The Startup Ecosystem of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur has 532 startups in our sample database. This represents about 80% of Malaysia’s startups. Kuala Lumpur is the highest-ranked startup ecosystem in Malaysia.
CITY RANKING
In 2024, the startup scene of Kuala Lumpur developed considerably and increased in the Global Ecosystem Index by 14 spots.
National Ranking
In Malaysia
Regional Ranking
In South East Asia
Global Ranking
Worldwide
Ecosystem
Startup Ecosystem Overview
Startups
Kuala Lumpur Top Startup Industries
54 startups
23 startups
27 startups
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Ecosystem HealthCheck
Kuala Lumpur Ecosystem Health Check
The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Kuala Lumpur has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...
- Overperformance
- Performance equal to global ranking
- Underperformance
ECOSYSTEM
Browse the startup ecosystem database of Kuala Lumpur
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Startup Ecosystem Charts
Startup Funding in Kuala Lumpur2017 - 2024
Startup Funding in Kuala Lumpur 2017 - 2024
From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Kuala Lumpur has decreased by 59.37%. During this period, the number of deals in Kuala Lumpur has decreased by 55.91%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Kuala Lumpur exceeded US$ $4.17B.
Average Funding in 2023
$7.90M
Funding in 2023
$442.16M
Deals in 2023
56
USD
Amount of Funding (USD)
Number of Deals
Ecosystem
The Startup Ecosystem in Kuala Lumpur
Global Rank
Kuala Lumpur is ranked within the top 100 startup ecosystems globally.
Top Industries
Kuala Lumpur’s startups excel particularly in Ecommerce & Retail where it ranks 42 and in Edtech, and Marketing & Sales. Find out more
Top Cities for Startups in Malaysia - Ranked by StartupBlink
2024 National Rank  | City | Global Rank |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 73rd + 14 | 9.728 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
2nd 0 | 383rd - 54 | 0.897 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
3rd 0 | 694th - 100 | 0.252 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 |
Startups
Notable Startups in Kuala Lumpur
ECOSYSTEM
Why should you join Kuala Lumpur's Startup Ecosystem?
Overview
Within Kuala Lumpur there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Ecommerce & Retail, Edtech, Marketing & Sales. These three industries represent about 20% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Kuala Lumpur.
1st
National Rank
3rd
Regional Rank
Overview
Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's 1st best startup ecosystem and is ranked 3rd in South East Asia. With a population of 2M - 10M people, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 73rd in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories including TNG Digital and its startup ecosystem infrastructure is strengthened by organizations such as Mindvalley and Mercu 2.
ECOSYSTEM
Startup Infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur
BLOG
Recent Posts
Wed Apr 02 2025
Corporate Startup Activity Index 2025
For the first time ever, 372 corporations across 30 countries, 11 major industries, and 10 sub-industries have been ranked based on how actively they engage with startups. StartupBlink’s Corporate Startup Activity Index is the world’s first benchmark for corporate startup engagement — powered by real data, global partnerships with top corporations, governments and data sources, […]
Thu Mar 06 2025
The Impact of Government Support on Startups
A robust startup ecosystem creates a sense of community that brings entrepreneurs together and helps them feel less isolated. It gives them access to mentors, advisors, fellow entrepreneurs, and talents. The foundation of such an ecosystem largely relies on government support. Good policies create a fair and supportive environment that helps startups grow. Bad policies […]
Thu Feb 20 2025
Learning from Bulgaria: Stakeholder Engagement in Startup Ecosystems
In this episode of the Startup Ecosystem Podcast, we’re traveling back in time by revisiting an old recording to explore the state of Bulgaria’s startup ecosystem in 2022. This episode features an interview by Eli David Rokah, CEO of StartupBlink, with Momchil Vassilev, the Managing Director of Endeavor Bulgaria, discussing how different stakeholders’ engagement in […]