journey towards becoming a global innovation powerhouse. Growth Charger, a startup accelerator and incubator, hosted the Malaysia Finals, with Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd as the Title Partner. The competition was held at the Asia School of Business (ASB).
