Startup World Cup Malaysia 2025 marks a historic milestone as two national finalists—from both East and West Malaysia—will represent the country at the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, competing for a USD 1 million investment prize.
Organised by Growth Charger, the official Malaysia partner of the global Startup World Cup by Pegasus Tech Ventures, this year’s competition attracted nearly 200 applications nationwide and aligns with over 100 regional competitions held worldwide. For the first time, dual finals are being held in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, a major step in ensuring inclusive innovation and equal representation for startups across the nation.
The West Malaysia Semi-Final took place on 22 May at WORQ KL Sentral, where emerging founders from diverse sectors such as deep tech, digital health, and climate innovation pitched their ideas to a panel of expert judges.
Startup World Cup is a global competition and conference that brings together top innovators and business leaders, with the winner receiving a USD1M investment.
Growth Charger Co-founder and Director Iskandar Shafi’i said “Our vision has always been to empower founders regardless of geography or background. By spotlighting both East and West Malaysia, we’re not just hosting a competition, we’re building a national movement.”
In East Malaysia, the Kuching Semi-Final was held on 26 June at Makeramai Makerspace and will culminate in the East Final at Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS) Digital Village on 31 July. As a testament of their partnership with Startup World Cup, TEGAS will be hosting the TOP 10 East Malaysian startups to pitch and compete for the finals, aligning with their mission to nurture high-potential local talents, accelerating startup growth, and connect them to regional and global opportunities.
By introducing dual finals, KL and Kuching, the competition is making significant strides to ensure innovation from across Malaysia is equally represented on the global stage.
“At WORQ, we champion bold ideas and thriving communities. By hosting the Semi-Finals, we’re proud to help Malaysia’s brightest startups connect, compete, and shine on the world stage,” said Stephanie Ping, Co-founder and CEO of WORQ.
Echoing the same sentiment, Head of Technology Hub Development at Cyberview Sdn Bhd, Shafinaz Salim said Cyberview, as a Tech Hub Developer, accelerates startup growth by providing strategic support, resources, and market access for regional and global scaling.
“We are honoured to be part of this event and witness startups from our Cyberview Living Lab® Accelerator programme advance to their next stages of growth. This further reaffirms Cyberjaya’s collaborative ecosystem,” she said.
Meanwhile, MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil noted that Startup World Cup Malaysia reflects the country’s commitment to digital inclusion and global market access. “Initiatives like this reflect MDEC’s vision of an inclusive, innovation-driven nation, one where high-impact startups from all corners of Malaysia have the potential to succeed beyond our local shores,” he said.
“Through strategic partnerships with Malaysia Digital companies like Growth Charger, we continue to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a launchpad for regional and global tech success.”
The Finals promise to be a celebration of Malaysian startup excellence, with the Top 10 from each region set to compete for a coveted chance to take the global stage. RSVP now and witness the future of Malaysian innovation in action.
Khazanah Auditorium, Asia School of Business (ASB), Kuala Lumpur | 17th July 2025
RSVP KL Final: bit.ly/SWC2025KLFinal
TEGAS Digital Village, Sarawak | 31st July 2025
RSVP Kuching Final: bit.ly/SWC2025KuchingFinal