Last month, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) [KWAP], unveiled Dana Perintis, an initiative that will see RM500 million invested into Malaysia's venture and startup ecosystem.

This will be done over the next 18 to 24 months and encompasses two strategic pillars; investments into selected Malaysia-focused Venture Capital (VC) funds and direct investments into early-stage companies, each receiving an allocation of RM250 million.

The hope is that KWAP's initiative will accelerate growth within Malaysia's entrepreneurial and startup landscape. In addition to supporting local startups through financial capital, KWAP is also offering expertise and resources with the aim to help propel Malaysian startups onto the global stage.

We speak to Saifulbahri Hassan, the Director of Private Equity at KWAP, to learn more about Dana Perintis’s KPI, both commercially and as an ecosystem builder, why they’re employing a 2 pronged indirect and direct investing strategy, how many companies they expect to onboard, and more.