Student startup accelerator LaunchX aims to fast-track high‑impact ventures by students in higher education institutions (HEIs) and to support Malaysia’s push to become a leading global startup hub by 2030, says the Higher Education Ministry.
The programme aligns with the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035 and the HEIs Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2026–2030, which focus on producing resilient, adaptive graduates with an entrepreneurial mindset, the ministry said in a social media post on April 24.
The programme, a flagship initiative by Sunway iLabs at Sunway University co-organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and supported by the Higher Education Ministry, saw 122 startups involving 282 students from 33 HEIs being developed over a six-month period.
Throughout the programme, participants underwent intensive training, including business development modules, industry guidance and idea presentations on Demo Day. The top 15 startups were then selected to showcase their innovative solutions in sectors such as artificial intelligence, agritech, fintech, edutech and green technology.
The ministry said programmes such as LaunchX play an important role in bridging the gap between academia and industry.
It also accelerates the commercialisation of students’ business ideas. These startups are seen as significant contributors to the national economy, given that the micro, small and medium enterprises sector contributes more than 38% to the country’s gross domestic product.
“Adopting a holistic approach, the programme not only produces competitive graduates but is also able to create job opportunities through the establishment of startups.
“The ministry is optimistic that more world-class startups and companies will emerge from the country’s higher education ecosystem,” it said.
The 2025/2026 chapter of the programme was closed by the deputy higher education secretary-general (policy) Datuk Dr Megat Sany Megat Ahmad Supian, at Sunway University on April 23.
This was the fourth cohort of the programme, running since 2022.
Also present at the ceremony were Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee; Higher Education Ministry Strategic Planning Division secretary Fazidah Mustafa; UTM deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Prof Dr Ali Selamat; and Sunway University provost and deputy vice-chancellor Prof Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam.
