5 startups handpicked by Sidec to represent M’sia at World Expo & SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025

[This is a sponsored article written in collaboration with Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec).]

Recently, five Selangor startups participated in not just one, but two of Asia’s top prestigious innovation platforms—World Expo 2025 Osaka and SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025.

They participated in these programmes as part of Sidec’s effort in positioning Selangor as a rising force in the global startup ecosystem. 

For context, World Expo is a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions for current pressing challenges that’s held every five years. This round, it’s hosted in Japan with a theme on “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. On the other hand, SusHi Tech Tokyo is an international conference by the Tokyo government to discuss and realise sustainable cities through high technology. 

Image Credit: Sidec

The result of these five Malaysian startups’ participation? They generated RM5.159 million in export opportunity value that comprises leads, partnerships, and business prospects from the Japanese and regional markets. 

Representing key verticals in AI, ESG tech, digital content, sustainability, and community wellness, here’s who they are.

Meet the 5 Malaysian startups handpicked by Sidec

1. Xtractify

A finalist of Sidec’s Selangor Accelerator Programme (SAP) last year, Xtractify is an AI-powered business solutions provider that offers customers better work-life balance by eliminating repetitive and time-consuming tasks using AI.

This includes universal pain points like reading and processing invoices and documents, delivering real-time insights, and tracking and understanding customer purchases, even when selling through third party retailers like AEON.

Image Credit: Xtractify

So far, Xtractify automates over 25,000 actions per month with over 95% accuracy across 200+ brands and 4,500 outlets. 

Its multilingual AI engine was built modular from day one by a Malaysian team, which caught the interest of potential partners from Japan, Singapore, and the Middle East at the expo. 

“It wasn’t without challenges like language barriers and adapting to Japanese business etiquettes, but those were great growth opportunities,” Xtractify’s team shared. They return to Malaysia with better insights on how to enhance their solution for a global clientele.

At World Expo 2025 Osaka, Selangor led the Digitalisation sub-theme during Selangor Week, with Sidec’s handpicked startups serving as panelists and moderators in discussions / Image Credit: Xtractify

2. Neupulse (BiiB)

Created in 2017, BiiB is a platform that lets users organise group running challenges, where every step counts towards the team’s progress. Thus, turning this typically solo activity into an inclusive sport.

Whether that’s 10 or 10,000 participants, the goal is to provide fitness enthusiasts a space to build connections and habits that stick. “If we can get more people to stay active together, we just might help fight one of the biggest global challenges: the rise of non-communicable diseases driven by inactivity,” the team shared with us.

Image Credit: BiiB

Similar to Xtractify, BiiB found the language and cultural differences challenging when it came to communicating their ideas. But the experience at World Expo 2025 Osaka and SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 trained them to build a stronger story that resonated across more regions.

“Teamwork sounds simple but in reality, it’s one of the hardest things to spark, especially across different backgrounds. When we share stories and connect with people from around the world, we’re reminded that the desire to belong, to move together toward something bigger, is universal.”

Even before joining the exhibitions, BiiB was already a global product and had run challenges in 24 countries. The mobile app company was a finalist of Sidec’s SAP 2023.

3. Hikayat Kebun

As the name may suggest, Hikaya Kebun is a startup focused on addressing food security and sustainability. In simple terms, the brand aims to empower individuals and communities to grow their own food, while fostering a greater understanding of how to attain a sustainable lifestyle. 

Image Credit: Hikayat Kebun

This is mainly achieved in two ways:

Giving people the tools and knowledge to grow their own food through its “P.O.O.F.” (Plant Our Own Food) kits. They’re essentially gardening starter packs that’s suitable for beginners of all ages. Teaching the next generation to be more food-conscious and self-sufficient through its animated show, “Kebun Kudin“. This is paired with its app (currently in development) to make learning about vegetables and nature more fun for kids. 

The brand found strong market validation in its mission and products at the two exhibitions in Japan. “We didn’t just get polite nods, we had substantive conversations that turned into tangible export leads, proving there’s a real international market for what we offer.”

Image Credit: Hikayat Kebun

Aside from that, the team was exposed to Japan’s shokuiku (food education) philosophy, a system combining hands-on learning in school gardens with a deep cultural respect for ingredients. This gave them a powerful model and inspiration, as well as helped nurture connections with international firms.

4. GoFluence

An influencer matchmaking platform, GoFluence (previously known as Modello) connects content creators directly with brands to make marketing accessible and data-driven. 

Influencers can get paid or receive products to promote a specific brand, while their clients can choose suitable content creators to collaborate with and track the campaign performance without going through agencies.

Image Credit: GoFluence

The 7-year-old platform has a regional presence in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines apart from Malaysia thanks to its scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. 

While GoFluence has been in the global market for a few years now, participating in the expos still gave it a fresh perspective on the latest market appetite. But more importantly, “It inspired us to accelerate our roadmap towards becoming Asia’s most trusted influencer marketing infrastructure.”

At the World Expo 2025 Osaka, GoFluence served as a panelist as part of the “Adapting to the New Era of Digital Content” session / Image Credit: GoFluence

5. Collexe

While many companies set ambitious sustainability targets, few have the tools to track, measure, and improve their impact effectively. This is where Collexe comes in.

Rather than treating ESG as a compliance burden, Collexe provides smart tools that enhance data collection and operational insights to meet sustainability needs. This includes features like real-time waste tracking and AI-assisted route planning to simplify environmental management. 

“We believe sustainability shouldn’t come at the expense of performance. It should drive alignment between profitability and purpose, turning good intentions into tangible, lasting impact.”

Image Credit: Collexe

A key observation while at the expos was how some global companies do more with less, specifically less harm to the planet but more value for customers. 

Not only does it validate Collexe’s path forward, but inspires them to continue innovating and drive meaningful climate action. 

Empowering Malaysian innovators and startups

Each of these five startups were carefully selected by Sidec, demonstrating strong potential for international expansion and alignment with global innovation themes.

The key criteria included:

A unique, forward looking solutions particularly in high-impact sectors like ESG tech and community well-being Export ready with scalable products or services that have potential to succeed beyond Malaysia Evidence of strong growth, customer validation, or commercial viability Clear vision, execution capability, and commitment to global growth Alignment with Sidec’s digitalisation agenda and ability to represent Selangor’s innovation ecosystem on the global stage Image Credit: Sidec

Beyond business, Sidec also signed a strategic partnership agreement with TechShake from the Philippines to co-develop Southeast Asia’s innovation ecosystem. This global mission was achieved through close collaboration with MDEC and Cyberview.

Since 2018, Sidec has supported over 320 startups and fundraised a cumulative total of RM203 million. It continues to play an active role in building up Malaysian startups through its programmes like the upcoming Selangor Retail Tech Xccelerator (Retail-X) and Selangor Deep Tech Xccelerator (Deep X). 

Both of these are designed to accelerate high-potential businesses across various verticals. They’re open for applications now until June 27, 2025.

Image Credit: Sidec

Other initiatives to keep your eye on are the ASEAN Market Access and Global Exposure outreach programme, the launch of Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park 2 slated for September 2025, and the annual Selangor Smart City and Economy Convention (SDEC).

All these contribute to Sidec’s grand mission of empowering people, transforming businesses, and connecting ecosystems.

Learn more about Sidec here. Read articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Featured Image Credit: Sidec