KUALA LUMPUR: Zoho Corporation views Malaysia as a key market in the Asia-Pacific region as the country has strong digital ambitions and a mature and promising startup ecosystem.
Zoho vice-president and general manager for Asia-Pacific Gibu Mathew said the India-based company’s decision to invest wallet credits in Malaysian startups reflects its long-term commitment to empowering local businesses with modern tools, without the burden of high upfront costs.
“This initiative is part of our broader Apac growth strategy, where we prioritise localisation, ecosystem enablement and long-term value creation.
“By helping startups build a strong digital foundation early on – whether it’s in CRM (customer relationship management), finance, collaboration or custom app development – we’re not just offering software; we’re helping shape resilient, self-reliant businesses that can scale sustainably.
“We see this as a win-win: startups get access to the tools they need to grow, and we build meaningful, lasting relationships in a region that’s full of promise,“ Mathew told SunBiz.
To recap, in April this year, Zoho signed a memorandum of understanding with Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd.
Under this strategic partnership, Zoho pledged to channel RM44 million worth of Zoho Wallet Credits through the Zoho for Startups programme, providing 4,400 plus Malaysian startups with access to essential digital tools and resources to support their growth.
The collaboration, driven through Cradle’s MYStartup platform, marks a significant milestone for Malaysia’s digital economy and positions Zoho for Startups as a key enabler in nurturing the next generation of founders at various stages of their journey.
According to Zoho, startups and SMEs are increasingly recognised as vital drivers of national growth – contributing over 37% to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 48% of total employment, and forming 97% of all registered businesses.
The partnership aligns with the national digital economy ambitions, which aim to grow the digital economy’s contribution to 25.5% of GDP by 2025.
“With 4,400 startups expected to benefit from MYStartup, the platform plays a central role in ensuring a structured application and selection process across industries and stages, which is why Zoho for Startups has partnered with Cradle’s MYStartup to identify and evaluate participants, granting all ecosystem startups access to the Zoho for Startups programme as part of its global strategy,“ Mathew said.
As the second Asean country to adopt Zoho for Startups, Malaysia is a key part of the company’s strategic roadmap, where it adapts proven approaches and collaborates with local partners to ensure maximum relevance and impact.
“Drawing from our experience of supporting over 18,000 startups globally, including 9,000 in India through partnerships with more than 200 ecosystem organisations, we have fine-tuned our outreach, credit allocation and mentorship models to align with the unique needs of each market,“ Mathew said.
He said the MYStartup Single Window platform provides seamless access to RM44 million in wallet credits for up to 4,400 startups – each receiving one year of credits to explore tools such as Zoho CRM, Books, Creator, Desk, Workplace and Zoho One – while promoting the programme through local touchpoints including WhatsApp, events, emails and social media to match user behaviour and maximise engagement within the startup ecosystem.
Mathew said all Zoho users will now have access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools integrated across the company’s solutions, which he believes will be a game-changer for SMEs not just in Malaysia but across emerging markets.
“Over the next two to three years, we expect a significant shift in how businesses approach problem-solving and innovation. Instead of relying solely on external developers or lengthy procurement cycles, SMEs will be able to ‘build, deploy, and iterate their own solutions’ much faster, with minimal technical knowledge,“ he said.
For Malaysian SMEs, Mathew noted that local startups can “digitise operations such as inventory tracking, HR onboarding, or customer support more efficiently”, while responding to market changes in real time – whether it’s adapting to compliance requirements or launching a new service.
More importantly, AI creates space for non-technical team members – operations managers, finance leads, even customer service heads – to ‘actively contribute to the innovation process,‘ unlocking agility and resilience critical for growth in a fast-moving digital economy.
In short, “AI-assisted SaaS solutions such as Zoho are not just about building faster; they’re about enabling a mindset shift, where innovation becomes a daily habit, not a one-time project,” Mathew said.
