Digital Village accelerator programme chooses six Sarawak-based startups
Six Sarawak-based startups have been selected to join Cohort 3 of the Digital Village Accelerator (DiVA) programme – a collaborative initiative of the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) Berhad and venture capital and startup accelerator firm NEXEA.
The startups are MyScripts, Fly Technology Agriculture, Nebula, Beli Beli SuperApp, Satok Bridge Digital, and Formeta PLT.
A press release from SDEC said this flagship programme within Sarawak’s digital and innovation ecosystem officially kicked off last week with an orientation day.
SDEC said more than 190 startup applications applied for DiVA, which aims to foster a robust innovation community in Sarawak that drives the growth of digital technology and creative industries.
It explained that the programme supports entrepreneurs and tech startups in Sarawak by offering essential resources for nurturing their innovative capacity.
In this third cohort, participants can engage in specialised mentorship, benefit from industry-specific guidance, and avail of various supports to steer their startups towards success.
Selected participants may secure SDEC grants of RM150,000 and an investment of up to RM250,000, offering substantial financial leverage for their ventures.
Participants will engage in one-on-one mentoring sessions, participate in workshops, and interact with peer startups.
These sessions will feature insights from top-tier investor mentors including James Graham, Alan Lim, Jonah Lau and Dato Patrick Liew, who will impart their expert knowledge to help the startups’ development.
MyScripts develops MyScriptsOS for different community pharmacies and end-users to improve medication management, while Fly Technology Agriculture is an accredited social enterprise aiming to leverage organic waste as the primary feedstock for black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, transforming an environmental challenge into a sustainable solution.
Nebula is a cloud gaming platform powered by gamers, and Beli Beli SuperApp is a subscription-based super app involving delivery, e-hailing, online mall and on-demand services.
Satok Bridge is an artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-based startup focusing on solving problems with technology, while Formeta PLT is a startup company from University of Technology Sarawak focusing on drones, AI, IoT, blockchain technology, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training.
SDEC chief executive officer Sudarnoto Osman said they were thrilled to meet and collaborate with all the talented startups that applied for the DiVA programme.
“Our goal is to provide them with the right platform, resources, and guidance to shape their ideas into innovative solutions that will contribute to the Sarawak digital and innovation ecosystem,” he said.
Meanwhile, NEXEA chief executive officer and founder Ben Lim said every applicant in DiVA Cohort 3 brings a unique story and a burning desire to make a difference.
“We’re here to empower them and together, we’ll witness a collective spark of innovation that ignites Sarawak’s digital future.”