Epic startup battle in Malaysia! Who wins or loses? Come watch these judges decide.
Huddle up, Malaysia! e27’s TOP100 Programme is coming to Kuala Lumpur this March 14, where home-grown startups will be live-pitching in front of a panel of regional and international judges, specially selected to choose the crème de la crème within this ASEAN powerhouse.
Also Read: Ready, get set and meet the judges of TOP100’s Singapore leg
For startups, this is your chance to discover a little more about the judging panel, and here’s a tip: understanding their background is often as important as your very own pitch. For the rest of us, come down to back your favourite startups and show them your support.
Meet the judging panel for this year’s TOP100 Malaysia Regional Qualifier:
Jonathan Lee, Executive Director, MaGIC
Johnathan Lee is the Executive Director of Entrepreneurship Development of the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC). Lee comes from a diverse background with over 15 years in commercial and investment experience in various industries, ranging from finance, healthcare and education.
Juliana Jan, Chief Investment Officer, Cradle Fund
Juliana Jan serves as Vice President of Investment & Relationship Management at Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, where she is responsible for managing the CIP500 Evaluation unit. She started her career as a market research executive at MTDC, and subsequently an analyst in the same company. Juliana has in-depth knowledge of the funding ecosystem, cultivated through many years of experience.
Victor Chua, Investment Director, Gobi Partners
Victor was an Investment Manager with Malaysia Venture Capital Management (“MAVCAP”), where he invested in early-stage high-growth tech companies. He was also associated with 500 Startups, through their ASEAN extension, 500 Durians. Victor brings onto the table insights which will help the firm in upholding best practices in investment process.
Also Read: SEA Startup? 3 must-knows to get your TOP100 game face on
Gavin Lee, Investment Manager, Wavemaker Partners
Gavin is responsible for deal origination, investment execution and portfolio management. Prior to joining Wavemaker, he was an Investment Manager at Infocomm Investments. Previously, he has also led accelerator investments in JFDI, Startupbootcamp Fintech Singapore, SeedPlus and follow-on investments in accelerated companies.
Koichi Saito, Founder and General Partner, KK Fund
Koichi Saito was previously a Director at IMJ Investment Partners and responsible for IMJ’s investment throughout 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 corporate and hotel acquisitions.
Vishal Harnal, Venture Partner, 500 Startups
Vishal is a lawyer by training, having trained at Drew & Napier LLC. He’s confortable with many hats, having had experience in entrepreneurial circles as Co-founder of Lightbulb Factory Pte Ltd. He currently manages 500’s investments in Southeast Asia.