A Malaysian team comprising Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) alumni Ying Ho and UBD student Ho Jun Ang were invited to pitch at the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting for the APEC App Challenge 2023. The final pitching challenge took place from August 19 to 21.
They were among the five shortlisted teams – including United States (US), China, the Philippines and Thailand – from 300 participants to pitch at the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting in Seattle, Washington, US.
The teams delivered their presentation to a panel of judges and an audience including APEC policymakers up to the ministerial level, as well as entrepreneurs and development actors from around the region.
The Malaysian team demonstrated CertiChain, a Blockchain-powered app aiming to make product certification in the supply chain easier.
The team said they were grateful to have the opportunity to pitch their solution to policymakers and network with development actors, sharing the moment with other shortlisted participants and also learning from their experiences.
Ang said, “It was challenging, but fun as well. I gained new perspectives and ideas from economies around the world. Plus Seattle is a nice place to visit and explore.”
The Malaysian team also met with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) Head of Business Development and Support Norlela binti Suhailee who talked about DARe’s initiatives in supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and women entrepreneurs.
This year’s app challenge focused on online tools that promote participation of MSMEs and other groups with economic potential in global digitally-enabled trade.
