Eight startups selected as category winners for World Summit Awards Malaysia National Finals

• Eight startups selected to represent Malaysia on the global stage
• Digital innovations addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals identified

[Article updated with information on Young Innovators Award.] 

Proficeo Sdn Bhd successfully concluded the World Summit Awards (WSA) Malaysia National Finals on Oct 2, marking the first time Malaysia held a national-level WSA competition.  Prior to this, WSA partnered with Pikom, the National ICT Association of Malaysia, where Malaysian APICTA winners who fit into any of the eight WSA categories became the Pikom nominee for Malaysia. 

The event, co-hosted by Proficeo, Youth Ventures Asia and Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), aimed to identify and support digital innovations addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From 153 nominations by 21 nomination partners across Malaysia, 17 startups were shortlisted to present their innovations at the final pitching with winners from each of the eight categories announced.

[Ed: Para updated for accuracy. An earlier version left out Youth Ventures Asia as co-host.]

The eight will now depend on Renuka Sena, who is the national expert for Malaysia, who will explain why they were selected and why they deserve to be among the top 100+ finalists. This includes responding to Q&A and clarifications raised by the online and Global Juries respectively to ensure that they receive the necessary pertinent information when assessing the applications.

Renuka, a respected and popular pillar of Malaysia's startup ecosystem who is also founder and CEO of Proficeo, emphasized the importance of digital solutions in addressing local challenges aligned with the SDGs, stating, “We are showcasing the best of the best for Malaysia.” She also highlighted the role of WSA Malaysia in fostering a stronger national ecosystem for startups and innovators.

Azleena Idris, Senior Director, Strategy & ESG, Payments Network Malaysia, discussed PayNet’s mandate to support nation-building initiatives, particularly through expanding digital payment systems. She pointed out the rapid shift toward cashless transactions and stressed that innovations like those seen at WSA Malaysia are crucial to keeping Malaysia competitive in a fast-evolving digital landscape.
 

Eight top digital innovators

The eight Malaysian startups selected as category winners based on the relevance of their digital solutions in tackling local issues and alignment with SDGs are as follows:

Mesolitica Sdn Bhd (Government & Citizen Engagement)
Mesolitica's MaLLaM project creates a national-level language model, promoting AI sovereignty and enhancing government services across Malaysia's diverse cultural landscape.
SmartPeep Sdn Bhd (Health & Wellbeing)
SmartPeep enhances elderly care with AI-powered monitoring solutions, providing real-time insights for improved management and quality of life.
Pandai Education Sdn Bhd (Learning & Education)
Pandai is an AI-driven education app that personalizes learning experiences, helping students achieve better grades through tailored feedback and gamified quizzes.
Global Cerah Sdn Bhd (Environment & Green Energy)
Global Cerah converts agricultural waste into sustainable alternative proteins, utilizing IoT technology to enhance food security in Southeast Asia
Imagine AI Sdn Bhd (Culture & Heritage)
Imagine AI uses artificial intelligence to preserve and promote cultural heritage. Their platform offers digital tools that assist in archiving, documenting, and sharing cultural assets, ensuring they remain accessible for future generations.
WeAssist Sdn Bhd (LocumApp) (Smart Settlements & Urbanization)
WeAssist connects healthcare professionals with lucrative job opportunities, enhancing social mobility and supporting the healthcare ecosystem in urban areas.
LCWakaful Digital Sdn Bhd (GoBarakah) (Business & Commerce)
GoBarakah is a smart giving platform that enhances donor transparency and beneficiary dignity by facilitating secure donations through e-vouchers.
Matrix Ideal Sdn Bhd (Evolet) (Inclusion & Empowerment)
Evolet enhances financial inclusion for migrant workers, enabling direct remittances of essential services through a digital platform that supports local economies.

The competition’s selection process included mentoring and preparation sessions in September to ensure the finalists were ready for the finals and global competition. 

