Tegas, Watchtower & Friends to hold pre-accelerator bootcamp in Sarawak

• Open to all Sarawakians or startups with at least one Sarawakian co-founder
• A one-week programme designed to take early-stage startups to the next level

APPLICATIONS are now open for the second cohort of TEGAS Pre-Accelerator Bootcamp (TPAB). This bootcamp is being organised in line with TEGAS’ mission of promoting entrepreneurship in Sarawak.

Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (TEGAS) will be working closely with their strategic partner, WatchTower and Friends Accelerator for the programme’s second cohort this April 15-20 at SMA-TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub (DIH), Kuching.

TPAB is a one-week programme designed to take early-stage startups to the next level, from validating ideas into creating a minimum viable product (MVP) and a go-to-market strategy.

The content is delivered by industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs, covering topics such as business fundamentals, customer and product development, marketing, operations, fundraising, and pitching.

The bootcamp prepares participants for the Demo Day to select the top three winners and a chance to pitch to investors as well as green lane to pitch for TEGAS Startup Lab, Sarawak Shell LiveWIRE and WTF Accelerator.

Demo day winners are set to receive a package that includes company incorporation support and three-months’ access to DIH.

“We’re really excited to collaborate with WatchTower & Friends Accelerator to launch this bootcamp. This could be a great springboard to take early-stage startups to the next level,” said TEGAS chairman Len Talif Salleh, who is Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment.

WatchTower and Friends Accelerator has produced a number of notable alumni which include startups such as TheLorry, MoneyMatch, MyCash Online, PostCo, ParkIt, Lapasar and Omnimatics, to name a few.

The participants will get a first-hand account from some of these leading founders on their road to success in their startup journeys.

WatchTower and Friends Accelerator chief executive officer Sam Shafie (pic, right) said that they look forward to taking their proven programme to Sarawak. “We are happy to join forces with TEGAS and work towards creating a vibrant startup ecosystem in Sarawak. We believe Sarawak will have their own startup success stories soon,” he added.

“Our mission is to provide growth opportunities for early-stage startups and to build a strong startup community across Sarawak. This initiative is in line with Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg’s agenda to increase the number of successful technopreneurs and subsequently drive the state’s digital economy,” said Len.

The programme is supported by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA). TEGAS is also collaborating with SMA in operating the DIH in Kuching, Miri and Bintulu.

DIH serves as an inclusive avenue to nurture talents, support entrepreneurs and create innovators for Sarawak. DIH offers access to co-working space and shared amenities, funding opportunities and facilitation, incubation and acceleration programmes as well as an entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem.

“Together with all our partners within the digital ecosystem, we know that this initiative will create success stories that will be the pride of our state, and our nation,” said SMA general manager Dr Zaidi Razak.

TPAB is open to all Sarawakians or startups with at least one Sarawakian co-founder. To apply, please visit bit.ly/TPAB2019