MYStartup, in collaboration with the Malaysian startup accelerator WatchTower and Friends (WTF), has announced the launch of the MYStartup Pre-Accelerator Cohort 5, aimed at discovering and nurturing promising early-stage startups across the nation.

Applications are now open, welcoming pre-seed and early-stage startups from diverse sectors, with a strong emphasis on tech-driven solutions, MYStartup said in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, the program will run from October 2024 through February 2025, providing an intensive, hands-on learning experience designed to accelerate startup growth and development.

Throughout the program, selected founders will benefit from world-class mentorship, access to cutting-edge resources, and a results-driven curriculum that sharpens their business acumen and innovation potential.

As with previous cohorts, the Top five startups will earn a place in an exclusive fundraising accelerator program, providing them with the essential tools and connections to secure investment and scale their ventures beyond the pre-accelerator stage.

Additionally, this latest cohort features a prize money of MYR 35,000 ($8153), reflecting a continued commitment to supporting the growth of Malaysia’s most promising startups.

The MYStartup Pre-Accelerator Cohort 5 is a four-month program designed to empower early-stage startups with the skills, strategies, and network necessary to succeed.

With structured sessions held three times a week, the cohort will cover crucial topics such as:

Module 1: Founders’ Foundations – Establishing co-founder alignment, defining vision and mission, and goal-setting through OKRs.

Module 2: Business Model Canvas – Building robust business models, customer profiling, and understanding market landscapes.

Module 3: Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – Designing and launching MVPs with a focus on iterative development.

Module 4: Market Validation – Conducting customer validation, gathering feedback, and refining the product.

Module 5: Early-stage Essentials – Covering legal documents, valuations, fundraising strategies, and pitch preparation.

Module 6: ESG for Startups – Exploring the importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and aligning with sustainable practices to attract investors.

This curriculum ensures that startups are well-equipped to face the challenges of scaling in a competitive landscape.

An initiative under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) and driven by MYStartup, the Pre Accelerator Program remains a cornerstone of Malaysia’s growing startup ecosystem.

It provides a platform for early-stage companies to transition from innovative ideas to market-ready solutions, fostering entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.

Building on the success of previous cohorts in the MYStartup Pre-Accelerator Program, the recent cohort has seen startups like Faradays Energy, which was awarded a Cradle Grant to develop and deploy a 20kWh unit for a rural electrification project, and Reyhut, which secured a five-figure investment from an early stage venture-capital.

Additionally, startups such as Founder HQ and IOXTECH Global have attracted higher-quality leads through more strategic targeting and MVP development.

In line with the nation’s aim to be among the top 20 global startup ecosystems by 2030, MYStartup aims to facilitate a seamless business environment by uniting founders, investors, tech talents, government agencies and ecosystem players – fostering inclusive and sustainable growth.

The agency is also a part of the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021-2030 and has been nurturing the ecosystem through capacity-building programs, including hackathons, accelerators, pre-accelerators, and bootcamps.

This initiative is also in tandem with MOSTI’s target of creating 5,000 startups by 2025 and 10,000 coders by 2030.

WatchTower and Friends Sdn Bhd operates the WTF Accelerator, a program designed to drive explosive growth by connecting startups with the right mentors, investors, and industry experts.

MYStartup launches Pre-Accelerator Cohort 4 with 30 promising startups