The Alibaba Cloud Malaysia Startup Demo Day, held on February 27 at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, brought together nine promising Malaysian startups to pitch their innovative solutions. The event is part of Alibaba Cloud’s broader initiative to support startups and accelerate digital transformation across Asia.
The finalists, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, represented a range of industries, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence. They presented their solutions before a panel of judges that included Sai Kit Ng, managing partner of Artem Ventures; Soalen Sittampalam, lead venture architect at 1337 Ventures; Dans Seet, head of department at Agmo Academy; Jessie Yu, commercial sales director at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International; and Chris Voon, solutions architect at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
The startups were evaluated on technical implementation and AI integration, market size and commercial value, and overall innovation.
“Many of [the startups] presented innovative use cases that addressed significant and impactful challenges. They also demonstrated their capabilities and the applications of AI in various fields,” said Jason Lin, head of startup and venture capital relations at Alibaba Cloud. “We are excited to explore opportunities to collaborate closely with these startups and help them advance on their AI journey.”
In addition, Lin emphasized Alibaba Cloud’s ongoing commitment to startups, particularly those leveraging AI. “We will continue to drive programs and expand our reach to assist AI startups across the region in meeting their cloud computing and AI needs.”
Malaysia is emerging as a key market for startups. “Thanks to its deep talent pool and cost-efficient business environment, Malaysia is becoming an increasingly attractive market for startups to establish their operational bases. The ecosystem consistently produces resilient founders—a quality that has become more crucial than ever,” said Ng of Artem Ventures.
Ng also highlighted the game changing potential of AI adoption, particularly with low-code and no-code development powered by generative AI. “This shift will accelerate product development and innovation, positioning Malaysian startups for greater regional and global competitiveness,” he added.
Startups that pitched
The event featured the following nine startups, in no particular order:
- Edvent AI, an online language learning platform specializing in English speaking and standardized exam preparation.
- FixApa, the developer of LaPaQ, a data monitoring system for tackling child malnutrition and stunting.
- Flow Studios, an AI-of-things (AIoT) company focusing on smart agriculture for sustainable food security.
- Minimo Tech, the creator of Minimo AI, an omnichannel customer service platform offering real-time translation, voice cloning, and automation.
- Paix Tech, a fintech startup using AI agents and hyperautomation to automate high-volume utility bills and supplier payments, reducing manual processing.
- Shieldbase AI, the provider of an AI-powered operating system for privacy-first enterprise knowledge retrieval, workflow automation, and content generation.
- Voice For Health, an AI-powered vocal biomarker service detecting early signs of emotions linked to chronic diseases through voice analysis.
- Vstream Revolution, a tech startup offering drone insurance, consultancy services, certified training, and permit applications.
- Xtractify, a developer of AI engines for business process automation and BI analytics, streamlining operations, compliance, and decision-making.
The award winners
After an exciting showcase by the startup finalists, Paix was crowned the winner, while Shieldbase and Vstream were named runner-ups.
“What stood out to me about Paix is that [the presenter] has clearly defined the boundary of the problem or process he is solving for, and he has done it effectively and achieved solid traction,” said Sittampalam of 1337 Ventures.
“Shieldbase is an ambitious application, and my primary concern would be data privacy within organizations. However, [it has] addressed this by assigning permissions and rights based on roles, which makes it a compelling enterprise solution,” Sittampalam added. “As for Vstream, [it is] dominating a real and growing niche of drone insurance, with an impressive traction strategy targeting the recreational market,” he continued.
For Paix’s founder, Kayel Lee, the recognition marks a “monumental achievement.”
“This win gives us tremendous validation of our vision to transform complex financial operations through AI and hyperautomation. Being recognized by one of the most respected names in the tech industry is a testament to the hard work and innovation we’ve poured into this venture,” Lee told KrASIA.
For Shieldbase, being among the top three reinforces its potential for global expansion. “The opportunity to collaborate with Alibaba Cloud, leveraging its infrastructure and expertise at scale, can be a game changer for Shieldbase’s journey—accelerating our global expansion and enterprise adoption,” said Diego Rojas, CEO of Shieldbase.
Meanwhile, Vstream’s CEO, Saravanan Letchumenan, praised the event’s structure and diverse panel of judges, noting that the program was well-organized with the right tools for participants.
Alibaba Cloud’s commitment to startups
The Malaysia demo day was organized as part of Alibaba Cloud’s ongoing commitment to supporting emerging businesses in Southeast Asia. Through initiatives like the Startup Catalyst Program, participating startups gain cloud credits, mentorship, and investor access.
More broadly, the program helps startups in the region scale and innovate by providing essential cloud resources and tools. Those focused on AI receive additional support through Alibaba Cloud’s large language model services and other AI-driven offerings, equipping them with tools to develop and deploy cutting-edge solutions.
This article was written in partnership with Alibaba Cloud.