The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) announced
Sunway iLabs as Malaysia’s fifth Malaysia Digital Hub. (MDEC is the lead agency in driving the digital economy in Malaysia under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia.)
Sunway iLabs is a not-for-profit concept where Sunway
University, Sunway Group, and Sunway Ventures (Sunway’s corporate venture
capital arm) work closely together in a collaborative space to foster
entrepreneurship and stimulate market-driven innovations.
The Malaysia
Digital Hub initiative was launched earlier this year to offer
opportunities to startups for connecting to ASEAN and global digital ecosystem.
The hubs are co-working spaces, which provide startups with high-speed
broadband and fibre optic connectivity, funding (both private and government)
and facilitation opportunities and IP (Intellectual Property) Protection. Start-ups
get access to a Founders Network, with founders of over 20 nationalities.
While it encourages the participation from all tech
startups, Malaysia Digital Hub focuses on four categories – growing startups,
global tech companies, accelerators and talent builders and investors.
Three other digital hubs were approved by the government initially,
APW, The Co. and Common Ground. At the Create@Alibaba Cloud Startup
Contest, ASEAN Division, WORQ was announced
as the fourth Malaysia Digital Hub.
Datuk Yasmin
Mahmood, CEO of MDEC, said, “We are delighted to announce Sunway iLabs
as Malaysia’s fifth Digital Hub. Digital hubs provide startups and tech entrepreneurs
the connections and dynamic workspaces to achieve rapid growth and help
Malaysia establish itself as a digital and tech hub in the ASEAN region. Our
target in 2017 was to establish three Digital Hubs and we are happy that we
have surpassed our target with today’s announcement.”
“As a Malaysia Digital Hub, Sunway iLabs strengthens its
position in the start-up eco-system and expands its partnership with MDEC. We
will now be able to link start-ups to programmes such as the Malaysian Tech
Entrepreneur Programme which provides end-to-end support for start-up
communities beyond Asia who wants to base their business in Malaysia,”
said Matt Van Leeuwen, Director,
Sunway iLabs.
