"Malaysia–Japan Fast Track Pitch 2025" Held for the First Time in Malaysia: Toward Strengthening Collaboration Between Japan and Malaysia

On February 5, 2026, JETRO, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, Japan), the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI, Malaysia), and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) jointly held the "Malaysia–Japan Fast Track Pitch 2025." This was the first time the event was held in Malaysia, and it brought together approximately 170 participants, including 30 who joined online.

A total of 111 applications were submitted by startups in response to the challenges presented by six major Japanese and Malaysian companies (challenge owners). Fourteen companies selected from these applicants—five from Malaysia, five from Japan, and one each from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India—delivered pitches and discussed potential collaboration with the challenge owners. The challenge owners participating in the event were Mitsubishi Corporation, IHI Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, ADA (Axiata Group, a major telecommunications company), YTL Corporation (a major construction conglomerate), and Sunway Innovation Labs (iLabs).

For Mitsubishi Corporation's smart city development challenge, two companies were selected: Eight Knot, a Japanese startup aiming to enhance water mobility by utilizing AI technology, and CitySage, a Malaysian startup that supports decision-making through AI-driven urban intelligence integrating climate risk, infrastructure, and socio-economic data.

Mitsubishi Corporation stated, "We are truly grateful for the opportunity to take on a new challenge. Meeting in person has strengthened our sense of unity as a team, and the next steps have become much clearer."

CitySage commented, "The event generated many ideas and is a valuable mechanism for large companies to engage with promising startups."

The Audience Award went to Parongpong RAW Lab, an Indonesia-based private research institute that converts residual waste into circular materials. The company was also selected for Mitsui Chemicals' challenge on sustainable materials and noted, "Japan is highly committed to innovation in sustainable materials, which aligns well with our needs. We will now explore pilot testing and scaling up toward marketable products."

One event attendee remarked, "It was impressive to see the challenge owners participate with a strong sense of ownership and the startups present with such dedication, as well as to see that they were fairly evaluated. The event not only increased our interest in the startups but also provided valuable insight into the challenge owners' priorities and issues."