Startup to represent Malaysia in Silicon Valley during Startup World Cup 2024 to be chosen tomorrow

• Startup to be picked tomorrow at event in conjunction with Merdeka & Malaysia Day
• Program supported by partners including Cradle MYStartup, MDEC, WORQ, CloudMile

Growth Charger, a startup accelerator and incubator, will host the Malaysia Finals of the Startup World Cup 2024 tomorrow. The Malaysia Finals, held in conjunction with Malaysia's Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations, will offer one exceptional Malaysian startup the opportunity to compete on the global stage in Silicon Valley. The winner of this national competition will have the chance to vie for a grand prize of US$1 million (RM4.35 million) in investment at the Startup World Cup 2024 in San Francisco in Oct. 

Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition aimed at bridging startup ecosystems worldwide, offering startups a chance to win US$1 million in the form of an investment. This year, over 50 regional events are taking place across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The competition is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm.

Participating in the event will boost the startup landscape in Malaysia, with the government announcing its ambition to be among the top 20 in the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) by 2030 and to make Kuala Lumpur a key digital and startup hub in Southeast Asia. By bringing one Malaysian startup to Silicon Valley, Growth Charger aims to showcase Malaysian entrepreneurial talent on a global platform, increasing opportunities for investment. This initiative aligns with the goals outlined in the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021-2030, which emphasizes the importance of attracting global attention, fostering innovation, and encouraging investment to strengthen the local ecosystem.

"After a thorough evaluation, our judges have identified the Top 10 finalists. The winner, who will be announced tomorrow, will not only represent Malaysia but also compete for a grand prize of US$1 million in investment, providing a transformative opportunity to engage with top investors globally. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Pegasus Tech Ventures for this incredible opportunity and to all our partners in Malaysia for their unwavering support,” said Iskandar Shafi'i, director and co-founder at Growth Charger.

Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd through MYStartup is the strategic partner with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) supporting the initiative. Ecosystem partners include WORQ and CloudMile. The supporting partners include Cyberview, 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), and Endeavor Malaysia. These partnerships will provide invaluable support and resources to participating startups, enhancing their chances of success on the global stage.

⁠"This collaboration underscores our deep commitment to empowering Malaysian startups to succeed in the international arena. Through strategic initiatives and partnerships, we believe that our homegrown startups can bloom beyond borders, thus advancing Malaysia towards its vision to become one of the top 20 global startup ecosystems. We are hopeful and confident in the future successes of all participating startups as they take on this global challenge." said Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle

“MDEC is committed to accelerate Malaysia's position as a leading digital economy through initiatives like the Malaysia Digital (MD) national strategic initiative, which focuses on fostering innovation, talent development, and investment within the digital ecosystem. The Startup World Cup Malaysia Finals 2024 is a key step in this direction,” said an MDEC spokesperson.

"WORQ is proud to support the Startup World Cup (Malaysia) as an ecosystem partner alongside Growth Charger, aligning with our commitment to fostering a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives national economic growth through our cloud office infrastructure," shared Wong Chea Hao, Head of Real Estate and Product Development at WORQ.

"Dream big. Build bold. CloudMile, your tech ecosystem partner, empowers Malaysian startups to disrupt the world through the Startup World Cup!" Lester Leong, Country Manager CloudMile Malaysia.

The 10 selected startups for Startup World Cup (Malaysia) 2024 Finals include:

1. Pandai, Malaysia #1 learning app for school students with gamified quizzes aligned to a specific school curriculum.

2. Braintree Technologies, Multi-action agriculture robotics solution, capable of millimeter level agriculture of precision.

3. Vidanex, AI-driven pathology solution accelerates cancer diagnosis by delivering swift and precise results through advanced algorithms.

4. Faradays Energy, Hydrogen green technology company that specializes in the development, manufacturing, and deployment of advanced hydrogen fuel cell systems for various applications.

5. Midwest Composites, Engineered composites for Aerospace, Military, Automotive & Mass Transit.

6. Ejen2U, Platform that helps entrepreneurs to manage stockists and agents digitally and helps increase their sales and agent numbers through “data analytics.”

7. Reclimate, Produces biochar by heating plant materials without oxygen, creating a carbon-rich substance for soil enhancement.

8. Messengerco, AI platform that streamlines corporate gifting with instant supplier replies and quote

9. ScancerAI, Revolutionizing lung cancer diagnostics by leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies.

10. MengajiOnline, One stop center platform to teach and learn about islamic studies across the world.

Growth Charger currently manages 128 portfolios and has accelerated over 250 startups, of which have raised a total investment of over US$173 million. With a history of successful collaborations with government agencies such as MDEC, Cyberview, MaGIC, MoU, Sidec, TERAJU and Yayasan Peneraju, Growth Charger has solidified its position as a key player in the startup ecosystem. This experience and expertise will be crucial in supporting the participating startups throughout the competition.