Meet the judges: Victor Chua, Michael Lints and Koichi Saito lead the judging panel at Echelon Malaysia

Echelon’s pitching showcase, TOP100 Fight Club is headed to Penang, Malaysia, this April 12-13 for its first stop of 2017! It’s time to introduce the lineup of local and international judges, bringing a wealth of experience to the table.

For startups pitching at Echelon Malaysia, understand the backgrounds of these judges and cater your pitches accordingly… that might just give you the edge over your fellow startups. For the rest, witness the most promising startups pitch on Echelon Malaysia’s grand stage and show them your support!

Want to pitch to these judges at Echelon Malaysia? Sign up today, applications closing soon.

So without any further ado, here are the esteemed judges at Echelon Malaysia 2017:

Victor Chua, Vice President, Gobi VC

Victor joined Gobi in early 2015. He was an Investment Manager with Malaysia Venture Capital Management (“MAVCAP”), Malaysia’s largest venture capital firm where he invested in early stage high growth tech companies and managing fund investments into other VCs (500 Startups). He also has several years of investment consulting experience with Towers Watson. He also founded a few online and offline ventures which has provided him with hands on entrepreneurial experience. Victor is a graduate of Macquarie University, Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce in Actuarial Studies, a CFA charterholder, and is also a member of Mensa Malaysia. He is currently the Honorary Secretary of the Malaysia Venture Capital Association (“MVCA”).

Michael Lints, Venture Partner, Golden Gate Ventures

Michael is a venture partner at Golden Gate Ventures. Michael studied Management and Control of information science. He started his first businesses in 2001 and 2007 before joining Golden Gate Ventures as a venture partner. Michael has had various positions on a societal and administrative level as a result of which he has been able to build an extensive international network. Michael is a former vice chairman of the Economic Development Board Rotterdam and studied Financial Analysis for Business Valuation, and Private Equity and Venture Capital at Harvard Business School. Michael has over 15 years entrepreneurial and managerial experience.

Koichi Saito, General & Founding Partner, KK Fund

Koichi Saito is the Founder and General Partner of KK Fund, leveraging his experience in the internet sector, finance expertise and investment experience at PE and VC fund. He previously worked at IMJ Investment Partners as Director and responsible for IMJ’s startup investments across Southeast Asia such as iMoney, Bukalapak and Zipmatch. Prior to IMJ, Koichi worked at Private Equity Fund founded by George Soros, and was engaged in several corporate and hotel acquisitions. Koichi holds a MBA degree from IE business school in Spain.