Peter Wee
President, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)Opens and closes the day, on why 2026 is the year Malaysia's angels return to first principles.
No. 01 · The idea
Back to BasicsReal Capital, Real Conviction
The
plinth
plinth
Same founder. A different room. A different value.
A candle on a garage shelf is scrap wax. Put the same candle on a plinth in a white gallery, and someone pays four figures for it. Nothing about the candle changed. Only the room did.
The startup is the candle. MBAN is the plinth. A founder posting a milestone on LinkedIn and the same founder in front of angels who have written cheques are not giving the same pitch. Who is in the room changes what the pitch is worth.
This year we go back to the person every startup story begins with: the angel. The craft of spotting great founders. Backing AI businesses built to last. Investing with conviction in any market. Turning good investments into great exits.
The next great Malaysian company is looking for its first believer. It could be you.
No. 02 · The room
One considered room
On 2 December, Malaysia's most active angel investors, the founders they back, and the government and ecosystem leaders who shape the market meet for one day of honest conversation.
- i.How angels judge a deal
- ii.Backing AI on fundamentals, not hype
- iii.Lessons from the deals that didn't work
- iv.The road to exit
Every seat is applied for, nominated or invited, and confirmed by name.
For founders
A room built to hear you, not a feed to shout into. Apply for a seat, or apply to pitch in Enter The Tigers' Lair.
For partners
Help set the standard for early-stage private capital in Malaysia. Write to manager@mban.com.my.
No. 03 · The pitch
Eight startups. Pitching live.
Enter The Tigers' LairSummit edition, 2025
MBAN's flagship pitching series: eight live pitches and the winner announcement.
A small group of founders will be chosen, on fundamentals, to pitch live to the room. Applications close 18 November 2026. Participation details are in the application pack.
Apply to Enter The Tigers' Lair
No. 04 · The market
Malaysia's startup economy, in numbers
5,000+
Registered startups
Nearly
RM40B
Raised
More than
RM200B
Combined value
Source: MOSTI / MYStartup, as of 31 December 2025
No. 05 · The angel
MBAN's community in action
Close to
RM100M
Deployed into Malaysian startups by MBAN angels since 2000
375
Startup investments
RM264K
Average cheque per startup
Nearly half of our active angels invest only through direct private deals, using SAFE notes or direct equity.
Source: MBAN Startup Investor Insights survey, 59 respondents, 2000 to 2025
No. 06 · The speakers
Builders, backers, and battle-tested angels
The people putting real capital behind real conviction.
Every voice on stage is chosen the way every seat is: considered, and confirmed by name.
We will introduce them here, one at a time, from early November.
01
02
Elain Lockman
Vice President, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)[One line on why they are in the room]
03
Karen Puah
Council Member, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)[One line on why they are in the room]
04
Alan Lim
Council Member & Immediate Past President, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)[One line on why they are in the room]
05
Dr Sivapalan Vivekerajah
Council Member & Past President, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)[One line on why they are in the room]
06
Xelia Tong
Honorary Secretary, Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)[One line on why they are in the room]
07
Renuka Sena
Co-Founder & CEO, PROFICEO[One line on why they are in the room]
08
Alan Ong
Chairman, MBAN Penang Chapter[One line on why they are in the room]
09
Premesh Chandran
Co-Founder & Former CEO, Malaysiakini.com; Co-Founder & CEO, Awatar[One line on why they are in the room]
10
Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid
Founder and Chief Scientist, Qarbotech[One line on why they are in the room]
11
Chik Wai Chiew
Founding Chairman of the Investment Committee, Asia Impact First Fund[One line on why they are in the room]
12
Dato' Ch'ng Huck Teng
Executive Director, Ghee Hiang[One line on why they are in the room]
13
Yee Fook Weng
Co-Founder and Senior Partner, Murad Yee Partnership[One line on why they are in the room]
14
Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke
Group CEO, Cradle FundTwo decades of backing founders first: what 5,000 startups taught Cradle.
