FWD x 1337 Ventures Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator Cohort 3 Is Now Open
Welcome back to an-all new Head’s Up! This week, we are highlighting the FWD x 1337 Ventures Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator Cohort 3 which is now open to Malaysian startups looking to enhance and grow their ideas within the Fintech, Insurtech, Takatech and Islamic Fintech space.
The accelerator is set to begin in early April this year with registrations closing on March 27. So why wait? To register, click here and for more information on the programme, go here.
But just before you go on to read the perks of joining the Cohort 3, here are some news & announcements.
EVENTS
In this February talk, special guest, Asgari Stephens will share with his investing experiences in the early days. Asgari is one of the first VCs in Malaysia, an experienced investor who has invested in Jobstreet & BFM Radio.
RSVP now at bit.ly/angelseriestalk.
Webinar will be conducted in Zoom. Links will be shared prior to the event.
Looking for more insights on Islamic Fintech and the latest trends, opportunities and direction of the industry in Malaysia? Join Ruslena Ramli, Director of Islamic Digital Economy, MDEC on Feb 23 as she shares more on identifying the relevant problem statements and opportunities in the local and regional Islamic Fintech Space.
Participants of the talk will gain access to valuable insights on how their business can benefit from the incorporation of Islamic Fintech and also learn about the role and support from the Government and regulators in Malaysia’s Islamic Fintech scene.
For more information, click here
1337 Ventures have released a comprehensive report produced together with the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) that features Fintech experts discussing the future of financial services.
Get a copy of the report at https://1337.ventures/fintech-reimagined-roundtable-report-2021.
FWD x 1337 Ventures Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator Cohort 3 Is Now Open
Last year, FWD Start-Up Studio and 1337 Ventures launched a bi-annual pre-accelerator programme to help aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups ideate, validate, and fine-tune their Fintech, Insurtech, Takatech as well as Islamic Fintech start-up ideas. Each pre-acceleration cohort ran for 12 weeks, enabling participants to identify new opportunities to enhance the ecosystem and value chain.
As part of the 12 weeks period, 5 weeks will be dedicated to shortlisting the chosen 25 teams while the final 8 weeks will be exclusive for mentoring the top 10 finalists.
Top teams of each cohort received an investment of RM150,000 to fund their winning idea as well as the potential for paid Proof-of-Concepts (POCs) with FWD. After two successful cohorts, both FWD Start-Up Studio and 1337 Ventures are back again for another round of identifying the next top teams within the ecosystem.
With registrations to participate in Cohort 3 now open, potential start-ups within the Fintech, Insurtech and Takatech are invited to submit a 1-minute video pitch about their idea for evaluation. Shortlisted participants will receive a call from the team At FWD to schedule a short interview session.
If you are looking to explore problem statements to potentially address, FWD has come with several problem statements present across the insurance value chain. They have encouraged start-ups to look into flexible and on-demand plans, B40 community outreach, gamification, data privacy, personalised insurance policies and tackling complicated insurance claims process among others.
Selected participants will go through FWD’s time-tested pre-accelerator bootcamp to ensure that they are equipped with the right knowledge with regards to customer development, product development, and marketing. Founders and teams will also get the access to connect with renowned Fintech and Insurtech business industry mentors, technology experts, investors, partners, FSIs and global Fintech experts.
Furthermore, the pre-accelerator bootcamp, which takes place twice a year, across 12 weeks will expose founders to the Fintech ecosystem in Malaysia, help them to identify trends and opportunities shaping the Fintech ecosystem as well as Fintech regulations that covers the following areas under all SEA countries.
Start-ups will also go through several iterations of Pitch training to ensure that they will be ready to pitch eloquently on follow up “Meet the VCs” sessions. The mentorships and guidance sessions taking place throughout the weeks aims to ensure that start-ups are ready for Demo Day.
The programme will also focus on accelerating growth under the mentorship of FWD Start-up Studio, with top start-ups receiving investments and the potential for paid proof of concept (POCs), office space and USD 500k worth of infrastructure. Digital perks will include AWS Cloud Credits, co-working space and airtable credits as well.
In addition to these perks, the FWD Start-Up Studio will support top teams to expand to other countries in ASEAN, consider further funding for high potential start-ups from seed stage to pre-series A and enable the possibility to co-create further high-potential ventures alongside FWD.
The accelerator is set to begin in early April this year with registrations closing on March 27. So why wait? To register, click here and for more information on the programme, go here.
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