[Ed: The brief description of the eight winners has been updated for accuracy.]

Picking the top 40

The eight Malaysian category winners will now enter the Global Stage of the WSA competition, joining winners from up to 182 member states globally. The WSA Global round typically sees approximately 600+ nominees on an annual basis from 120+ countries. The country winners will now be assessed by an online jury between 15th Oct (close of nominations) to end of Dec 2024. The jury includes 70+ representatives from WSA's network across the world who will review the submitted nominations via WSA's online platform.

Following the online jury phase, between 15 to 20 solutions per category will be shortlisted for review by a Grand Jury, who are representatives from 20+ countries made up of WSA Board members, national experts and subject matter experts who will convene for an in-person deliberation in Vienna, Austria in Jan 2025 to select five Global Winners from each category (40 in total). The Global Winners will then be notified and invited to present their solutions and represent their respective nations at the WSA Global Congress in Hyderabad India, in April 2025 where the Global Champion for each category will be crowned. 

The selected startups will now compete against national winners from up to 182 countries at the global competition. Before heading to the international stage, the Malaysian winners will continue to refine their solutions based on the feedback provided during the finals. “The key thing is refinement for the eight categories,” said Renuka. “By the 15th, I will do the nomination for the global contest”.

Collaboration with industry partners

The event saw significant collaboration from 25 ecosystem and nomination partners, including government agencies, investors, corporates, and universities. Key representatives of the ecosystem included:

1. Azleena Idris , PayNet
2. Azrina Azmel – Deputy General Manager, Core Digital Markets, Securities Commission Malaysia
3. Khairul Mazwan – Lead, Programmes, Innovation Development Department, TIPM/MRANTI
4. Zehan Teoh – Senior Vice President, Ecosystem Development, Cradle
5. Anita Ahmad – Chief Executive Officer, MySDG Foundation
6. Kenny Lee – Head of Programme and Partnerships, Malaysia Impact Alliance (MYImpact)
7. Elain Lockman – President, Registered Digital Markets Association and Chief Executive Officer, Ata Plus
8. Farah Fauzi – Managing Director, Purpose Malaysia

These partners played a crucial role in nominating participants for the competition, helping to ensure a diverse range of innovative solutions.

The competition aims to enhance Malaysia's presence on the global digital innovation stage, showcasing how local startups can contribute to solving global challenges. The winners will present their solutions at the WSA Global Congress in Hyderabad, India, providing a platform for startups to connect with global experts, investors, and industry leaders.

Spotlight on young innovators as well

In addition to the eight Categories, the WSA also has a special category for youth called the Young Innovators Award - which honors young entrepreneurs under the age of 26. There were 16 nominees here from industry partners and two startups were selected to represent Malaysia.

• Buzzloop - tackles the issue of single use plastic by tracking shoppers' use of Smart Reusables that are powered by their NFC Tag or QR Code. Their app tracks a shoppers' impact when they use a reusable and rewards them thus changing habits and behaviour towards use of single use plastic.
• DatoBulat Tech Lab - offers an affordable and easy to learn Robot Sumo Education Kit, designed to engage and attract young students to the STEM Sector.

"This is the first time ever that Malaysia is being represented in this category," said Renuka. "Prior to this, Malaysia did not have a Youth Ambassador who is the equivalent of the WSA National Expert and champions and promotes only the Youth Category. Earlier this year, Renuka nominated Hanif Marzuki (standing in the back row, right, in the top pic with judges and winners), from Youth Ventures Asia to WSA to take on this role. "Our youth play a critical and important role in developing innovative solutions for people and the planet and this is an area that Hanif cares deeply about. He and his team at Youth Ventures Asia have been working with and supporting young entrepreneurs for many years and I know this because I have been mentoring them. It was therefore a no-brainer nominating him to WSA Global and I'm happy to share that Hanif has now been officially appointed the first Youth Ambassador for Malaysia," Renuka added.