KUALA LUMPUR: Startups companies in Asean should combine their best practices and explore collaborations to be more viable in the international market.
Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Dr Ong Kian Ming said the startups can cooperate to become more diverse in terms of offerings and attract more foreign direct investments (FDIs) to Southeast Asian countries.
“This will be part of a larger ecosystem that we want to build to make Asean a great place to do business,” he said in his speech when officiating the Asean Rice Bowl Startup Awards – Summit and Awards 2019 here, yesterday.
Organised by New Entrepreneurs Foundation, the Asean Rice Bowl Startup Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, rewarding innovation, excellence, and best practice in startups across the region.
Its chairman, Hamdi Mokhtar said the award recognises outstanding startups that provide excellence and sustainable solutions on improving local livelihood.
“We also provide business coaching dan matching venture capital for the winners,” he said.
The two-day event also features talks, panel discussions by prominent business leaders from the region as well as investor and business matching sessions, among others.
The Asean Rice Bowl Startup Awards comprised 13 categories, including Best e-Commerce and Supply Chain Startup, Best Fintech Startup, Best Accelerator or Incubator Programme and Investor of the Year. – Bernama
