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Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Enterprise Explores  >  Budget 2025: Hits and Misses for the Startup Scene

Budget 2025: Hits and Misses for the Startup Scene

Bikesh Lakhmichand, CEO and Founding Partner, 1337 Ventures | Gokula Krishnan Subramaniam, Founder and CEO, Vircle

24-Oct-24 12:00

Budget 2025: Hits and Misses for the Startup Scene

Should Penjana Kapital and MAVCAP have been merged into Khazanah? In this episode of Enterprise Explores, we dive into that and other key reactions to Budget 2025 and its impact on the startup ecosystem.

Last Friday, the government unveiled a record RM421 billion budget, with significant allocations for startups and tech innovation, including:

- RM1 billion for the National Fund-of-Funds (NFOF) under Khazanah, with RM300 million earmarked for venture capital fund managers in 2025.

- RM1 billion for the Dana Perintis fund, with RM200 million allocated for 2025 to support local startups.

- RM65 million for Cradle Fund to help startups expand regionally and globally.

But do these measures meet the expectations of the startup community?

Joining us to discuss the potential hits and misses of the budget are Bikesh Lakhmichand, CEO and Founding Partner at 1337 Ventures, and Gokula Krishnan Subramaniam, Founder and CEO of Vircle. We’ll explore whether these initiatives truly address the needs of startups, what the community is looking for, and more.

This BFM Budget 2025 Special is brought to you by Mah Sing – Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.

Produced by: Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  marketstechnologyeconomygovernmententrepreneurssponsored content

Tags:  startupsbusinessfundingventure capitalventure buildingBudget-2025-Mahsing ⁠Budget 2025





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