Photo 1: The Management of IOI Properties Group (Dato' Voon Tin Yow, Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Lee Yoke Har, Executive Director; and Mr. Teh Chin Guan, Chief Operating Officer) with the IOI Kickstart Mentees. Image from: IOIPG

IOl Kickstart is a new initiative by IOl Properties Group Berhad (IOIPG) aimed at providing promising startups in the field of PropTech, AgriTech and green solutions the initial financial support and business know-how to catapult these techpreneurs onto the path of success. This initiative is also in line with IOIPG's passion for nurturing young talents within the communities the Group operates in.

IOI Kickstart is an incubation programme that is uniquely innovative. Selected startups will receive a grant of RM50,000 as working capital and free use of office spaces at IOl RIO, the Next-Gen smart city that sets the new high bar in smart living, in Bandar Puteri Puchong. In addition to that, each handpicked startup will also get invaluable mentoring from IOIPG's C-suite personnel to obtain useful insights on what appeals to customers and get priority business opportunities to jointly develop and provide products and services to complement lOIPG's projects. IOl RIO provides a nurturing environment to these startups that encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and collaboration amongst themselves and also with industry peers.

IOIPG Chief Executive Officer Dato' Voon Tin Yow remarked that IOI Kickstart stays true to the Group's vision of 'Trusted.' and its Mission of Trusted to build sustainable communities' as it nurtures youths, renders them its resources and expertise to assist them in their businesses and brings their ideas to commercial success.

"This is how we play our part in building sustainable communities by going beyond providing the physical amenities," he said at the lOl Kickstart grant presentation ceremony. lOl Kickstart attracted 40 applications from startups and half of these were invited to pitch their ideas, Finally, six of the best were selected to be part of a three-year accelerator and collaboration programme for startups.

These six startups are:

1. Arus Oil

As a strong advocate for sustainability, IOIPG is particularly attracted to Arus Oil's business of collecting used cooking oil to be repurposed into biodiesel. The used oil not only gets a new lease of life instead of clogging up drains and polluting waterways but consumers who participate in Arus Oil's programme also get handsome cashback for the collection of used cooking oil. To provide convenience and encourage more eco-warriors to come forward, Arus Oil plans to set up smart tanks with smart metering (to measure the amount of oil deposited) as collection stations at various locations.

2. FESLink

With an interesting hotel/Airbnb cloud-based management system on both desktop and mobile options with cutting-edge access control and management platform, FESLink's offerings are already used by some boutique hotels in Thailand. It has completed proof of concept for Licence Plate Recognition (LPR), lift access control and access control for facilities as well as proof of concept for a seamless and self check-in experience for visitors. FESLink is also involved in providing interactive 3D kiosk directory.

3. GrabMaid

GrabMaid is the first platform in Malaysia that allows price comparison and direct booking of cleaning services from various vendors. With just a few clicks, users can select a preferred session, make payment and cleaner(s) will be sent to their doorsteps on the selected date. With coverage of 186 areas around the Klang Valley and currently servicing more than 100 offices in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, GrabMaid is heading for rapid expansion.

4. LinkUp Smart Solutions

LinkUp Smart Sólutions has a competitive edge by integrating different makes of smart home devices into a single cloud-based platform for seamless control. IOIPG is currently working with LinkUp Smart Solutions to incorporate their smart home solutions and solar-powered solutions into its projects. Next on their plan is to implement township-wide surveillance using drones and CCTVs to provide added security for the residents within their townships.

5. Safe-T5

Safe-T5 has developed a cloud-based slope monitoring system to monitor slope movements on real-time and to provide early warning. It has also worked with IOIPG's Quality Assurance team to spin off the cloud framework developed for slope monitoring to different construction management applications. Recently, Safe-T5 has started to venture into smart retail and smart farming control systems using Network-of-Things technology.

6. Tomorrow Data

Tomorrow Data is an app developer who has worked with IOIPG to develop end-to-end leads and sales tracking process encompassing e-signing of sales purchase agreements and conclusion of loan documentation. 

lOIPG is committed to continuously mentoring and developing these startups along their journey towards success. Going forward, IOIPG plans to continue with IOl Kickstart to further encourage and unearth new talents and to provide the testing bed for pioneering ideas to flourish. Such innovative ideas will provide more conveniences and lifestyle experiences to enhance the quality of life for those living and working within IOIPG communities.

(17 March 2022)