myhtspace

Lack of the requisite infrastructure & Government Support -Consumers lack of trust & The onus is on startups to change people habits and society

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Although the Malaysian government has taken measures to streamline public funding agencies, it doesn’t mean it’s all clear skies and butterflies for the local startup industry. A senior investment executive at one of the funding agencies involved in the consolidation thinks the streamlining exercise would reduce opportunities for local startups to get funded. “The government … Read more

Young entrepreneurs in Malaysia have caught startup fever, but the prospect of success is slim

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Yeoh’s US ties also played a key role in MaGIC’s three-year partnership with Stanford University. It helped to launch the [email protected] programme in late 2014—a total of 142 entrepreneurs from 57 startups participated in a two-week immersion initiative at Stanford University and Silicon Valley. But she couldn’t stay. In early 2016, Yeoh left the … Read more

The many cooks are spoiling Malaysia’s startup broth

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“I think people get quite confused in terms of who’s doing what,” Azmil Zahruddin Raja Abdul Aziz, the deputy managing director of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad, said at a conference in January. “I think there needs to be a little bit of streamlining, to make sure that we, as a country, make … Read more

Why Southeast Asia Would Be a Ripe Opportunity in the Market, Poor Infrastructure Hampering Growth Till Now.

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Nonetheless, the feature has opened Amazon up to the region’s highest spenders and those already aware of its service. It may also provide valuable high-level insight into Southeast Asian countries—and gain traction with merchants in major markets—before Amazon embarks on its local service expansion. In countries where e-commerce is still in its infancy, where average … Read more

Amazon reaches Malaysia and Singapore markets with new shipment hubs in Malaysia

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“Amazon is the one everyone should be worried about,” a senior venture capital executive, who has invested in online retail startups in Southeast Asia, told us. “The wonderful headstart that e-commerce companies in Southeast Asia have enjoyed is because Amazon hasn’t come… yet.” Amazon declined to comment on its expansion plans past and present for … Read more

Vietnam’s Other Illegal Uber Clone is Riding High on Cash from Grab Funding Competition

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Grab is the proxy for SoftBank’s efforts to tap Southeast Asia’s growth potential. Although its Vision Fund hasn’t made further investments in the region, CEO Masayoshi Son has described the $100 billion vehicle as a collection of winning tech companies that will work closely together. OYO tried to crack Southeast Asia before without success, now … Read more

What Malaysian CEOs Saying About The Fight For Riding App Dominance

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Go-Jek meanwhile, has taken a distinctly different route with its GoVentures fund. “GoVentures is an independent venture capital fund, focusing on investments and partnerships with early-stage technology businesses in Southeast Asia,” a spokesperson said via email. Go-Jek added that the fund was sector-agnostic. Like Grab, the central thesis is to find and support companies that … Read more

How These Two Companies Impact Other Startups in the Region and Which Ones Are The Biggest Winners So Far

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“The relationship potentially limits the company’s trajectory if you’re starting to get tied to one of these ride-hailing companies’ platforms,” the industry source added. “It possibly makes it tough to find acquirers in the future as you’re more dependent on that platform.” Still, the deal was vital for HappyFresh, which operates in a business with … Read more

The Future of Southeast Asia’s Startup Ecosystem with These Companies in Power Balance

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The Kudo-Mapan deals echo the Alibaba-Tencent rivalry. It is often said that the Chinese companies will make certain deals to ensure they offer a counter service to whatever their rival bought or invested in. But it isn’t just counter-attacking. Grab and Go-Jek have gone head to head over acquisitions. Like Coins.ph, a Naspers-backed fintech startup … Read more