Day: September 29, 2025

general

Mika Immonen, world pool champion, dies at 52

MANILA, Philippines–Mika Immonen, the Finnish pool player who won two world championships, died on Monday after a bout with cancer. He was 52. Tributes from Matchroom Sport and fellow cue artists poured in for Immonen, winner of the 2001 World Pool Championship and the 2009 World 10-Ball Championship. READ: Mika Immonen-Norris upends Reyes-Bustamante in MP

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Endeavor Malaysia flips the script at Reverse Pitch ’25: Investors step into the spotlight

The event gave founders a rare chance to turn the tables in candid Q&A sessions
Regional investors highlighted what they seek in founders & how they back ventures beyond funding

Endeavor Malaysia, with the support of DCG and Luno, successfully hosted Endeavor’s Reverse Pitch 2025. The event drew over 100 founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
Unlike traditional pitch events where founders present to investors, this event put investors in the hot seat. Representatives from leading venture capital funds and financial institutions spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the US took the stage to share what excites them about emerging ventures, the green flags they look for in founders, and how they support companies beyond just capital.
The pitching was structured across three themed rounds:

Round 1: Fintech & AI – Aaron Fu (DCG), Low Zhen Hui (Artem Ventures), and Audra Pakalnyte (FirstMove).
Round 2: Series Pre-A & A – Jimmy Tham (OSK Ventures International), Lee Teng Hau (Kairous Capital), Sophie Chiu (AppWorks), and Anand Krishnan (Openspace Capital).
Round 3: Series B & Later Stage – Alex Wrigley and See Tho Whye Kit (HSBC), Visakan Namasivayam (Creador), and El Regina Tajudin (TNB Aura).

Beyond the pitches, the event also offered founders a rare opportunity to turn the tables during candid Q&A sessions. Much like the tough questioning that investors often direct at founders, this time it was entrepreneurs who got to “grill” investors with their most pressing questions — from deal-making philosophies to how investors truly support growth beyond capital.
“Endeavor’s Reverse Pitch ‘25 is all about creating transparency and opening up conversations that founders rarely get to hear directly — what investors truly value beyond the numbers. We’re thrilled to see the energy in the room and the appetite for more open dialogue between founders and investors,” said Shan Li Tay (pic), managing director of Endeavor Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Aaron Fu, director of Venture Investments at DCG, said, “As investors, we dig deep with founders to understand their vision, capabilities, and strategy. But building successful companies also requires founders to understand their investors. Initiatives like Reverse Pitch encourage entrepreneurs to diligence investors with the same rigour we apply to our investments, creating stronger, more aligned partnerships in the long run.”
Endeavor’s Reverse Pitch ‘25 marks another milestone in Endeavor Malaysia’s mission to drive high-impact entrepreneurship by building bridges between founders, investors, and ecosystem partners.

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BusinesseconomyinvestmentstartupTechnology

Digital Penang and MBAN launch angel investment accelerator to strengthen Penang’s startup ecosystem

Aims to drive innovation and position Penang as a hub for early-stage startups The programme will boost investor numbers & capital, strengthening funding for startups Digital Penang, in collaboration with the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), has announced the launch of the Angel Investment Accelerator Programmea pioneering initiative designed to nurture a new generation of angel investors while bridging the critical funding gap for early-stage startups in Penang. The launch event and LOA exchange, held in Kuala Lumpur during the MBAN Summit 2025, marked the beginning of a three-month accelerator that will deliver structured training, mentoring and deal-flow opportunities for both aspiring and existing investors. By cultivating a skilled pool of local angel investors, the programme aims to fuel innovation, attract entrepreneurial talent, and position Malaysiaparticularly Penangas a premier hub for 01 startup growth and investment. An ongoing MBAN members survey of 59 respondents highlights the significant role angel investors play in the ecosystem. To date, they have deployed close to US$24 million (RM100 million) across 402 startup investments. The Angel Investment Accelerator Programme is designed to build on this foundation and act as a catalyst to increase both the number of active investors and the total capital deployed, ensuring a stronger pipeline of funding for promising ventures. Ng Kwang Ming, CEO of Digital Penang, emphasised the importance of the collaboration, “By building on our partnership with MBAN and nurturing more angel investors, we can unlock funding for early-stage ventures to drive Penangs digital economy and Malaysias economy more broadly.” Echoing this, Peter Wee, president of MBAN, said, “This collaboration with Digital Penang is a significant step forward for Malaysias startup ecosystem. The Angel Investment Accelerator is not just about trainingit is about connecting capital with innovation. We are creating a structured pathway for investors to learn, discover and fund high-potential startups, directly addressing the funding gap for early-stage growth.” According to Digital Penang, this partnership reflects a collective ambition to deliver tangible outcomes that benefit start-ups, businesses, investors and the future workforce in Penang, while building a stronger and more sustainable investment ecosystem for the state. The programme is open to aspiring and active angel investorsincluding high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, professionals and executiveswho are keen to diversify their portfolios while supporting innovation. Participants will gain from structured learning, peer-to-peer networking, and direct engagement with Penangs growing startup community.

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