KUALA LUMPUR, 8 APRIL 2021: Innov8tif emerged the winner for its OkayDoc platform today in Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s Huawei Spark competition, with DoctorOnCall placing second and MHub coming in third.
OkayDoc is a set of computer vision algorithm that automates ID authentication and prevents fraud in e-KYC (electronic know your customer) through visual zone inspections, security feature detection and content tampering checks.
DoctorOnCall delivers healthcare services like online doctors, specialists, pharmacists, screenings and vaccines directly to users. They have Artificial Intelligence (AI) doctors and 5G Internet of Things (IoT) Pods that aim to improve healthcare for at least 700 million people in Southeast Asia.
MHUB is the leading end-to-end property sales transaction platform that speeds up and simplifies the property sales cycle by connecting developers, agents, banks, lawyers and buyers.
The companies were among the 10 finalists shortlisted from more than 140 entries in the Huawei Spark competition.
The competition is part of the Huawei Spark programme, which aims to incubate and accelerate company growth and build an ecosystem for businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
Huawei Spark is held in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), TusStar (Malaysia) as incubator partner, 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 10 companies that made it to the top were:
- BookDoc
- Boss Boleh
- DoctorOnCall
- Fuhla
- Innov8tif
- MHub
- MSA - Mobile Sharing Assistant
- OrangeFIN Asia
- Orpheus Capital
- SmartPeep
A five member panel of judges comprising representatives from MDEC, TM ONE, TusStar and Huawei decided on the winners after a pitching session by the finalists.
Launched virtually in Malaysia in November last year, the Huawei Spark programme is a hybrid accelerator programme to support deep tech companies in Asia Pacific , 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.
“MDEC remains steadfast in our laser-focus drive to develop and grow the digital economy, in line with MyDIGITAL. Effective collaboration will improve innovation as we look to continuously grow our capacities, facilities and capabilities and the Huawei Spark programme will help shape our digital tech ecosystem and reinforces Malaysia’s goal to be the regional powerhouse for global tech champions,” said Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam, Vice President, Tech Ecosystems & Globalisation (TEG), MDEC.
"As part of China's largest innovation network, TusStar Malaysia is committed to be the bridge for innovation between China and Malaysia. We support the entrepreneurial environment in Malaysia through enabling more technological innovation and social development in the region,” said TusStar’s General Manager and Partner, Ms. Liu Bo.
"TusStar can also be a support pillar for Huawei Malaysia participants to land in China by providing training programmes and China market insights from industrial experts,” Ms. Liu said.
“TM ONE would like to congratulate all winners as well as the participants of the Huawei Spark competition. It is refreshing to observe all these talented entrepreneurs, showcasing impressive capabilities and determination. These start-ups have a lot to offer and we believe they will become the blazing trails in their respective markets in the future. The winners can utilise the seamless, secured TM ONE Cloud α Edge that they receive to further propel their business and fully realise their digital potentials. We will continue to empower enterprises and the public sector with the latest digital technologies and solutions across cloud, connectivity, cybersecurity and smart services to accelerate Digital Malaysia,” said Mr. Mohamad Rejab Sulaiman, General Manager Data Centre, Cloud and Internet for TM ONE.
Mr. Lim Chee Siong, Huawei Malaysia’s Vice President of Cloud & AI said as a global technology leader, it was Huawei’s responsibility to support local businesses and help grow their contribution to the country’s digital economy.
“In doing so, we will help grow the digital ecosystem. Through this programme, we are providing conducive space for companies to grow, and giving them the tools and other resources that they need to have that competitive edge,” he said.
“A healthy and thriving digital business ecosystem will drive innovation and bring great value to the country’s digital economy as a whole. This will in turn, firmly position Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN,” Mr. Lim commented, adding that this was also in line with the government’s Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint, or MyDIGITAL, which aims to accelerate the country’s digital economy by boosting local business competitiveness, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), through digitalisation.
The company that ranks first in Huawei Spark 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.
- The opportunity to sell its solutions to Huawei’s global sales force.
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 opportunity to sell its solutions to Huawei’s global sales force.
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 has now been brought for the first time to Malaysian shores.
MDEC Vice President, Tech Ecosystems & Globalisation (TEG), Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam, and Huawei Malaysia VP of Cloud and AI, Mr. Lim Chee Siong were special guests at the Huawei Spark Malaysia Pitching Day event.
The five judges were Mr. Mohamed Rejab Sulaiman, General Manager of Data Centre, Cloud and Internet, TM ONE; Mr. Ryan Chan, Head of Business Development, MDEC; Mr. Low Wei Chung, Head of Partner Ecosystem, Cloud & AI, Huawei Malaysia; Mr. Nuo Jiang, Chief Digital Officer, Cloud & AI, Huawei APAC; and Ms. Liu Bo, General Manager and Partner, TusStar.
