Fadzli delivered a thought-provoking address on the realities of building investable ventures.
Batu Kawan: The Founders & Funders: Asean Tech All Stars 2025 concluded on Nov 28, 2025 at The Ship Campus, drawing almost 200 participants and marking a significant milestone for the Asean startup ecosystem.
The event reaffirmed Penang’s growing position as a strategic innovation and investment hub in the northern region.
Hosted by the Entrepreneur Growth Hub (EGH) – a prominent coworking space in Penang that actively supports Malaysia’s startup ecosystem – in partnership with startup firm noobs, the event was supported by major sponsors, including giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Salesforce, MicroLeap and Jelawang Capital, alongside various tech companies, investment firms and service providers.
The collective commitment of the stakeholders elevated the event into a high-impact convergence of capital, innovation and ecosystem leadership.
Founders and investors alike recognised the platform as a timely opportunity to engage with Asean’s next phase of startup growth.
A hunt for capital
A core highlight of the programme was the private pitching sessions, conducted on an invitation-only basis for selected founders that met the minimum criteria.
The majority of participants hailed from the Ed-tech, Med-tech and SaaS/PaaS industries.
These closed-door sessions enabled founders to engage directly with more than 20 investors and agencies to fundraise for their Seed or Series A ready startups.
The panel of judges came from myriad backgrounds, including venture capital firms (VCs), Securities Commission-backed equity crowdfunding and P2P financing platforms, and government-linked corporations.
Voices of the industry
Beyond pitching, the event featured a curated programme of keynote addresses, expert panels, strategic discussions and networking dinners that explored emerging technology trends, Asean investment dynamics and practical pathways for cross-border scale-up and future collaboration touch points.
Speakers shared experience-based insights on capital readiness, innovation strategy and navigating evolving market realities.
Representing the VC panel session were Gobi Partners managing director Hisham Ibrahim, 500 Global general partner Shahril Ibrahim, RHL Ventures founding partner Raja Hamzah, Monk’s Hill Ventures managing partner Kuo-Yi Lim and Qualgro general partner Weisheng Neo.
The session was moderated by AWS senior investor manager Ghaz Iqbal, with the panel diving deep into the fundamentals of fundraising.
From the government side, C-level executives provided insights into the local startup ecosystem, key support pillars and programmes, and the roadmap moving forward.
These included MDEC vice president Wan Murdani Wan Mohamad, Cradle Fund senior vice president Harmender Singh, Northern Corridor Economic Region chief executive Datuk Mohamad Haris Kader Sultan, Jelawang Capital transformation head Radin Faizal Arif, TalentCorp chief operating officer Siva Kumeren A. Narayanan.
The session was moderated by Digital News Asia chief executive officer Karamjit Singh.
Real-world experience
The startup arena featured renowned founders and country heads who shared insights on building successful ventures and navigating the competitive landscape.
Speakers included 3Cat co-founder Heinrich Wendel, Ninja Van Malaysia country head Lin Zheng, Xendit Malaysia chief product officer Lee Zian Wei, iMotorbike co-founder and chief executive officer Gil Carmo, Nuren Group founder and chief executive officer Petrina Goh.
The session was moderated by Endeavor Malaysia managing director Shan Li Tay.
Delivering the opening keynote was Datuk Fadzli Shah, cofounder and chief executive officer of Zetrix AI and MyEG, who delivered a candid and thought-provoking address on the realities of building investable ventures.
Drawing from his experience scaling deep-tech companies across the region, he shared three key insights:
> Ideas must be original rather than replicated, highlighting the importance of differentiated thinking.
> What appears as luck in hindsight is often the result of cost, timing and preparation.
> Investors are not simply sources of capital to fund dreams, but strategic partners seeking viable, scalable and execution-ready businesses.
Mindset for growth
The event also featured two prominent tech soonicorns – Skyechip co-founder and chief technology officer Teh Chee Hak and Storehub chief executive officer and founder Fong Wai Hong.
Both reiterated that in the face of adversity, one can only choose to grow stronger; founders should fundraise to thrive rather than merely survive; and success is defined by resilience after setbacks.
In the post-event interview, Shahril highlighted the value of the platform in bringing together a diverse mix of founders and investors, particularly from Penang and the northern states.
He noted that the event’s inclusivity enabled meaningful dialogue, strengthening mutual understanding of expectations and strategies.
From the government side, MDEC vice president Wan Murdani, noted that the event provided a valuable forum for startups and scale-ups to engage directly with government agencies.
He emphasised that open discussions around challenges and support mechanisms helped founders better understand how government programmes, incentives and interventions can support their growth journeys.
From the startup scene, Nuren Group chief executive officer Petrina Goh described the event to be a very different and unique flavour to what she’s used to in KL and big cities.
Long-term sponsors and ecosystem partners also reaffirmed the importance of sustaining platforms such as Founders & Funders.
Ghaz highlighted the role of such events in fostering meaningful conversations around scaling strategies, go-to-market execution, and identifying high-potential opportunities.
Matthew Fernandes, MicroLEAP partner, echoed the same sentiment, noting the event’s consistent ability to unite founders, investors and agencies under a shared ecosystem vision.
Incubating future unicorns
The EGH has evolved significantly since its inception in 2020. From a 5,000 sq ft coworking space with zero connections, it has now transformed into a regional powerhouse supporting the nation’s startup ecosystem, and is able to draw heavyweights from private, investment and government sectors alike.
From the outset, the main objective was never to just rent out real estate, as that does not provide intrinsic value for founders and companies.
The EGH has always looked beyond its local borders to discover what real value it can bring to its members and stakeholders.
You will often hear common startup pain points, like not having access to funding, talent, new markets, mentorship and connections – services that the EGH is now able to offer, in the form of networking events, pitch days, demo days and more.
Founders & Funders as a mission is the culmination of six years of mistakes and failures, where it is now able to provide successful investment deal flows to investors and agencies alike, as well as provide the platform for founders and entrepreneurs to learn, connect and grow with like-minded individuals.
To put it simply: “Our end game is to be able to help incubate Malaysia’s next tech unicorn like Carsome”, as stated by EGH head Shaun Yeoh.
To get connected with the EGH as a startup ecosystem partner, contact Shaun Yeoh at 016-212 9999 or shaun.yeoh@theshipcampus.com
