MAJECA JAMECA Joint Conference: Spotlight on Malaysia-Japan Startups (that uses AI)

The MAJECA JAMECA Joint Conference, held in 2024, highlighted innovative Malaysian and Japanese startups in fintech, AI, and space technology, emphasizing collaboration's role in driving technological innovation and growth.

1. Introduction

The MAJECA JAMECA Joint Conference, held from July 31 to August 1, 2024, aims to strengthen Malaysia-Japan business relations. The first day, July 31st, serves as a pre-programme showcasing six Malaysian and Japanese startups in fintech, AI, and the space industry.

Introduction to MAJECA and JAMECA

The Malaysia-Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) and the Japan-Malaysia Economic Association (JAMECA) were established in 1977 to promote closer economic ties between the two countries. This initiative followed discussions between senior representatives, leading to the creation of forums aimed at fostering friendship and economic cooperation.

As a member of MAJECA, I attend events to network and gain insights into the business relationship between my birth country and the country I call home. This blog post will focus on the first day's pre-programme due to its relevance to Kafkai's blog theme.

2. Startup Sharing Session (Part 1)

The first startup sharing session was moderated by Mr. Sivanevenayakam Velayutham from Finexus Group and featured three innovative startups:

Mr. Top Lim, FinHero (Malaysia Startup in FinTech): FinHero, based in Penang, develops financial solutions for SMEs using AI. Their products aim to enhance financial inclusion and literacy by simplifying financial management and incorporating fraud detection through machine learning. In March 2024, NTT-Data became a stakeholder in FinHero.

Top and his management team all come from the banking sector and their solutions are aimed to address the shortcomings and manual process that they have seen in the past. There will be interesting developments currently in the works for FinHero so watch them fly!
Ms. Anna Yamauchi, Lumirous (Japanese Startup): Lumirous operates in the femtech sector, offering services related to fertility and reproductive health. The platform aims to empower users with information and tools for managing their reproductive health journey.

Anna is doing much needed work which traditionally have been ignored in the past due to the decision makers being distanced from the problems of womenfolk. I am happy to learn that there are people like Anna that is working on things that matter like this.
Ms. Ami Sugiyama, Secai Marche (Japanese Startup in Farm to Table & Supply Chain): Secai Marche connects farmers directly with businesses, streamlining the supply chain and reducing inefficiencies. The company received USD1.6M in funding in 2023.

Looking forward to see Secai Marche deliver durians all over the region. Then it'll be a truly Malaysian startup :smile:

3. Startup Sharing Session (Part 2)

The second session, moderated by Mr. Abdul Hakim Sahidi from Leave A Nest Malaysia Sdn Bhd, featured:

Mr. Keitaro Asaba, Tenchijin: A JAXA Venture focusing on using satellite data for environmental and infrastructure management, particularly water management through its product KnoWaterLeak.
Mr. Diego Rojas, ShieldBase AI: Enhances workplace productivity through secure AI-powered search capabilities, acting as a "second brain" for modern workplaces.

I had opportunity to talk to Diego after his session. In my conversations with business owners, a recurring theme I keep seeing is that business owners are ofter confused on how AI can help them. They know the power of AI, but how does it affect my business? Diego tells me that they overcome this by collecting uses cases from their early customers and try to find similar patterns with their other customers.
Mr. Ryosuke Fujihara, Actbe SEA: Offers business intelligence solutions that enable data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency.

These sessions showcased the dynamic startup ecosystem in Malaysia and Japan, highlighting innovative solutions across various industries.

4. Afternoon Session

The afternoon session included presentations on digital transformation initiatives by MDEC and an overview of Cyberjaya's strategic importance as a tech hub by Cyberview Sdn Bhd.

Use Cases of AI

All six startups leverage AI in their industries, demonstrating its transformative potential across different sectors:

1. FinHero

Industry: FinTech

Use Case for Generative AI: Automates customer service and provides personalized financial insights using AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants.

2. Lumirous

Industry: FemTech

Use Case for Generative AI: Offers personalized health recommendations and fertility insights through patient data analysis.

3. Secai Marche

Industry: Agriculture and Supply Chain

Use Case for Generative AI: Optimizes logistics and supply chain management by predicting demand and generating efficient delivery routes.

4. Tenchijin

Industry: Environmental and Infrastructure Management

Use Case for Generative AI: Creates predictive models for water management and infrastructure maintenance using satellite data and AI.

5. ShieldBase AI

Industry: Generative AI and Secure Enterprise Search

Use Case for Generative AI: Develops advanced search algorithms that provide personalized search results while ensuring data privacy.

6. Actbe SEA

Industry: Business Intelligence and Data

Use Case for Generative AI: Automates data analysis to generate insights, identify trends, and create visual reports for data-driven decision-making.

5. Conclusion

The MAJECA JAMECA Joint Conference showcased the achievements and potential of Malaysia and Japan's startup ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in innovation and economic growth. The diverse range of startups highlighted the significant strides being made in technology and business solutions across both countries, with AI playing a crucial role regardless of industry or origin.

Thank you to Finexus for hosting us.