These Women-led Startups in Malaysia Should Be on Your Radar This 2023

Gender gap and inequality in the workplace have long been a topic of conversation over the years. According to a 2020 study by the Women’s Aid Organisation (WOA), 56% of Malaysian women said they experienced at least one form of discrimination at work. In a 2022 report by Jobstreet, male employees still earn higher than women despite the decrease in salary in the entire Malaysian workforce.

This 2023, female entrepreneurs are set to break the glass ceiling and defy the odds with their trailblazing innovations. Here are five women-owned companies and startups in Malaysia!

Dropee

A B2B online marketplace, Dropee is run by Kuala Lumpur-based entrepreneur Lenise Ng. Through the commerce site, Lenise works to enable small and medium enterprises to connect with wholesalers in a “better, faster, and smarter way” across all countries in Southeast Asia. Just last year, the pandemic-born platform hit US$4.3 million in revenue with 50,000 users.

Contact details: [email protected]

Shoppr

With the mission of making online shopping seamless and exciting for vendors and customers, Sylvia Yin founded the fashion and beauty search engine Shoppr. The platform, which was established in 2018, follows Tinder’s swipe-to-discover approach. It uses a “social clustering algorithm” to show the products the customer might like. Shoppr is available on both Apple and Google Play.

Contact details: [email protected]

Piktochart

An image and video software, Piktochart is one of the leading online applications worldwide. The brainchild of CEO and co-founder Ai Ching, the web-based platform allows anyone to create infographics, edit photos, color-grade videos, curate business presentations, and more. Last 2022, Piktochart hit US$4.2 million in revenue after reaching more than 8 million customers.

Contact details: [email protected]

Arus Academy

Built out of Alina Amir’s love for education, Arus Academy aims to have a country where no children are left behind. Together with collaborators Felicia Yun, David Chak, and Daniel Russel, Alina is working towards “making learning relevant” through multidisciplinary strategies. The startup, which currently has 70,000 registered teachers and users, runs various online classes from financial literacy to 3D modeling and other experiential learning workshops.

Contact details: [email protected]

PolicyStreet

Founded by entrepreneur Winnie Chua, PolicyStreet is a financial platform that aims to reinvent insurance by making it “simple, easy, and affordable.” Since its inception in 2017, the one-stop insurance marketplace has served more than 250,000 people in Southeast Asia and empowered them with 50,000 policies. In late 2021, PolicyStreet raised US$6 million in Series A financing.

Contact details: [email protected]