Teraju to disburse RM15 mln grants to SUPERB winners

PETALING JAYA, Dec 4  -- The Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju) aims to disburse RM15 million in grants to the winners of its 14th edition of the Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Startup Scheme (SUPERB) programme.

Acting chief executive officer Megat Mohd Yatim Megat Hamid said 26 winners had been chosen for 2019 out of 1,179 applications received nationwide. 

He said out of the total submissions, 680 entrepreneurs were from the central region, 144 (east coast), 135 (northern region) and 112 applications were from the southern region.

Meanwhile, 70 and 38 submissions were received from Sabah and Sarawak, respectively.

Megat Mohd Yatim said since the inception of SUPERB in 2014, some 201 Bumiputera entrepreneurs had been produced under the programme, of whom 60 per cent had successfully commercialised their ideas and products.

“Another 30 per cent of the entrepreneurs are still in the developing process,” he said at a press conference here, today. 

He said Teraju, a strategic unit under the Economic Affairs Ministry, had established the business pitching concept programme to identify competitive young Bumiputera startups with innovative ideas or products.

SUPERB 2019 emphasises on six main themes -- digital economy, Industrial Revolution 4.0 (Industry 4.0), social enterprise and sharing economy, creative, art industry and health, food innovation as well as agro and agri business.

The products of the 26 winners were focused on these themes.

These winning entrepreneurs are identified as creative, innovative and adopt critical thinking.

As for the grant, the entrepreneurs at the pre-commercialisation stage will get up to RM500,000 business development grant, while those at the prototype development phase will receive a business development grant of up to RM100,000.

"The winners are currently undergoing an ongoing boot camp and will be put under the surveillance of Teraju's collaborating agencies for them to develop their ideas and products.

"By next year, we expect some of those entrepreneurs are able to become players in the market...perhaps 50 per cent of them," said Megat Mohd Yatim.

At present, Teraju is collaborating with 10 agencies such as Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

"Under the National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030, one of the Key Economic Growth Activities (KEGAs) economic areas we are emphasising is Industry 4.0 and by having SUPERB, we are providing a platform for all those aspiring entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas.

"So, that’s why we are not limiting SUPERB to any particular sector. When we talk about Industry 4.0, it is something that we want to instil and promote...not so much on app-based but any idea," he said.

Among the winners are Pandai, a personalised quality education app; GoFlush Sdn Bhd (hand dryer with smart advertising panel); Pinjamla, an item renting platform; Powerwaver, the developer of wifi-charger battery; and Ge Nitrate Solutions, a food waste management company.

-- BERNAMA