Cyberview launches Living Lab Accelerator Programme

AS it works through its ambitious plan to develop Cyberjaya into a global tech hub with nine focus areas, Cyberview Sdn Bhd launched its Cyberview Living Lab Accelerator Programme by partnering with entrepreneurs to help run the programme.

In this case it has picked Watch Tower & Friends (WTF) and Infinite Ventures (IV) as its programme managers. The accelerator programme is one of the pillars of Cyberview Living Lab (CV Living Lab), an open-innovation ecosystem providing a platform to elevate Malaysia’s vibrant entrepreneurship scene to the next level.

Cyberview is a government-owned company and the advisor to the Government on MSC Malaysia  and Cyberjaya development matters.

Cyberview chief executive officer (CEO) Faris Yahaya describes the accelerator programme as having a systematic approach. “It integrates programme partners with different business models, while being cognisant of market needs on creativity and innovation.” (Both WTF and IV take a small stake in the startups they accept into their programmes.)

He adds that Cyberview will rely on its programme partners to develop a comprehensive programme to accelerate entrepreneurs in ideation, innovation and commercialisation, while providing industry knowledge and networks through mentoring and other market access opportunities.  Among the mentors for Cyberview's accelerator programme is Azran Osman-Rani, the former CEO of AirAsia X.

With entrepreneurs in the Klang Valley not short of choices as far as incubators/accelerators go, Faris believes that Cyberjaya’s differentiator in this space is its positioning as a catalyst and test bed for emerging entrepreneurs to move up the value chain. That and the fact that the test best is the city of Cyberjaya with its tech savvy population.

Indeed, Cyberjaya has close to 40,000 ICT jobs within its boundaries. A recent study has also reaffirmed that Cyberjaya has the highest concentration of top salaried ICT professionals in Malaysia.

“Through the community of businesses and tech multinationals based here, I believe that new ideas and innovations can be speedily tested and validated for possible commercialisation,” says Faris (pic).

While he concedes that there has not been any formal outreach to its business and multinational clients in Cyberjaya of such a programme, Faris says that Cyberview can easily play this role when the need arises. In addition, Cyberview would alert them to be receptive to any overtures from the startups in this inaugural batch.

Interestingly, while the products or services that the startups in this kickoff batch pursue must serve the needs of the business or civic population in Cyberjaya, the startups themselves need not be based in Cyberjaya.

This was a key attraction of the accelerator programme, highlights IV.

From Cyberview’s viewpoint, not insisting on the startups being based in Cyberjaya is simply the recognition that to become a global tech hub, it will consistently need improvements in the ecosystem to be smarter, more efficient and sustainable.

To Sam Shafie, founder of WTF, the fact that Cyberview has launched its own accelerator is great news. “There should be even more accelerators as that means more mentors getting involved and a larger number of startups having a chance to succeed.”

“With quantity comes quality,” adds Mohd Irwan Serigar, Cyberview chairman and secretary-general of Treasury, Ministry of Finance Malaysia. “Never mind if there are overlaps [with other private/public sector initiatives], or if some of the efforts fail,” he says, making the point that the various entrepreneur programmes being organised will eventually produce some winners.

“We should not stop these programmes from being held as they are part of the emerging ecosystem,” he says, adding that the government has been pushing very hard for the various programmes to be run. “I hope we are going in the right direction and that in five years' time, we will see a lot of companies coming out from these programmes.”

Startups in Infinite Ventures

Hyve (Bluetooth 4.0 tracking chip)

Hyve was created with the aspiration of becoming the Xiaomi of Tile App (a startup from Silicon Valley). With the Hyve device, tracking and finding possessions, friends and family is now easier and more affordable. Hyve can be traced through your mobile phone. In addition, an alarm on the device can be sounded to locate it. With a working prototype ready to be commercialised, Hyve is gearing up for an international crowdsourced campaign (Kickstartr) in the coming months.

