Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle), the focal agency for Malaysia’s startup ecosystem development under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), announced Tuesday the launch of Cradle Elevate, a new MYR10 million ($2.53 million) funding program and the Cradle Startup Accelerator Program 2026.
Both initiatives form a coordinated national effort to strengthen the startup pipeline. enhance ecosystem connectivity and expand access to support via the MYStartup Single Window platform, aligned with the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap (SUPER) 2021-2030 and the KL20 Action Plan.
Chang Lih Kang, Minister of MOSTI said, “Malaysia is building a stronger startup ecosystem with a clear focus on quality, scalability and real economic impact. Through Cradle LIVE! Roadshow, we are bringing support closer to founders across states, connecting them to the right funding pathways, capabilities and market opportunities.”
“This ensures Malaysian startup founders are better positioned to build their start, raise financing, grow business, expand overseas and have meaningful exits in line with our vision of placing Malaysia among the world’s top startup ecosystems by 2030,” he added.
Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group Chief Executive Officer of Cradle added, “Malaysia has a strong funnel of startups with validated solutions and early market traction. The challenge lies in bridging the gap from early growth to scale. Cradle Elevate is designed to address this by strengthening investment readiness and supporting startups to scale with confidence.”
Bridging Malaysia’s Missing Middle
According to the statement, Cradle is addressing a critical gap in Malaysia’s early-stage funding landscape i.e. the “missing middle” of startups that have validated their solutions but are not yet ready for larger private funding rounds. At this stage, ventures often struggle to access growth capital and unlock market opportunities. Cradle’s interventions bridge this gap while also encouraging greater venture capital (VC) participation by de-risking early-stage investment and building investor trust.
Through Cradle Elevate, Cradle aims to bridge this gap via equity investment Pre-A to Series A startups. With investment sizes ranging from MYR500,000 to MYR2 million alongside partner investors, the program strengthens business fundamentals, enhance investor readiness and accelerate startups towards follow-on funding and expansion.
Complementing the new funding program, Tuesday also marks the rollout of several key initiatives under the Cradle Startup Accelerator Program 2026, a structured nationwide approach to support the ecosystem across all stages of growth. These include programs such as Bootcamp, Pre-Accelerator, Accelerator and Relnnovate, each designed to rigorously validate ideas, strengthen fundamentals and sharpen each startup’s path to scale.
The launch was announced at Cradle LIVE! Roadshow Perak 2026, part of this year’s nationwide effort to engage high-potential and rising startup ecosystems beyond key hubs, featuring curated programmes to connect founders to funding, capabilities and market opportunities.
For Cradle Elevate, expressions of interest can be submitted via elevate@cradle.com.my.
To be part of the Malaysia’s startup ecosystem, visit www.mystartup.gov.my
Featured photo: TNGlobal/Yimie Yong
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