WORQ to host Founders-Investor Connect, bridging female-led startups to leading Venture Capitalists
- The one-day event will bring together founders from 30 startups to meet Venture Capitalists (VCs) in Malaysia in an effort to bolster the local startup ecosystem and encourage diversity in the market
KUALA LUMPUR, 3 March 2025 – WORQ, Malaysia’s leading coworking and flexible workspaces provider, is launching the inaugural Founders-Investor Connect (FIC) on 7th March 2025, to be hosted in their latest outlet, WORQ Sunway Velocity. To celebrate International Women’s Day, the event is focused on connecting Malaysia’s strong female-led startups to venture capital firms.
The FIC event, the first of its kind in Malaysia specifically for female founders, underscores WORQ’s commitment to empowering women in entrepreneurship. The event will feature three segments, including the flagship Founders-Investor Connect and two insightful panel sessions.
The Founders-Investor Connect event will act as an exclusive platform empowering female founders by providing direct access to up to 8 venture capitalists (VCs) actively seeking innovative startups. Supporting 30 pre-seed, seed-stage, ideation-stage and growth-stage startups, the event will offer one-on-one sessions for founders to pitch their ideas, gain feedback and explore funding opportunities. Each pre-selected startup will have the chance to meet up to 4 VCs, with 6 minutes per session to make a compelling case for their business.
Alongside the one-on-one sessions, the event will feature engaging panel sessions led by industry experts, offering valuable insights on key challenges and opportunities for women founders:
Panel 1: Beyond the hustle: Sustainable success for women founders
- Moderator: Roshan Kanesan, Producer and Presenter at BFM 89.9
- Speakers:
- Koggelavani Muniandy, Workplace Wellness Opinion Leader from Mind Movers
- Melly Ling, Co-Founder and CEO at Mole
- Lily Sim, Founder of Strive Fitness and Co-Founder of the Female Founders Association
Panel 2: Funding the future: Women and access to capital
- Moderator: Roshan Kanesan from BFM
- Speakers:
- Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin, Managing Director at MADCash
- Renuka Sena, Co-founder and CEO at Proficeo
- Elena Kersey, Angel Investor & Captain at Epic Angels
Leveraging WORQ’s powerful network
In Malaysia, women-led startups secured just 1% of VC funding in 2020, while male-led ventures dominated with 91%, highlighting a stark funding disparity. By 2023, startups with at least one female founder secured 19% of private capital, showing progress but leaving a significant funding gap. Initiatives like WORQ’s Founders-Investor Connect aim to bridge this gap by connecting female founders with VCs by providing a platform to showcase their ideas, connect with investors, and cultivate meaningful partnerships that can drive their businesses forward.
As a leading ecosystem partner and community builder, WORQ has access to VC networks, as well as one of the largest startup communities in Malaysia. The programme allows female founders to develop pitching skills, grow their network, and gain unmatched access to seasoned venture leaders in Malaysia. Through the matching and feedback elements of the programme, the new direct connections can lead to funding opportunities.
“The funding gap for female founders is a well-documented challenge, and initiatives like WORQ’s Founders-Investor Connect program are a game changer. As the first of its kind, this program leverages a strong network to bridge the divide between female entrepreneurs and potential investors, creating much-needed opportunities for growth and success. We appreciate WORQ’s leadership in driving inclusivity and empowering women-led businesses to thrive” shared Jesyka Hiu, Advisor of Female Founders in Malaysia & SEA (FFMYSEA).
This year, WORQ will host a total of three FIC events, with the other two events to be announced shortly. The next session will be held in June, coinciding with the NetWORQ Party, providing an excellent opportunity for networking and community building. A final FIC event will be hosted in October, ensuring ongoing support and resources for female entrepreneurs throughout the year. This continued focus on FIC events underscores WORQ’s dedication to fostering a strong and vibrant community for female founders.
Stephanie Ping, CEO and co-founder of WORQ stated “Women entrepreneurs bring immense innovation and resilience to the startup ecosystem, yet they often face greater challenges in securing funding and mentorship. The Founders-Investor Connect is designed to change that by creating direct opportunities for female founders to engage with leading VCs, gain valuable insights and build the right networks for growth. By fostering these connections, we’re not only helping women-led startups scale but also driving a more inclusive and diverse entrepreneurial landscape. At WORQ, we believe in championing initiatives that level the playing field and empower women to turn their ideas into thriving businesses,”
The brief details on this event can be found below:
- Date: 7th March 2025
- Time: 3pm to 5pm
- Venue: WORQ Sunway Velocity, Level 12, Sunway V2 Tower, 158, Jalan Peel, Maluri, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
The March 7th event, supported by generous partners and sponsors like TikTok, will welcome approximately 60 attendees.
For more details on the event and to RSVP, visit the links below:
- Panel discussion: https://worq.space/event/celebrate-iwd-2025/
- Founders-Investor Connect: https://worq.space/event/she-means-business-fic/
-END-
About WORQ
WORQ’s mission is simple; to liberalise real estate for the countless people using it. To do so, it aims to provide Google-like offices everywhere and enable users to consume real estate via a Space-As-A-Service model. WORQ, through its community-centred spaces, has garnered a total of 9 awards since its inception including the prestigious TechNode Global ORIGIN Innovation Awards for Best Community Builder.
Boasting honoured guests that have passed through its doors such as King Charles III, who visited their TTDI outlet in 2017, and Executive Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, Kamala Ladhir who visited in 2018, WORQ’s hyper-localised community centres are the meeting place for workers and businesses alike which in turn attracts high-profile visitors to engage with its robust community.
WORQ has been working on their secret recipe for scaling this model effectively. It ultimately aims to fulfil its vision, which is to help people prosper by working together.
For WORQ
|
Vidyavashni |
Akmal Hakim Adnan |
Legal Disclaimer: The Editor provides this news content "as is," without any warranty of any kind. We disclaim all responsibility and liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. For any complaints or copyright concerns regarding this article, please contact the author mentioned above.
