Photo credit: Colin Capelle

In the span of three decades, Malaysia transformed its economy from exporting raw materials to exporting electronics. Building on this, the country has been digitally transforming itself in the last 20 years, with the introduction of initiatives such as its tech hub Cyberjaya and the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center, more popularly known as MaGIC. With Malaysian startups taking center stage in 2016, here are 10 more you should know about and the things they can do for you:

1. Southpaw builds large interactive displays

Southpaw builds big touch-based screens. Remember those huge interactive displays you see at the mall? Southpaw’s guys are the ones who make those displays interactive. The startup also creates gesture-controlled screens used in public forums and those you see behind news presenters on TV. Their speciality is turning non-touch screens into interactive touch-based displays.

2. Never lose your leave application form again with Kakitangan, a paperless solution

Kakitangan provides companies with a paperless administrative system. When founder Effon Khoo left Microsoft to oversee a smaller company, he soon faced several challenges executing simple tasks like applying and approving leave, and designing and writing performance appraisals. Existing tools in the market were aimed at multinational corporations, so he decided to solve his problem himself by launching Kakitangan.

3. Have happiness delivered to you with Happy Bunch

Happy Bunch is dedicated to bringing happiness to Klang Valley in Malaysia – as their website says. They do this by delivering flowers. They keep their overheads down by offering a very limited selection – one type of bouquet a day. This means there’s less wastage, less sourcing, and the savings are passed on to the customer.

4. Bfab makes sure you’ll never miss your next spa appointment

Bfab brings together spa, salon, nailcare, waxing, and other beauty and wellness services in a single, easy-to-use online marketplace. Users are able to compare prices, book and confirm appointments instantly, and leave reviews for others. According to founder and CEO Pawel Natreba, Bfab (short for “be fabulous”) was started to give the power back to the consumer, in a way that also allowed vendors to have access to a large customer base.

5. Order home-cooked food with Yumcious

Photo credit: Cristian Bortes

Cooking is tough, and eating out every day can be quite boring. Yumcious offers you the best of both worlds, where you can order in home-cooked meals. The marketplace connects home cooks, food couriers, and people hungry for some traditional home food.

6. Buy anything with Bemalas

Bemalas is not your ordinary ecommerce site. Apart from the range of products it offers, the company also has a concierge service, which helps you shop for yourself and others, and handle anything – as long as it’s legal.

7. Deliver all your goods through EasyParcel

EasyParcel lets you compare prices of courier services across Malaysia. Just enter your location, the destination of the parcel, and the weight in kilograms, and voila, you’ll have a list of options to choose from. You can also track the delivery of your goods.

8. Tripfez helps travelers in the halal economy

Muslim travelers usually have specific needs, mostly pertaining to food, prayer, and entertainment for the entire family. With the global halal economy estimated at US$2 trillion and expected to grow further, Tripfez is not missing out on the opportunity. The company provides Muslim travelers with hotels, destination activities, and travel reviews to help them enjoy their holidays.

9. Save money at your favorite restaurants with Offpeak

Offpeak offers hungry customers a single marketplace where all the latest special offers on restaurants are available. Through this platform, you can search for your favorite restaurant, find the best deal, and book your next discounted meal. While other restaurant aggregators collect user reviews or deliver food to your home, Offpeak looks to make the dining out experience more affordable.

10. Have your own personal assistant with Helpr

Photo credit: Stacy Spensley

Helpr provides you with your own personalized concierge to help you with pretty much anything you need. Simply fire up the app, and text your request in a conversational manner, and your digital assistant will follow up with options, and a confirmation request. By keeping things conversational, the app helps people interact with the virtual assistant like they would with a real person.

Visit these startups at #TIASG2016

These Malaysian startups are helping digitize Malaysia’s economy. Who knows what the country’s main export will be in the next 30 years? Luckily, you don’t have to wait that long to find out. Meet these startups personally at the Tech in Asia Singapore conference on April 12 and 13. Buy your tickets here today.

MaGIC aims to build a vibrant community that empowers entrepreneurs to create something sustainable and of value. Its mission is to catalyze the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Malaysia, bringing together the abundant resources from partners and communities alike, and to develop entrepreneurs of enduring high growth start-ups that will make a positive impact at a regional or global scale.