The spotlight shone brightly on women-led startups at the highly anticipated Alpha Startups™ for Women Pre-Accelerator demo day, where groundbreaking ideas and entrepreneurial spirit took centre stage.
Organised by 1337 Ventures, the demo day presented ten female entrepreneurs driving innovation in a range of sectors. From foodtech and greentech to social enterprises, these impact-driven startups captivated the audience with their passion, vision, and commitment to creating a positive impact.
The panel of judges, including Ira Kumar (Director, DreamRealized, LLC); Parmeet (Founder & Partner, Joyed Consulting); Anusuya Krishnan (EXCO Member of NAWEM) and Suresh Thiru (GP of 1337 Ventures), evaluated the startups based on their innovation, viability, and potential for societal impact.
“I’m truly impressed by the diversity of female founders at the demo day. Their ideas aren’t just for women; they’re global. And their ambition and determination to tackle significant challenges are commendable”, judge Ira Kumar commented.
“Whether these are their first ventures or not, their dedication shines through. They should keep pushing forward, because their ideas have the power to make a difference. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.”
Ira Kumar, Director, DreamRealized, LLC
37 talented women-led startups joined the Alpha Startups™ for Women Pre-Accelerator in February and 10 were shortlisted for the demo day, hosted at WORQ, KL Gateway.
Among the ventures that pitched at the demo day were Golden Hearts, Awaken Academy, Juris Innovate, Plixstar, Renergy Bumi Hijau, SemuaDigital, Negative12Degrees, Chocolate with Benefits (CWB), Dr Durden’s Soap and Dr Parveenss Global.
Bikesh Lakhmichand, founding partner of 1337 Ventures, highlights the significance of supporting environments that empower female entrepreneurs, noting that the Alpha Startups™ for Women batch brought fresh and creative solutions to tackle important challenges.
“If we want to see more women leading startups, we need to actively help and create chances for them.”
“This cohort focused on women isn’t just about closing the gender gap; it’s about harnessing a variety of skills and viewpoints that make a big difference in society,” he expressed.”
Bikesh Lakhmichand, founding partner of 1337 Ventures
Plixstar, Renergy Bumi Hijau, and Semua Digital emerged as the top three startups in the all-women’s cohort. 1337 Ventures will closely collaborate with these startups, providing market access, fundraising advice, and connections to the business community.
“Being in the top 3 of the Alpha Startups™ for Women has validated Plixstar’s vision, revitalised our team, and boosted our confidence. We are looking forward to working closely with 1337 Ventures for their valuable resources, networking opportunities, and mentorship,” .
Founder and CEO of Plixstar, Abby Teoh, mentioned.
Abby, who is digitizing the plastic industry through an online platform tailored for small and medium plastic manufacturers, further added, “Though it is just the beginning, we believe that this accelerator programme is a springboard for our future growth and innovation, setting the trajectory for our exciting journey towards success.
Sumeshini Subramaniam, the founder of Renergy Bumi Hijau, was initially drawn to participate in Alpha Startups™ for Women due to its reputable track record, extensive support, networking opportunities, and growth potential.
These factors made it a compelling choice for her to pursue, believing that participation in the programme would provide her team with the resources and guidance needed to propel their startup to the next level.
Renergy Bumi Hijau is dedicated to giving waste a new purpose and meaning by turning waste into road construction materials using recycled materials.
Nursharifa Noh’s SemuaDigital assists non-tech-savvy B40 entrepreneurs in setting up and managing their digital businesses seamlessly with the power of AI through the SemuaGPT dashboard.
She shared that “participating in Alpha Startups™ for Women spearheaded her ability to manage the doubts and uncertainties that came with launching a startup. With the right structure, constructive feedback, and a supportive circle of women entrepreneurs, she was able to pivot successfully. The mentors played a crucial role in this transformation, a feat unlikely to occur elsewhere.”
In addition to the top performers, Golden Hearts earned the Crowd Favourite pitch, garnering widespread support and admiration from both physical and virtual audiences.
The Alpha Startups™ for Women Pre-Accelerator demo day marked the end of four weeks of personalised masterclasses and mentorship sessions from a remarkable lineup of female industry experts.
Freda Liu (broadcast journalist), Nadia Ismadi (co-founder of Pod), Lennise Ng (CEO of Borong), Jes Min Lua (co-founder of Recommend Group), Anabelle Co-Martinent (co-founder of La Juiceria Superfoods) and Gwen Delhumeau (CEO and founder of Ellegra) shared their expertise and insights to guide the participating founders in refining their Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) into thriving businesses.
Alpha Startups™ has supported many successful women entrepreneurs, like Atirah Danial and Amirah Jasmine of Manis Leting, Rejina Rahim of W Vault, Dr.Norilmi Ismail of SpaceIn, and Shermaine Wong of Cult Creative. Past winners include Crystal Tan, Elaine Yuen, and Sue Lyen, founders of Eat Cake Today.
1337 Ventures will continue to host its award-winning pre accelerator with an upcoming cohort in September 2024. For early-stage startups interested in participating, register your interest here: https://1337.ventures/asda/pre-register
Alternately, startups are welcome to sign up for Alpha Startups™ Online, a self-paced online course where they can learn the fundamentals of launching a startup: https://1337.ventures/asda/
