Kuala Lumpur, 12 November 2020: Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (Huawei) has brought the Huawei Spark programme to Malaysia – a programme which aims to incubate and accelerate company growth and build an ecosystem for businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

The programme was launched today in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s (MDEC) Global Acceleration and Innovation Network programme (GAIN) and powered by TM ONE – the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) – through its α Edge (pronounced as Alpha Edge) Cloud platform.

The competition was launched online followed by a panel discussion featuring experts from Huawei, MDEC and TM ONE on the tech ecosystem in Malaysia.

Representatives from Soft Space Sdn Bhd and Hexa Food Sdn Bhd also shared their insights during the panel session.

The Huawei Spark programme is a hybrid accelerator programme to support deep tech companies in APAC, with a focus on firms that use 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Edge Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, leveraging Huawei’s technological and innovation leadership.

The programme aims to drive output in the areas of e-commerce, Fintech, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Smart Cities.  

“There is a rise in demand for digital solutions and deep tech innovations so MDEC's GAIN programme partnership with Huawei for the Spark Programme is very timely. It will provide local tech companies with the opportunity to gain financial support, test their go-to-market strategies, and connect with mentors, among others,” said Dato’ Ng Wan Peng, Chief Operating Officer of MDEC.

“MDEC will continue to support and partner with programmes like Huawei Spark Malaysia as it fits with our efforts to forge digitally powered businesses that will help shape our digital tech ecosystem and reinforce Malaysia’s goal to be the regional powerhouse for global tech champions,” added Dato’ Ng. 

Meanwhile, Mohamad Rejab Sulaiman,  General Manager of Data Centre, Cloud and Internet, TM ONE, said, “In today’s digital age, cloud is the backbone technology powering all other innovative technologies such as 5G, AI/Machine Learning & Analytics, IoT, and Edge Computing. As the cloud service provider via our α Edge platform, we are pleased to be partnering with Huawei and MDEC in this programme.” 

“It complements our recently announced collaboration with MDEC, in our joint efforts to further strengthen the digital readiness of Malaysia, including digitally empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in support of TM’s unique role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia. We look forward to more innovative solutions created through this initiative, and perhaps exploring the possibility of partnering with these companies in the future,” said Mohamad Rejab.  

CEO of Huawei Malaysia Mr Michael Yuan said as a global technology leader, it is Huawei’s responsibility to assist local businesses in their efforts to digitalise and by doing so, help boost the local ecosystem. He said that collaborations like these are crucial for the success of these efforts, 

“Through this collaboration, I believe we will be able to create a conducive space for businesses to grow, to build a healthy ecosystem where they can thrive, and together with their innovative solutions, drive digital transformation across the country to firmly position Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN. 

“Innovation is borderless and when we collaborate, we flourish,” said Mr Yuan. 

Kick-starting the programme is a competition where companies can submit their pitches during the application period between November 12, 2020 and January 11, 2021, to be selected to join the programme. 

The company ranked first in the competition will receive the top prize in the form of a participation in a six-month long Accelerator Programme which includes: 

- Financial support in the form of USD 125,000 worth of Cloud credits for the company to build their technology stack.

- The opportunity to participate in the Spark Fire programme, which is a unique value proposition of the Huawei Spark programme designed to boost businesses and brand awareness via business matching and business enablement programmes. 

- One-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities with industry experts. 

- Online and offline training resources. 

- Dedicated Technical Support 

- Go-To-Market (GTM) Support, and 

- A chance at being immortalised in a “Hall of Fame” by being featured in advertorials published by Huawei and MDEC GAIN 

The companies ranked second and third will get to participate in a six-month long Accelerator Programme, which includes:

- Financial support in the form of USD 80,000 worth of Cloud credits for the company to build their technology stack.

- One-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities with industry experts. 

- Online and offline training resources. 

- Technical Support. 

- Go-To-Market (GTM) Support, and  

- A chance at being immortalised in a “Hall of Fame” by being featured in advertorials published by Huawei and MDEC GAIN 

The other seven companies shortlisted will receive one year of incubation support between April 2021 and March 2022, which includes the following: 

- Companies ranked 4th and 5th to receive financial support in the form of USD 20,000 worth of Cloud credits for the company to build their technology stack.

- Companies ranked 6th to 10th to receive financial support in the form of USD 5,000 worth of Cloud credits for the company to build their technology stack.

- Online and offline training resources. 

- Technical Support, and

- Go-To-Market (GTM) Support 

The Huawei Spark programme was first launched in 2020 by Huawei’s Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) business group and in view of its beneficial value, it is now being brought for the first time to Malaysian shores.

Also present at the virtual launch today were Ryan Chan, Head of Business Development, Global Growth Acceleration System, MDEC, Leo Nuo Jiang, Chief Digital Officer, Huawei Cloud & AI, APAC, Nicholas Lim, Chief Technology Officer, Soft Space Sdn Bhd and New Jinn An, Co-founder of Hexa IoT Sdn Bhd.