Shell Malaysia’s LiveWire program has become a cornerstone of entrepreneurial development in the country, offering not just funding but also mentorship, networks, and recognition to enterprises with the potential to drive innovation and economic growth. Since its introduction in Sabah in 2015 and subsequent expansion to Sarawak in 2016 and Peninsular Malaysia in 2022, the initiative has steadily built a reputation for identifying and nurturing businesses that combine commercial viability with social impact. This year, five enterprises; Bina BioX Sdn Bhd, My Farm AGRO, Teman Malaysia, Aspire Youth PLT, and ProLadang International Sdn Bhd, emerged victorious from a pool of more than sixty participants after undergoing a bootcamp and business plan competition. Each winner received RM10,000 in start-up funding, a year of business guidance, and access to Shell’s global LiveWire network, along with the chance to represent Malaysia at the Shell Global Top Ten Innovators Awards.

Shell Kuala Lumpur’s Head of Business Operations, Syed Hussain Taha, emphasized that the strength of LiveWire lies in the determination and creativity of entrepreneurs who turn local challenges into opportunities that benefit communities. He noted that the program not only supports business growth but also creates jobs, stimulates economic activity, and builds lasting social impact through access to a broad global ecosystem.

Bina BioX Sdn Bhd is a prime example of this ethos. Founded by Rajeswary Kandasamy, who spent more than two decades in the oil and gas industry across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, the company develops biocomposites from agricultural, industrial, and textile waste. These materials are designed for applications ranging from protective packaging to furniture, offering sustainable alternatives to conventional materials. Rajeswary believes that successful technology must solve real customer problems, and her company’s flexibility in sourcing raw materials allows it to produce biomaterials for diverse industries. With global restrictions on plastics increasing, Bina BioX is positioning itself as a solution provider for exporters and manufacturers seeking sustainable packaging. Participation in LiveWire gave the company valuable insights into customer validation, performance testing, and commercialization strategies, reinforcing its mission to build a Malaysian biomaterial ecosystem that integrates science, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

My Farm AGRO, led by Srinath Arumugam, represents a bold leap into agriculture from a background in software engineering. Srinath left a stable career to pursue a vision of transforming Malaysia’s agricultural sector through smart technology. The company integrates fertigation systems, IoT sensors, automation, and data-driven agriculture to increase productivity, reduce costs, and attract youth to farming. Its holistic approach combines commercial agriculture, training, consultative services, supply of inputs, and youth development into one ecosystem. Srinath’s belief that innovation can catalyze change has driven My Farm AGRO to address three critical challenges: low productivity, an ageing farmer population, and food security. The company’s participation in LiveWire provided mentorship and networking opportunities that strengthened its business model and expanded its impact on the agricultural sector.

Teman Malaysia was born out of the social dislocations of the COVID-19 pandemic. Founder Nurul Ezzati Mohamed Nasir, a dietetics graduate, recognized the growing need for elderly care as families struggled to provide support during lockdowns. Teman Malaysia offers companion services that help seniors live active, meaningful lives while giving families peace of mind. The enterprise emphasizes building relationships rather than replacing family bonds, ensuring that seniors remain connected to society. Nurul’s participation in LiveWire helped refine the company’s strategy, expand its network, and strengthen its business model. Winning the competition validated Teman Malaysia’s mission to provide solutions that add value to society while developing a sustainable social enterprise.

Aspire Youth PLT’s AfterSekolah platform addresses the limitations of traditional education pathways. By leveraging artificial intelligence, it profiles young people’s strengths and interests to guide them toward vocational training, upskilling, and employment opportunities. The founders, with backgrounds in education, youth development, mental health, and even food and beverage, saw how many talented students were sidelined by academic metrics or financial constraints. AfterSekolah reframes success by showing that careers can be built through diverse routes, not just university degrees. Its unique approach includes interactive profiling, social-emotional learning programs, and ongoing support even after job placement. Participation in LiveWire reinforced the team’s confidence that their solution could have a broader societal impact, while also accelerating business growth and strengthening industry partnerships.

ProLadang International Sdn Bhd is revolutionizing paddy farming with precision agriculture. Founded by Amir Kusyairie Arif, the company combines satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and agronomy expertise to detect pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, and crop stress early. Traditional manual inspections often come too late, but ProLadang’s platform provides actionable insights that reduce losses, improve yields, and lower costs. Its unique detection engine focuses specifically on paddy crops, offering scalable solutions without requiring expensive hardware installations. By joining LiveWire, ProLadang gained mentorship, industry connections, and commercialization strategies that will help bring its technology to market.

Together, these five enterprises illustrate the breadth of innovation emerging from Malaysia. From sustainable packaging and smart agriculture to elderly care, youth development, and precision farming, they represent a new generation of businesses that combine profitability with social responsibility. Shell LiveWire’s role in nurturing these ventures highlights the importance of structured support systems in transforming ideas into impactful enterprises.

As Malaysia navigates a rapidly changing global economy, the stories of these entrepreneurs raise a larger question: will their success inspire a nationwide shift where innovation becomes the standard expectation rather than the rare exception?