LaunchX 2025/2026 concluded with its Demo Day at Sunway University @ Sunway Square, featuring 15 finalist startup teams selected from 122 applications across 33 higher education institutions nationwide.
Now in its fourth cohort, LaunchX is a flagship initiative by Sunway iLabs at Sunway University, co-organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). Since its inception in 2022, the programme has recorded a 56% increase in participating universities and 200% growth in student founders, reflecting its growing role in Malaysia’s student entrepreneurship landscape.
LaunchX is a six-month venture-building pathway that supports student founders in moving from validated ideas to market-oriented and scalable startup solutions. Throughout the programme, teams participated in hands-on workshops, mentoring, pitching sessions, office hours, and feedback sessions with investors and ecosystem partners.
The closing ceremony was officiated by YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Haji Megat Sany bin Megat Ahmad Supian, Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), who highlighted LaunchX as a strong example of public-private collaboration in strengthening Malaysia’s innovation ecosystem.
“I believe that entrepreneurship programmes such as LaunchX directly contribute to talent development and strengthening the innovation ecosystem through (1) High Impact Talent Development, (2) Bridging the Academic and Industrial Gap and (3) Commercialization and Value Creation. These three aspects are imperative to always produce the best talents who are competent in translating ideas and innovations into products or services and provide an impact that can be felt by society,” said Dato’ Dr. Haji Megat Sany.
In her welcoming remarks, Professor Dato’ Dr. Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group, said LaunchX provides an enabling environment for student ideas to grow.
“Since its inception in 2022 as Malaysia’s first university-led accelerator, we have aimed to provide more than just funding. We provide a “soil” where ideas can take root. We believe that with the right ecosystem, a student’s “raw, unrefined idea” can be transformed into a “wonderland” of societal impact, commercial scalability, and sustainable success,” said Professor Dato’ Dr. Elizabeth Lee.
As a co‑organiser, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) described LaunchX as a tangible realisation of national entrepreneurship agendas, producing not just graduates, but founders.
“Over six months, university student teams progressed from idea validation and MVP development to testing with real customers and pitching confidently before investors. This transformation reflects the real value of LaunchX,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Syed Norris Hikmi Syed Abdullah, Director of UTMXCITE.
At Demo Day, the finalists pitched before a judging panel comprising Mr. Mohd Noor Hisham bin Abdul Bari, Head of Unit Ecosystem Development, MYStartup Malaysia, Cradle Fund; Ms. Cheryl Lee, Senior Vice President, Khazanah Nasional Berhad; and Mr. Tan Ming Luk, Chief Growth & Operations Officer, Sunway Group. The startup teams were evaluated based on innovation, market viability, scalability, and execution.
Of the 15 finalists, over 75% had already achieved MVP validation and entered early-stage market testing and pilot discussions with industry partners, a signal that these were not classroom projects, but ventures with real commercial intent. Several teams walked away from Demo Day with follow-up conversations with venture partners scheduled for the weeks ahead.
The Top 4 Startups of LaunchX 2025/2026
Grand Prize – Leaf Eternal Trading (Universiti Malaysia Kelantan) | Agri-Tech
Leaf Eternal Trading came to LaunchX with a bold agricultural vision: use nanotechnology to restore degraded soil and lift crop yields for Malaysian farmers. They leave as Grand Prize champions, with plans to scale nationwide and expand into ASEAN.
“On the first day we stepped into LaunchX, the feedback we received made us step up our game entirely. Our vision grew far beyond what we imagined, from a local idea to something that could reach across ASEAN. Without LaunchX, we might have lost our direction entirely.”
First Runner-Up – HomeHaven Rx (Universiti Teknologi MARA) | Health-Tech
HomeHaven Rx is building a medication management platform rooted in empathy, the belief that patient care should be as compassionate as it is clinical.
“I went from sharing an acrylic case with stakeholders to having two fully functioning 3D-printed prototypes. I was like an alien in the startup world. LaunchX gave me the classes, the direction, the pathways. Without that push, I’d still be doing my internship, not building a startup.”
HomeHaven Rx is now progressing toward clinical validation via MRANTI’s sandbox.
Second Runner-Up – Cortexa Labs (Sunway College Johor Bahru) | Artificial Intelligence
Cortexa Labs is tackling one of the most critical gaps in the AI industry: cybersecurity. Their platform ensures AI models are secure before deployment, with a focus on fintech and cybersecurity, the sectors where the stakes of a breach are highest. For the team, LaunchX was as much about learning to communicate as it was about building.
“We came in speaking like researchers. LaunchX pushed us to communicate like founders by framing our product in a way the market could actually understand. I went from doing my A-levels to being funded, with a product we know exactly how to sell. You don’t need to wait until you’re ready. Just start, learn, and apply.”
The team is now advancing through a design-partner model with early clients.
Third Runner-Up – Lettuboost Enterprise (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak) | Agri-Tech
Lettuboost Enterprise arrived at LaunchX with an idea rooted in Sarawak’s waterways: transform invasive water lettuce, an environmental nuisance into high-quality, sustainable fish feed. They were the only team from Sarawak in the finalist cohort, and by their own admission, didn’t think they could win.
“We saw strong competitors and honestly felt it was impossible. But six months of challenges taught us that building a startup demands real commitment and sacrifice. LaunchX was our stepping stone. It gave us the network, funding, and confidence to turn an idea into something real.”
The team plans to commercialise their fish feed product by end of year and expand to farmers across Sarawak and beyond, with several investors from Demo Day already expressing interest.
Collectively, winners and finalists received over RM45,000 in seed funding to support product development and early growth.