15
Jenani Segarajah
Senior Manager, PwC Malaysia[One line on why they are in the room]
16
Moses Vinsien
Founder and CEO, Evolving Brilliance (EB TECH)[One line on why they are in the room]
17
Pooi Chan (PC) Gan
Founder & CEO, Kampungku[One line on why they are in the room]
18
Hawati Abdul Hamid
Head of Social Policy Research, Employees Provident Fund (EPF)[One line on why they are in the room]
19
Nicholas Chong
Vice President, Commercial & Product, pitchIN[One line on why they are in the room]
20
Noomi Fessler
CFO and Co-Founder, Lapasar[One line on why they are in the room]
21
Justin Lim
Managing Partner, NEXEA[One line on why they are in the room]
22
Kevin Brockland
Founder and Managing Partner, Indelible Ventures[One line on why they are in the room]
23
Zafirah Bahiyyah Zulkifli
CEO, PETRONAS Innovation Garage (PING23)[One line on why they are in the room]
24
Aaron Sarma
Co-Founder, Remote Ventures[One line on why they are in the room]
25
Brian Fernandez
Founder, BizTech Asia[One line on why they are in the room]
26
Andrew Shao
CFO, SWAP Asia[One line on why they are in the room]
27
Harmender Singh
Senior Vice President, Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd[One line on why they are in the room]
28
Dato' Darawati Hussain
Executive Director, Syalin Sdn Bhd[One line on why they are in the room]
29
Liew Ooi Hann
Founder & CEO, Halogen Capital[One line on why they are in the room]
30
Ts. Ng Kwang Ming
CEO, Digital Penang[One line on why they are in the room]
31
Adrian Waters
CEO & Co-Founder, whizzbangidea[One line on why they are in the room]
32
Amardeep Kaur
General Manager, Investment Management Development, Securities Commission Malaysia[One line on why they are in the room]
33
Ts. Hazwan Razak
CEO, Bioverde Technologies[One line on why they are in the room]
Speakers from MBAN Summit 2025.
No. 07 · The day
The shape of the day
Conversations with the angels and founders putting real capital to work, followed by Enter The Tigers' Lair, live. The full running order is published closer to the day.
9:00 am
Arrival
9:30 am
AddressWelcomePeter WeeWhy 2026 is the year Malaysia's angels return to first principles.
9:50 am
Fireside chatWhat 5,000 startups taught usNorman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Cradle FundTwo decades of backing founders first: who makes it, who stalls, and what angels tend to miss.
10:20 am
KeynoteBack to basics: why fundamentals win in a corrected market[SPEAKER NAME]Real revenue, unit economics that work, and founders who can do more with less.
10:35 amLive pitches · Part oneEnter The Tigers' Lair
Live pitches · Part oneEnter The Tigers' Lair11:00 am
PanelBehind the decision: how we actually evaluate deals[SPEAKER NAMES]Active angels bring one deal they backed and one they walked away from, and take you through each decision as it happened.
11:35 amLive pitches · Part twoEnter The Tigers' Lair
Live pitches · Part twoEnter The Tigers' Lair12:00 pm
AddressMalaysia's next chapter: national priorities and the early-stage investor[SPEAKER NAME]Where Malaysia is heading, which sectors come first, and the part angels are being asked to play.
12:15 pm
FeatureMalaysia's top 100 startupsWith Cradle Fund
12:30 pmEnter The Tigers' Lair winner, and announcements
Enter The Tigers' Lair winner, and announcements12:45 pm
LunchFood from curated food tech and social-enterprise vendors on site.
2:00 pm
AddressThe funding escalator: from first cheque to exit[SPEAKER NAME]How crowdfunding, angel syndicates and new listing routes connect, from first cheque to exit.
2:30 pm
KeynoteSignal vs noise: the AI defensibility test[SPEAKER NAME]A simple way to tell the AI businesses built to last from the ones riding the label.
2:45 pm
PanelThe ones that didn't work[SPEAKER NAMES]Investors and founders on the deal that failed: when they knew, what they missed, and what it cost.
3:15 pm
PanelThe exit talk: how angels actually get paid[SPEAKER NAMES]The exits that paid out, how long they took, and how to position companies for the buyers now entering the market.
3:45 pm
Closing plenaryWhy the fundamentals still win[SPEAKER NAMES]What to act on, tested against everything said on stage.
4:15 pm
AddressClosing remarksPeter Wee
4:30 pm
ReceptionUntil 5:30 pm.
