Soonicorn Collective - 18 pioneer members selected

• Committed to ecosystem, economic, and nation-building contributions
• Offers leadership skills enhancement, fosters connections among founders 

Proficeo Consultants in partnership with Penjana Kapital have announced the selection of the pioneer group of 18 founders for the Soonicorn Collective, a membership driven platform designed to build leadership skills among startup founders, groom the next unicorns of Malaysia and foster a strong startup ecosystem in Malaysia via policy proposals and engagement with government leaders.

Coined from the phrase “soon-to-be unicorns'', Soonicorns are startups with the growth potential to become unicorns. The selected founders are all CEOs or C-level founders. To participate, startups need to have raised at least US$424,000 (RM2 million) in funding or have generated US$1.6 million (RM8 million) in revenue over the last 12 months.

Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah, co-founder of Proficeo and chairman of the Soonicorn Collective said, “Having worked with more than 3,000 startup founders over the last 25 years, I appreciate that being CEO of a company is a tough and sometimes a lonely journey. The most successful founders have been those with a strong support system and camaraderie with other founders especially in creating a high growth company.” 

He added that the Soonicorn Collective platform not only offers invaluable leadership skills enhancement but also creates a unique space for the selected founders to connect and build relationships with each other and with other successful founders who have built unicorns. 

“This community of like-minded peers and a shared experience in building successful companies will go a long way in helping them to cope with the challenges of being a CEO and the opportunities of building unicorns,” Sivapalan said.

The founder and CEO of Homa2U, an affordable, sustainable home improvement startup, Pennie Lim says: “As a startup founder, the journey can often feel solitary. I've yearned for a peer-to-peer community where I can openly learn and share frustrations with fellow like-minded and light-hearted entrepreneurs. With the advent of Soonicorn Collective, it seems like the ideal upgraded platform where I can unlearn and relearn strategies, enabling me to build a more impactful company without enduring unnecessary detours.” 

Lim added that she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to engage with this community, gaining insights and support to navigate the complexities of startup life more efficiently and effectively.

In the previous 12 months under the programme format of 100Soonicorns the founders had monthly discussions where they shared their own experience and challenges regarding the myriad of issues that they face as they grow their companies from the early stage to Series A stage and beyond. The programme also enabled them to engage with successful unicorn founders like Moses Lo the CEO of Xendit, Steve Melhuish of PropertyGuru, Ronen Mense of Appsflyer and Chu Jenn Weng of Vitrox who shared their journey in fundraising and building unicorns. The lessons learnt from culture, to managing sales teams to going regional provides the founders with a unique learning experience as they drive the growth of their own companies.

The participants also had the opportunity to engage with local and global venture capitalists from firms like Vertex Ventures, Gobi Partners, Golden Gate Ventures and even Khazanah Dana Impak as well as experts and leaders who taught them leadership skills. The most recent workshop was with Kenanga Investment Bank where the founders learnt how to IPO their company as part of their journey from startup to growth to exit. These conversations and discussions offer a unique learning platform between the founders and experts.

Besides being a platform to learn and engage with the community, the Soonicorn Collective is also dedicated towards contributing to the ecosystem, economy and nation building.

Ramachandran Muniandy, CEO of Asia Mobiliti, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and digital city solutions company and co-chairman of the Soonicorn Collective shared; “Speaking on behalf of the founders from the inaugural cohort of the 100Soonicorns, there is a movement sparked by this collective that has developed from a peer-driven network to a nation-building initiative which we are absolutely proud to be a part of. A rising tide lifts all boats.” 

He added that as entrepreneurs for such a time in this nation, the founders have the opportunity to contribute to the breaking of the ceiling over Malaysia’s unicorn-building potential and witness the lifting of many current and future businesses to be regional and global champions.

Soonicorn Collective is open for applications. Those interested can find more information and the application form here.

The participating Pioneer Founders of the Soonicorn Collective are:
1  Ramachandran Muniandy, CEO & Co-Founder, Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd
2  Nadira Yusof, CEO & Founder, Kiddocare Sdn Bhd
3  Sharma Lachu , CEO & Founder, Accendo Technologies Sdn Bhd
4  Giden Lim, CEO & Co-Founder, BLOOMTHIS Flora Sdn Bhd
5  Keong Chun Chieh, CEO, Ominent Sdn Bhd (IGL Coatings)
6  Sharala Devi Balakrishnan, CEO, Center of Applied Data Science (CADS)
7  Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry, CEO & Co-Founder, Blue Bee Technologies (ERTH App)
8  Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin, CEO & Founder, Madcash Sdn Bhd
9  Lee William, MD, Easybook (M) Sdn Bhd
10  Parthiven Shanmugan, CEO, TixCarte Sdn Bhd
11  Effon Khoo, CEO & Founder, Kakitangan.com
12  Hui Yik Seong, CEO & Founder, Direct Lending Sdn Bhd
13  Pennie Lim, CEO & Co-Founder, Homa Sdn Bhd
14  Jayson Poon, CEO & Founder, Payex Ventures Sdn Bhd
15  Derek Tan, CEO & Co-Founder, Sonicboom Solutions Sdn Bhd
16  Sandeep Grewal, CEO & Co-Founder, Subhome Management Sdn Bhd
17  Gavin Liew, CEO & Co-Founder, The Makeover Guys Sdn Bhd
18  Gokula Krishnan Subramaniam, CEO & Co-Founder, Vircle Sdn Bhd