Malaysia's Crowded AI Startup Queue: Who Should Get the Money?
Show notes
Today’s AI news is our Made in Malaysia episode: Cradle Fund says 60 to 70 per cent of its roughly 1,000 yearly applications are now AI startups, and Mei Ling works out what the RM41 million and RM450 million in public startup money really mean. We ask what investors want from homegrown AI founders in Malaysia, and look at the locally designed chips on show at AiSEM@Selangor this week.
AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.
Also in this episode: police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission are investigating arrears owed to JPJ by MyEG and Zetrix AI, and we cover where drivers can renew road tax now. Data centre developer DayOne raises another RM15 billion from seven banks, including Maybank and CIMB, to expand in Johor, though jobs, sites and power use are not disclosed. Getty Images plans to file for bankruptcy, with AI-generated images cited as one factor. The Big Question asks whether public AI money should back the top or reach the bottom.
Timestamps 0:04 A thousand pitches, most of them AI 0:27 Meet the team 1:05 MyEG and Zetrix AI: the JPJ probe 2:46 DayOne’s RM15 billion for Johor 4:33 Getty Images files for bankruptcy 6:21 A word from Hitower IT 7:07 Made in Malaysia: who gets the startup money? 10:15 Big Question: back the top or the bottom? 11:31 Verdict: Yes AI 30 12:34 One thing to do today 12:58 See you tomorrow
Today’s Verdict: Yes AI 30 (RM20 a month for six months, then RM30, with ILMUchat Pro included). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.
Stories and sources
- Cradle Fund sees overcrowding as AI startups dominate applications (The Edge)
- MOSTI’s RM1.29 billion Budget 2027 allocation (The Edge)
- Budget 2027: Jelawang Capital and Dana Perintis to invest in startups (TNGlobal)
- AiSEM@Selangor rebrand and event details (Digital News Asia)
- AiSEM@Selangor Design by Malaysia showcase (Vulcan Post)
- MACC and police probe MyEG and Zetrix over JPJ arrears (FMT)
- Six witnesses questioned in police probe (FMT)
- JPJ suspends Zetrix AI and MyEG as collection agents (The Star)
- DayOne secures additional RM15b financing for Johor data centre expansion (The Edge)
- Getty Images to file for bankruptcy, go private (Lowyat)
- Yes AI 30 plan with ILMUchat Pro (SoyaCincau)
- Yes postpaid plans and ILMUchat Pro access (Lowyat)
- USD to MYR mid-market rate (XE)
Standing thread: Who gets left behind.
AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.