Viral Vial

Viral Vial allows the most relevant content creators to engage brands they love and get rewarded for it. The platform changes the way brands engage while helping content creators grow. Viral Vial was selected to participate in the #JoinALPS programme by VLT Labs and MaGIC (Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre ). The initial minimum viable product (MVP) is currently in alpha while a soft launch is due in March. The team is currently actively engaging more brands and influencers to sign them up prior to the launch.

Kongsi 2.0 (On-demand delivery and tracking services)

On-demand services are starting to creep in to Malaysia and many new businesses need these services on a daily basis. The delivery and tracking part of the service provided by businesses still remains a huge bottleneck and, more often than not, comes at a big cost to businesses. Kongsi strives to commoditise the delivery and tracking mechanism by allowing anyone with integrity and willing intention to be the delivery agent. The inner workings of this idea is still in inception as it will be tested in multiple markets and on multiple modes of delivery.

Clean Chip (On-demand cleaning services)

Clean Chip offers the solution to cleaning restaurants' utensils and cutleries to an industry standard with well-equipped tools and work force at a reasonable cost. Restaurants can use their internal staff to better use, for example, giving great service to their customer and giving their customers a sense of ease and above all a sense of cleanliness.

Bacchus Fuel (On-demand personalised healthy food)

The organic food industry has grown into a huge US$63 billion giant in 2014 alone. In the last decade, it grew by a whopping 170%. Bacchus Fuel would like to disrupt the industry by being the on-demand personalised healthy food delivery service in the market. It is now delivering 1,600 meals per month to people from all over the Klang Valley. In the coming months, it hopes to double its market size and venture into new packaging and menu items.

Startups in WatchTower and Friends:

BUSttle

BUSttle is an eco-friendly ride sharing app that aims to deliver efficient and affordable public transport services. A pilot service is planned for Cyberjaya with plans for later expansion to other areas. BUSttle shuttles are eco-friendly vehicles that move commuters within set areas. The service is positioned as the meeting point between a bus and a cab – a shuttle.

DEXT

DEXT is an on-demand mobile app platform for customers to obtain financial services. The app enables searches for financial services including personal financing, credit cards, insurance and unit trusts. Consumers simply specify their requirements by location, rating, product characteristics and experience and a selection of financial advisors are matched with them.

KIDZGEM

KidzGem is an app that is designed for parents who want to turn their children’s creative works into memorable items. Kidzgem aims to colour up parenting life and deliver a host of fun arts and craft activities to its users. Kidzgem allows parents to capture every sentimental moment and offer many options available to turn those images into cute and creative memorabilia.

LYL

LYL delivers clever solutions for niche markets with great potential. Its first service will provide personalised audio and video content streaming to migrant workers in Malaysia enabling them to enjoy music and news streaming services in their home language.

MakanSharing

This is an online platform that brings food lovers and chefs together in a private kitchen and dining space. It aims to deliver unique dining experiences by make available private dishes rarely offered in restaurants. It will connect food lovers with one another; remove barriers of entry to the culinary business and provide opportunities to home-based cooks and budding chefs who would otherwise never have a chance to showcase their culinary creations.

Moneymatch

MoneyMatch employs technology to bridge the gap and connect individuals who need to exchange foreign currency. MoneyMatch is creating an online platform that will allow individuals to buy or sell currencies amongst themselves without the need for a middle man. MoneyMatch's vision is to exploit inefficiencies within the current financial system, disintermediate the industry and liberate the consumer.

ScholarDeck

This is a one-stop platform for students to search and apply for scholarships. It aims to help students in Malaysia find matching scholarships and minimise their financial burden. ScholarDeck will simplify the current process that is unnecessarily challenging and tedious. At the other end of the spectrum, scholarship providers will find it easier to reach out to the right market of students. Instead of multiple manual submissions, ScholarDeck will build over time a smart automated application portal for scholarships.

The Lorry

The Lorry is a simple and effortless lorry booking site that helps users get at least five quotes from multiple lorry providers in under 30 seconds. The service removes most of the hassles associated with moving house or goods. The Lorry partners with reputable and experienced lorry providers to ensure that the goods are transported safely and securely to their destination.

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