In a move to accelerate Southeast Asia’s innovation economy, Sunway iLabs — the innovation arm of Sunway Group — has teamed up with Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) to launch the Deep Tech Ventures Lab (DTVL), a six-month co-creation programme designed to nurture and scale early-stage deep tech and artificial intelligence (AI) startups.
The initiative, running from July to December 2025, aims to develop market-ready solutions to some of the region’s most pressing challenges by supporting science- and engineering-driven entrepreneurs. A total of 20 startups were selected from 69 applicants — an acceptance rate of just 29% — with selected ventures addressing critical sectors such as food and water security, healthcare, intelligent autonomy, semiconductor applications, energy transition, and decarbonisation technologies.
“DTVL embodies our vision to drive deep tech innovation that delivers both commercial success and meaningful societal impact,” said Matt van Leeuwen, Chief Innovation Officer of Sunway Group and CEO of Sunway iLabs. “By empowering science- and engineering-led startups, we’re investing in solutions that can shape a better future for Malaysia and the region.”
The programme is structured to provide startups with intensive support, including expert-led workshops, investor-readiness sessions, monthly mentorship, and access to global capital networks.
Cradle, Malaysia’s lead agency for early-stage startups under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), co-leads the programme alongside an international slate of innovation partners. These include:
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Deep Tech Labs (UK), backed by the University of Cambridge, ARM, and Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC);
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Investible, a climate-tech venture capital firm based in Australia and Singapore;
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CloudMile, a regional AI and cloud solutions provider enabling digital transformation.
“This is exactly the kind of bold, future-forward initiative our ecosystem needs,” said Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle. “Deep tech is about solving real, complex challenges at scale. DVTL reflects the spirit of collaboration we need between government, academia and industry to push Malaysia’s innovation frontier.”
The programme is further bolstered by a strong ecosystem of academic and venture partners. Among the participating universities are Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and Sunway University. Prominent venture firms such as Gobi Partners and The Hive Southeast Asia also lend their support, alongside national innovation bodies including MRANTI and industry mentors from Malaysia and the UK.
One of the launch’s symbolic highlights was a plant-watering ceremony involving five key stakeholder groups — startups, academia, corporates, government, and venture capital. Each plant symbolised a unique strength in the innovation ecosystem: the snake plant for startup resilience, the calla lily for academic knowledge, the ZZ plant for corporate strategy, the ficus ginseng for government stability, and the orchid for venture capital — representing high but carefully cultivated returns.
The programme will culminate in a Pre-Demo Day in September, where all 20 startups will pitch to a curated group of venture capitalists, corporates, and policymakers. Five to ten standout startups will move forward to the final Demo Day showcase in October or early November, offering global exposure and investment opportunities.
Having marked its 50th anniversary last year, Sunway is now setting its sights on the next 50 years — with deep tech innovation as a core strategic pillar. Through Sunway iLabs, the group aims to foster a high-impact entrepreneurial ecosystem that bridges academia, industry, government, and startups — positioning Malaysia as a regional leader in deep tech.