Malaysia targets RM700 million in venture capital investments by 2030
KL20 also aims to add an estimated 2,000 to 3,500 active startups, with a Kuala Lumpur event scheduled for Oct 19.
Malaysia’s KL20 initiative is targeting venture capital (VC) investments of RM700 million by 2030, alongside an estimated 2,000 to 3,500 additional active startups, Minister of Economy Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said.
Speaking to Bernama after a Bernama TV appearance, the minister said KL20 aims to put Malaysia’s startup ecosystem among the global top 20. He said participation by capital providers and market players was needed to help founders expand their businesses and raise the value of their creations.
KL20@Kuala Lumpur is scheduled for Oct 19 at The Campus Ampang. The event will help startups across Malaysia scale up through connections to funding, strategic partners and international markets. Akmal Nasrullah said founders would be able to engage directly with investors, corporate partners and agencies.
The minister identified follow-on funding, AI-based startup development and research commercialisation as priorities. He said KL20 brings together plans including the Malaysia Startup Ecosystem Roadmap 2021-2030 (SUPER) and the Malaysia Venture Capital Roadmap (MVCR) to align the work of ministries and agencies.
Citing the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, Akmal Nasrullah said Kuala Lumpur’s startup ecosystem value had almost doubled over a year, reaching US$9.0 billion from US$4.8 billion. He also said Malaysia’s talent score had improved and its startups took an average of 8.8 years to achieve exits, faster than regional and global averages.
