PETALING JAYA, 13 Nov 2017:
One big problem faced by startups is getting enough funds to sustain the venture – especially after the founders have put in their savings and just about to scale up operations.
If you are in the so-called “valley of death” or “pioneer gap” phase, the Malaysian arm of global organisation Impact Hub is ready to help you reach out to potential investors in its first ever Investment Ready Programme to be held over six months next year.
Applications are open now till Nov 26 at https://kualalumpur.impacthub.net/investment-ready-program/ for startups which already have a basic proof-of-concept and have begun to generate at least a minimum amount of revenue.
Charities and associations are not eligible to apply, as they are not structured to receive equity investments.
The key criteria for successful application to this programme is a scalable solution for the social inclusion of children and young people – but there’s no age range set for applicants and even older folk can apply.
“We do not take an equity stake in our participants. We make investment available through our impact investment network and committed partners,” said Joseph Gross, chief executive officer of Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Bhd – which is sponsoring this initiative.
This is part of an effort for driven entrepreneurs from Brazil, Germany, Malaysia and Turkey – where 10 participating teams from these four countries will engage in a systematic review of their business model, strategy, and team before crafting a validated growth and investment plan over six months.
All participants will also be part of two multi-day workshop sessions in February and June in Munich, and have the chance to pitch in front of a jury for the Allianz Future Generations Award (€40, 000) at the end of the programme.
“Pursuing innovative solutions is part and parcel of Allianz Malaysia’s business strategy and through the Investment Ready Program, we are more than excited to provide a platform and support local ideas which can potentially provide sustainable, long-term impact in our society,” said Gross.