KL20: Will It Put Malaysia On The Map?

Was there too much focus on attracting foreign unicorns, players and VCs at KL20? Was there not enough local support announced? We explore those criticisms as well as key aspects of the KL20 Action Plan with Dr Sivapalan Vivekarajah, Co-Chair of the Soonicorn Collective, and collective member Sharma Lachu, Founder and CEO of Accendo Technologies.

We will get into their topline thoughts and impressions about KL20 and the action plan, some of the feedback and criticisms levelled at it, and what their respective impressions and hopes are for particular initiatives, including the Innovation Belt and Unicorn Golden Pass, as well as the VC Golden Pass, VC Launch Fund, and VC Academy. We’ll also spend some time on the importance of talent initiatives.

KL20 was a summit organised by the Malaysian government held on the 22nd-23rd of April with the aim of helping stimulate Malaysia’s startup scene by addressing some of the challenges faced by startup founders in the country like access to funding, navigating regulatory barriers and attracting top talent.

At the event, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the KL20 Action Paper, which is a roadmap outlining tangible reforms to achieve convergence among key stakeholders – founders, venture capitalists, talent, incubators and accelerators, to propel Malaysia's startup tech sector to new heights.