The 2023 Sarawak state winning enterprises EB Tech, Dr Parveen Kaur, Myscripts, Pungu Borneo and Rukun TV were part of over 60 participants who joined this programme. They went through a comprehensive bootcamp, where 10 selected finalists moved on to the final pitching competition.
Here, the entrepreneurs were assessed based on their business pitches, which demonstrate their drive to grow their business ideas based on their comprehensive business plans and five winners were chosen thereafter.
“TEGAS is proud to partner with Shell Malaysia as part of our commitment in empowering our local start-ups and social enterprises to develop their businesses. We look forward to continuing this collaboration, which aims to stimulate our local economy through entrepreneurship, innovation, and meaningful employment in Sarawak,” expressed YB Datuk Haji Len Talif Salleh, Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment and Chairman of TEGAS.
The five winning enterprises received a start-up fund of RM10,000.00 from Shell and an additional RM5,000.00 from TEGAS. On top of that, they will also receive a year of business coaching to flourish their business plans into full-fledged businesses and access to the facilities and opportunities made available by TEGAS.
Furthermore, the winners will also be given the opportunity to connect with the global LiveWIRE ecosystem and share their knowledge with entrepreneurs around the globe, while standing a chance to compete in the annual Shell Global Top Ten Innovators Awards.
“I am proud of our LiveWIRE programme, which provides a platform for budding entrepreneurs to not just empower themselves to build their businesses, but to also create employment for their surrounding communities, while contributing towards the socio-economic growth of Sarawak and the nation. I encourage entrepreneurs to partake in this programme that provides access to knowledge, skills, networks and resources, which will help turn their entrepreneurial ideas into successful ventures,” said Choong Yen Li, General Manager of Sarawak Gas, Shell Malaysia Upstream.
The judges for Shell LiveWIRE Malaysia 2023 Sarawak state finals were Manzoor Hayat Khan, Acting CEO, TEGAS Digital Village; Ronnie Teo, Business Editor of Borneo Post, President of the Kuching Division Journalists Association and Vice President II of the Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association and Alex Pega Mahda, Territory Manager, Mobility, Shell Malaysia. Also in attendance was Jonathan Jolly, Shell Malaysia’s General Manager of Corporate Relations for East Malaysia.
Shell LiveWIRE is the flagship enterprise development programme of Shell. The programme strengthens local economies across the globe by promoting entrepreneurship and developing entrepreneurs.
This programme, which kick started in Sabah in 2015 and in Sarawak in 2016 aims to inspire young entrepreneurs to innovate and produce real business solutions that meet today’s socio-economic needs. Starting from 2022, Shell LiveWIRE was extended to include entrepreneurs from Peninsular Malaysia.