PENANG, 30 January 2026 – After an intensive 9-month journey through the Hardtech Deeptech Commercialisation Accelerator (HDCA) programme, Digital Penang, in collaboration with 1337 Ventures, proudly hosted the HDCA X MBAN Enter The Tigers’ Lair 2026 showcase, highlighting the most innovative and commercially ready startups in Malaysia’s hardtech and deeptech ecosystem.
The two-day event brought together eight exceptional startups to pitch their groundbreaking solutions to a distinguished panel of judges, including industry experts and investors from MBAN Penang, Cradle Fund, Kumpulan Modal Perdana, and other key ecosystem partners. Participants demonstrated bold ideas, technical innovation, and commercial execution, reflecting the growing strength and resilience of Penang’s startup ecosystem.
Top 3 Winners – Enter The Tigers’ Lair 2026:
Beyond the winners, other participating startups such as Hippo Techfast, SISTEC AI, Waterbay, Vigor Digital, and IOTech Solutions showcased strong potential, with solutions spanning AI, IoT, sustainable agriculture, and digital transformation. From lab to market, each team demonstrated innovation, commercial readiness, and scalability, reinforcing Penang’s position as a growing hub for high-impact startups.
The event also featured sharing sessions by 1337 Ventures’ CEO and founding partners, along with past HDCA winners, offering insights into startup growth, funding strategies, and market entry. The programme emphasized bridging the gap between innovation and commercialization, helping startups transform breakthrough technology into sustainable businesses.
Digital Penang sincere appreciation to the esteemed judges Dato’ Shaan Palanisamy – Honorary Advisor, MBAN Penang & CEO, ECTrons Sdn. Bhd; Mr. Mohd Noor Hisham – Assistant Vice President, MYStartup Malaysia Unit, Cradle Fund; Ms. Karen Puah – Vice President, MBAN; Mr. Lim Shi Yuan – Assistant Manager, Investment, Kumpulan Modal Perdana, for their time, insights, and invaluable feedback.
Special thanks were extended to the ecosystem partners and supporters who helped make the showcase possible, including the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), Cradle Fund, Kumpulan Modal Perdana (KMP), and INTI International University & Colleges Penang. Their contributions continue to play an important role in strengthening Malaysia’s deeptech and hardtech startup ecosystem.
By connecting startups, investors, academia, and industry, Digital Penang continues to strengthen the local innovation ecosystem and drive the growth of scalable, high-impact enterprises.
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- 🏆 Winner: Cell Agritech Sdn. Bhd
- 🏆 Runner Up: Rebooz Technology Sdn. Bhd
- 🏆 Second Runner Up: Tongle Group Holding Sdn. Bhd
Beyond the winners, other participating startups such as Hippo Techfast, SISTEC AI, Waterbay, Vigor Digital, and IOTech Solutions showcased strong potential, with solutions spanning AI, IoT, sustainable agriculture, and digital transformation. From lab to market, each team demonstrated innovation, commercial readiness, and scalability, reinforcing Penang’s position as a growing hub for high-impact startups.
The event also featured sharing sessions by 1337 Ventures’ CEO and founding partners, along with past HDCA winners, offering insights into startup growth, funding strategies, and market entry. The programme emphasized bridging the gap between innovation and commercialization, helping startups transform breakthrough technology into sustainable businesses.
Digital Penang sincere appreciation to the esteemed judges Dato’ Shaan Palanisamy – Honorary Advisor, MBAN Penang & CEO, ECTrons Sdn. Bhd; Mr. Mohd Noor Hisham – Assistant Vice President, MYStartup Malaysia Unit, Cradle Fund; Ms. Karen Puah – Vice President, MBAN; Mr. Lim Shi Yuan – Assistant Manager, Investment, Kumpulan Modal Perdana, for their time, insights, and invaluable feedback.
Special thanks were extended to the ecosystem partners and supporters who helped make the showcase possible, including the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), Cradle Fund, Kumpulan Modal Perdana (KMP), and INTI International University & Colleges Penang. Their contributions continue to play an important role in strengthening Malaysia’s deeptech and hardtech startup ecosystem.
By connecting startups, investors, academia, and industry, Digital Penang continues to strengthen the local innovation ecosystem and drive the growth of scalable, high-impact enterprises.
Click here for more information about Digital Penang