WORQ, Malaysia’s leading coworking and flexible workspaces provider, will host the inaugural Founders-Investor Connect (FIC) on March 7, 2025, at its newest location, WORQ Sunway Velocity. Timed to celebrate International Women’s Day, this event aims to connect Malaysia’s female-led startups with venture capital firms, fostering opportunities for funding and growth.

The FIC, Malaysia’s first event of its kind dedicated to female founders, highlights WORQ’s commitment to empowering women in entrepreneurship. It features an exclusive platform where 30 pre-seed, seed-stage, ideation-stage, and growth-stage startups can pitch directly to up to eight venture capitalists (VCs) in one-on-one, six-minute sessions.

Alongside these pitches, two expert-led panel discussions—”Beyond the Hustle: Sustainable Success for Women Founders” and “Funding the Future: Women and Access to Capital”—will offer insights into challenges and opportunities, moderated by Roshan Kanesan of BFM 89.9 and featuring speakers like Melly Ling of Mole and Renuka Sena of Proficeo.

Despite progress—women-led startups secured 19% of private capital in 2023 compared to just 1% in 2020—a significant funding gap remains. WORQ’s FIC leverages its extensive network, including one of Malaysia’s largest startup communities and VC connections, to bridge this divide.

The program equips female founders with pitching skills, feedback, and direct access to investors, fostering partnerships that drive business growth. Jesyka Hiu of Female Founders in Malaysia & Southeast Asia praised the initiative as a “game changer” for its role in linking women entrepreneurs with capital.

WORQ plans to host two additional FIC events in 2025— one in June alongside the NetWORQ Party and another in October—reinforcing its dedication to supporting female founders year-round.

CEO Stephanie Ping noted, “Women entrepreneurs bring innovation and resilience, yet face greater hurdles in securing funding. FIC creates direct opportunities to engage with VCs, build networks, and scale businesses, driving a more inclusive startup ecosystem.”

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