Huawei Spark Accelerator 2022 kickstarts in Malaysia

  • Aims to accelerate, boost startup innovation, deep tech companies  
  • Investments of US$56,700, follow-on funding of up to US$267,000

Huawei Spark Accelerator 2022 kickstarts in MalaysiaHuawei Spark – a competition which aims to incubate and accelerate company growth and build an ecosystem for businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region – is set to make its second debut after its first successful round that culminated last year.

Named Huawei Spark Accelerator 2022 and organised by Huawei Malaysia, this competition aims to incubate, accelerate and boost the innovation of startups as well as deep tech companies in Malaysia, the company said in a statement.

With an initial focus on firms that use 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, Huawei said it has since expanded its area of interest. 

This includes seeking to drive output in the areas of financial services and insurance solutions, healthcare, agriculture, education, tourism, marketplace solutions, AI, machine learning analytics as well as Web 3.0, whilst leveraging its technological and innovation leadership, Huawei said.

The competition is a hybrid accelerator for tech startups, partnering with NEXEA that is known for having experienced mentors and connecting startups with leading angel investors, it said.

This is done in collaboration with Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) and Cyberview Sdn Bhd

Huawei said through the competition, startups that enter the Huawei Spark Accelerator Programme will be able to obtain support in playing key roles and in defining the disruptive technologies of the future. 

It said this competition will also be a step towards its aspiration to cultivate potential ‘Malaysian-made’ startups to be new unicorns in the next two to three years.

It also said the collaborative effort behind the Huawei Spark Accelerator Programme 2022 is also in line with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (MOSTI) Startup Development Roadmap Plan to have 5000 startup companies by 2025 including five unicorn companies.

Chief executive officer of Huawei Malaysia, Michael Yuan (pic) said the first launch of Huawei Spark was a success which helped empower several companies. Huawei Spark Accelerator 2022 kickstarts in Malaysia

“We would like to continue and extend this opportunity to more local businesses to help nurture their contributions towards the country’s digital economy.

“In doing so, we will help advance the digital ecosystem and firmly position Malaysia as the ASEAN Digital Hub,” he said.

Yuan said the programme will serve as a platform for Malaysia’s talented and aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their capabilities and fully realise their digital potential. 

“The Huawei Spark Accelerator Programme will empower startups and help them contribute towards bridging the digital and societal divide. Together, we can catalyse new opportunities and create new value”, he added.

Huawei Malaysia vice president of Cloud and AI Business Unit, Lim Chee Siong said, “With this competition, we hope to see more start-ups and developers build Huawei Cloud Native apps on our Huawei Mobile Services and be part of the Huawei device ecosystem so that they are able to share our network of channel resources who serve one billion global Huawei device users.”

Last year’s Huawei Spark saw Innov8tif emerging the winner for its OkayDoc platform, with DoctorOnCall placing second and MHub coming in third.

In addition to providing financial, technical and networking support, the Huawei Spark Accelerator Malaysia 2022 offers an array of rewards for startups, including potential investments of US$56,700 (RM250,000), follow-on funding of up to US$267,000 (RM1,000,000) and Huawei Cloud Credits Up to US$125,000 (RM550,800)

Applications for the competition are now open. Click here for more information 

 

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