Lim (second from right) with MBPJ councillors (from left) Sakinah Bibi Nagoor, Tan and Nalina Nair Rama Krishnan after a press conference to announce details of the PJ Startup Festival 2023 in Shah Alam.
ONE of the themes that will be explored at the PJ Startup Festival 2023 is how startups can help in building post Covid-19 pandemic resilience, says the festival organiser.
“We’ve seen a lot of companies come up with interesting solutions during the pandemic, but there are also other questions or issues to be tackled,” said Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei.
“For example, how the Internet of Things (IOT) can be utilised to help guarantee food security. We have seen IOT being used in large agricultural areas but what about urban farming or hydroponic farming?
“That will be one of the current topics that the festival will look into,” she said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Selangor state assembly sitting in Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor, Shah Alam.
PJ Startup Festival 2023 will be held on April 1 and 2, from 9am to 5pm, at Dewan Sivik MBPJ, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya. It is free and open to the public.
The fourth edition of the event is organised by Lim as well as Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillors for Zones 6, 7, 11, 13, 16, 19 and 20.
The grassroots startup festival is supported by MBPJ, Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) and venture capital partners.
Besides showcasing innovative startups, the festival will feature discussions on the latest trends in the startup and technology scene.
Participants will get the chance to learn about topics such as youth entrepreneurship, startup and corporate pitching, fundraising and crowdfunding.
The festival will also focus on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including artificial intelligence, big data, digital economy and IOT.
“Besides coming to learn about and engaging with the startup ecosystem, we also welcome fresh graduates to explore careers in related fields,” said Lim.
“When some people think about startups, they might associate it with Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs or a tech genius, but there’s actually a whole ecosystem behind them.
“You could be a mass communications graduate and be ideal for doing marketing pitches for a startup. Or you could be a graphic designer or accountant. Those are all roles that make a startup company work.
“We want to expose fresh graduates to the possibility of other career options.”
Based on his past experience co-organising PJ Startup Festival since its first edition in 2018, MBPJ councillor Terence Tan said there were successful exhibitors from past events that wanted to return and share their experiences at subsequent festivals.
“We are discussing with several ministers for them to attend. So far we have received commitment from Steven Sim (Deputy Finance Minister) and Chang Lih Kang (Science, Technology and Innovation Minister) on their attendance.
“The festival hours have also been slightly shortened since it will happen during Ramadan,” he said.
For details, visit PJ Startup Festival’s social media platforms.
