Early-stage venture capital firm HASAN.VC has announced the launch of its inaugural Venture Studio in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, set to commence on 1 July 2025. The program is designed to co-build AI-native startups from the ground up in collaboration with selected early-stage founders.
The Venture Studio offers a distinctive “zero-to-one” approach, where participants will work hands-on with the HASAN.VC team through an intensive 15-day on-site sprint to ideate, validate, and prototype early startup concepts. The most promising teams will advance to Phase 2 of HASAN.VC’s proprietary research process and stand to receive up to RM380,000 (USD 90,000) in pre-seed funding. These ventures will also gain direct entry into the upcoming HASAN.VC Accelerator cohort.
“We believe in going earlier — even before the idea stage. There’s a wealth of untapped talent that just needs the right environment to thrive. This program is built to ignite that potential,” said Mohd Akhtaar, Head of Accelerator and Investor Relations at HASAN.VC.
The program will be hosted at Kijo.my, a co-working space in Kota Bharu, and will provide access to mentorship, AI-enabled tools, and an immersive environment tailored for startup creation. HASAN.VC is particularly targeting values-driven talent from Kelantan, the East Coast, and beyond, including engineers, AI practitioners, product builders, and aspiring founders.
“At HASAN.VC, we’re committed to nurturing founders who want to solve meaningful problems with purpose and technology,” said Umar Munshi, Managing Partner of HASAN.VC. “The Kota Bharu Venture Studio is part of our long-term vision to build a new generation of ethical, AI-native startups that serve humanity and are grounded in strong values.”
At the end of the program, selected startups will pitch to strategic partners, mentors, and venture capital panels, providing a launchpad for further growth and funding.
Applications are now open via the HASAN.VC website: https://hasan.vc/kota-bharu