Day: October 14, 2025
Aoki Sentenced to Death for Killing Four in Nagano
A man accused of murdering four people in a brutal 2022 incident in the city of Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, was sentenced to death on October 14th, with the court rejecting arguments over his diminished mental capacity.
Fluxion and EngageRX win Alpha Startups Cohort 64, signalling rising momentum for AI startups across the region
More than 100 startups applied, with 18 shortlisted and nine making it to the finals Winners received US$150,000 in Azure credits plus GitHub, LinkedIn, Visual Studio access and WORQ passes 1337 Ventures, Malaysia’s leading early-stage venture capital firm and accelerator, has announced Fluxion and EngageRX as the winners of the Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator Cohort 64, with EAGL voted the crowd favourite. Held at WORQ KL Gateway, the Demo Day marked the culmination of a ten-week pre-accelerator programme designed to help early-stage startups validate ideas, build MVPs, and become investor-ready. According to 1337 Ventures, this year over 100 startups applied, with 18 shortlisted and nine finalists namely EAGL, EngageRXhealth, ESGee, FlowHub, Fluxion, Gray Matter Solutions, Jomskor, Publico Claims, and Sentic. AI pitching their innovations to a panel of judges. About the winners: Fluxion transforms post-click journeys with AI landing pages that personalise, adapt, and sell autonomously to maximise conversion and engagement. EngageRX aims to redefine pharmaceutical sales through the deployment of AI sales agents to address challenges faced by pharmaceutical firms, such as high sales representative turnover. EAGL (Crowd Favourite) transforms educational videos and audio into “visual blueprints” to help learners understand, retain, and revisit information faster and more effectively. The judging panel featured Daphne Choong, cloud solution architect at Microsoft; Jasdeep Maan, senior manager of investments at Gobi Partners; and Bikesh Lakhmichand, founding partner of 1337 Ventures. “I’m still drawn to founders solving problems that truly matter, and not just building because it’s trendy. What excites me about this cohort is how the teams used AI where it made sense, not as a gimmick,” said Bikesh. “Fluxion and EngageRX are great examples of how technology can be applied thoughtfully to real, validated problems and that’s exactly the kind of innovation we want to keep backing,” he added. Representing the winners, both startups shared how the programme accelerated their growth. Dax Percey Abraham, co-founder of Fluxion, said, “Alpha Startups taught us how an early-stage startup should think and prioritise actions. The detailed weekly workbook provided a comprehensive checklist covering every aspect, from idea validation to defining clear value propositions, identifying our ideal customer profile (ICP), and differentiating ourselves from competitors.” “The accelerator pushed us to precisely define what we are offering, why our ICP values it, and how to build an MVP all this rapidly. It truly challenged us to think rigorously, execute decisively, and validate thoroughly even before officially calling ourselves a startup,” he added. Meanwhile, Natalie Kwok, co-founder of EngageRX, said, “Alpha Startups challenged us to level up quickly. It provided the ideal platform for us to thrive and has been a constant sounding board and thought partner, guiding us in the right direction throughout the journey.” The winning teams each received US$150,000 (RM645, 000) in Azure Cloud Credits for up to two years, provided by Microsoft for Startups, along with access to GitHub Enterprise, LinkedIn Benefits, and Visual Studio Enterprise, plus two Hot Desk memberships for six months at any WORQ location (worth US$2,000 / RM8, 400 per team). All participating startups also gain access to 1337 Ventures’ exclusive digital rewards and alumni network, offering continued post-programme support to sustain momentum as they scale. For a decade, the Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator has been the foundation for early-stage innovation running 64 cohorts and supporting over 4, 000 founders across the region. The accelerator helps startups with investor readiness and pitch refinement, guiding them from ideation to commercialisation. Alumni such as Senang Insurance and Pod have successfully scaled across Southeast Asia, with notable exits including ParkEasy and Eat Cake Today. Growth-stage startups like Vircle continue to build momentum, underscoring the accelerator’s lasting impact on the regional startup ecosystem. Have a startup idea? Apply to pitch at Pitch Tuesday for feedback and potential venture capital investment. Book a slot at Applications for the next Alpha Startups Pre-Accelerator INNO4HER, a FemTech-focused vertical, will open in November 2025.
