PETALING JAYA: Six Malaysian startups have made it to Forbes Asia’s “100 to Watch” list, comprising firms in the fields of enterprise technology, agriculture, finance and e-commerce.The first Malaysian startup on the list, announced today, is Aerodyne, an enterprise technology company which has come up with autonomous drones capable of spraying crops, inspecting power lines and even monitoring a city’s streets.“The company’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ‘nested’ drone system helps devices sync with one another and return to a common charging base,” said Forbes Asia.Founded in 2014, the firm has raised some US$68 million in funding rounds and conducted more than 458,000 flight operations in 45 different nations.
Agriculture startup BoomGrow focuses on setting up indoor vertical farms, which refers to the practice of growing crops in vertically-stacked shelves, using repurposed shipping containers.
The firm claims to grow over 250 types of produce that are pesticide-free and also sold to restaurants and in grocery stores.
Founded in 2013, the firm also operates in the Philippines.Care Concierge, an enterprise technology startup, also made it to the list, offering senior citizens assisted living facilities as well as caregiving services.
With its sights set on Malaysia’s ageing population, the Care Concierge application allows users to choose from a pool of 2,000 nurses, therapists and caregivers to look after elderly loved ones.Users can also monitor the elderly’s vital signs through the app.
The company was founded in 2017 and has raised US$4 million in funding so far.Meanwhile, consumer tech firm Involve Asia is a marketing platform that allows brands to connect with influencers with less than 100,000 social media followers to rope them in to market and advertise their products.
The startup was set up in 2014 and claims to work with more than 500 brands including big names like Nike and Sephora. Up till now, it has raised US$16.5 million in funds.
E-commerce startup Lapasar was first founded in 2016 as a wholesale website for goods such as cleaning tools, IT equipment and office supplies.
However, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the company expanded to fast-moving consumer goods and now oversees its own warehouse and distribution network.
With 10,000 suppliers involved in its network, ranging from small stores to larger firms, Lapasar has already raised US$5.7 million.Lastly,
Forbes Asia included finance startup PolicyStreet in its list of 100 firms, with the company founded in 2016 providing digital insurance solutions for consumers and businesses.
“The Kuala Lumpur-headquartered startup says it has partnered with Southeast Asian e-commerce giant Shopee to insure packages, and with ride-hailing giant Grab to insure drivers.
“It has raised a total of US$22 million from investors including Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional Berhad,” Forbes Asia said.
Reference: https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/219092/six-malaysian-startups-make-it-to-forbes-asia-s-100-to-watch-list/