KL20 ACTION PLAN RECEIVES 48,000 APPLICATIONS ACROSS 12 INITIATIVES - MOSTI

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- A total of 48,000 applications have been received across 12 initiatives under the KL20 Action Plan, with more than 46,000 beneficiaries, according to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

The ministry said that through the MYStartup Single Window portal, 4,448 active startups have registered, reflecting strong interest and an overwhelming response to the initiatives offered through the KL20 Action Plan.

In 2025, Kuala Lumpur climbed to 18th place on the Startup Genome’s Emerging Startup Ecosystems list, compared with 2024, when it ranked between the 21 and 30 spot.

In conjunction with Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025, MOSTI has been mandated by the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) to lead the ASEAN Startup Initiative, with Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd appointed as the implementing agency.

“This move will not only help spur the development of the local startup ecosystem, but also strengthen regional cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation,” the ministry said.

It added that the ASEAN Startup Initiative is implemented under Strategic Thrust 4: Building a Digitally Resilient ASEAN, and under this initiative, the ASEAN Startup Platform has been launched. The platform includes a database, branding and curated content specifically for the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem.

The portal also serves as a single window connecting startups with investors, talent, strategic partners, as well as regional capacity-building programmes.

Since its launch, 8,683 startups and 1,739 investors have registered on the platform, indicating strong interest and participation from regional startups and investors.

-- BERNAMA