Startup Digest Malaysia - Potential Growth of Startups in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

As the curator of this digest, I have constantly been monitoring the startup activities in Malaysia. I have always believed that startups are an important ecosystem in the country. By focusing on the issues that startups in Malaysia face, we hope that startups will be able to grow stronger.

Johor, as a gateway connecting to Singapore and other regions, is a place where talents are nurtured and are known as a city where talents were exported to nearby cities, such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Local startups have faced many challenges, such as funding and building a team of talents to work together.

Startup activities are starting to grow in Johor, but there is a lack of funding activities and venture capitalists, which becomes an obstruction to startups. Startups will need to do more to expand their growth. 

Boosted by the Iskandar Johor project, the Johor economy is growing. Compared to other main cities such as Kuala Lumpur, the awareness of digital and technology isn’t very strong in Johor. But there are companies, such as Mind Maze Academy, STARTlab, Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Center, etc., willing to provide training-related activities in the southern region.

Startup activities such as Techstars Startup Weekend have also been held in many places in Malaysia. It helps the young entrepreneurs gain more knowledge and build up their skills to start or expand their business.

Startup founders are generally in their 20s and 30s and trying to make some changes in the technology industry in Johor, but due to the lack of resources and support, they find it hard to fulfill their needs. 

One advantage of the startup ecosystem in Johor is that most companies focus on their business itself. Most companies focus on things that can build up their business, such as building good products and services, focusing on customers, and solving their problems. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by Johor startups is a lack of talent. Therefore, startups need to build the right team to work together. But facing the problem of talent acquisition and market access, they will need more effort to build up the team they need for their startup. 

To allow the company to grow, even with the right talent, the company will have to put effort into keeping the talent. Companies must let them feel they are part of the team. Certain startups even set up another office in another city to sustain their company growth. 

Training more talents in Johor can help improve the ecosystem and help startups move to the next level. 

Co-working space was introduced into Malaysia a decade ago and had been increasing rapidly recently. The increase of freelancers, startups, and remote workers, especially after the pandemic, increases the need for co-working spaces.

Co-working space is an alternative option for employers as conventional offices usually have a higher rental cost. Flexible working allows employees to look for a more flexible working space in a co-working space instead of working from home alone. It also helps to reduce external stress that comes from work. 

The concept of the co-working space focuses on building a professional community. Freelancers and remote workers can have more freedom while working in a flexible environment that suits their needs. Compared to working at home, they can work as a community in a co-working space.