Malaysia-based startup Klean makes strong pitch in London

SINGAPORE: Klean, a Malaysiabased startup which won the Pitch@Palace Asean in July, was at the finals of the Pitch@Palace Global at St. James Palace in London on Dec 12, to showcase its unique container deposit ecosystem to more than 300 European business leaders.

The company was one of 23 winners from over 800 participants in various Pitch@Palace events globally.

Pitch@Palace was founded by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York in 2014, to support entrepreneurs from all over the world with the amplification and acceleration of their business ideas.

Pitch@Palace does this by connecting some of the most innovative start-up businesses in the world with industry, in particular potential investors and supporters, including angels, mentors and key business contacts.

“To be given this opportunity to showcase our fully Malaysian business in front of so many influential business leaders at St James Palace was a once in a lifetime experience.

“The networking opportunities have been unlike any other,” Klean co-founder, Datuk Mohamad Arif Abdullah told Bernama from London.

Tracking its journey, Klean in July won the first Asean edition of Pitch@Palace, held here.

Klean’s ecosystem utilises a unique Malaysian-made smart reverse vending machine that runs on its own Klean operating system, an app and an e-wallet that rewards people for recycling.

Recyclers receive Klean points which are redeemable for rewards such as prepaid air time, discounts for transportation, goods, services and even health insurance.

The Klean app will also be linked with the Boost/Axiata wallet to allow for a wider spectrum of benefits.

The company’s most significant achievement to date is teaming up with HelloGold to tackle generational poverty.

By allowing the poor to return plastic water bottles and aluminium cans, users can create gold portfolios, which can then be used to obtain micro loans to start businesses or even buy a house.

Southeast Asia makes up about 50 per cent of the world’s ocean’s plastic problem and none of the countries in the region have a container deposit scheme in place.

Klean believes that the time is right to launch the scheme across Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia.

“We have created Klean as a socio-economic revolution aimed at not only cleaning the environment, but at the same time, providing income opportunities for the poor and marginalised,” said co-founder, Datuk Dr Nick Boden.

Klean is ready for the market and is currently seeking to secure funding to launch machines across Malaysia, Singapore and the rest of Asean.

It aims to start in both Malaysia and Singapore in the second quarter of 2019.

According to Mohamad Arif, the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation has been supportive of Klean and its initiatives.

“It has encouraged us to pursue our initiatives in Malaysia as well as in the region,” he said.