AdminIn a watershed moment for FemTech in Southeast Asia, 1337 Ventures concluded its inaugural Alpha Startups™ INNO4HER Demo Day on 3 May 2025 at WORQ KL Sentral, marking the culmination of Malaysia’s first dedicated accelerator for women-focused technology startups.
Ten early-stage startups were selected for the 8-week accelerator designed to shape scalable solutions in women’s health and wellness. The event celebrated innovation and strategic impact as six finalists took the stage to pitch solutions honed under the mentorship of industry leaders including DocOnCall, BabyDash, renowned O&G and fertility specialist Datuk Dr Mahes, and She1K founder Christina Teo.
The programme, developed to spotlight underserved areas in healthcare such as reproductive health, menopause care, and maternal support, marked a clear vote of confidence in the rising FemTech sector. “Alpha Startups™ INNO4HER is more than a platform, it is a strategic initiative to catalyse innovation in some of the most underserved and overlooked areas of women’s health,” said Bikesh Lakhmichand, Founding Partner at 1337 Ventures.
Dear Kyra and Magnolia Collective lead the charge
Among the standout finalists, Dear Kyra (Malaysia) and Magnolia Collective (Singapore) emerged as the top two winners, earning praise for their market-ready solutions, scalability, and user impact.
Dear Kyra, co-founded by David Ong and Loh Hui Lin, is Malaysia’s first discreet telehealth platform offering birth control and STI testing services — operated by a licensed pharmacist. “We built Dear Kyra to give women greater control, convenience, and confidentiality in managing their reproductive health,” said Ong. “Winning the Alpha Startups™ INNO4HER program affirms that we’re solving a real and pressing need — and this is just the beginning.”
The win comes as Dear Kyra gears up to launch its Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) campaign on Leet Capital, supported by investor engagement and visibility gained through the accelerator.
Magnolia Collective, a Singapore-based startup founded by Theresa Lovelin and Kelly Yamamoto, impressed judges with a digital care platform that uses AI and wearable tech to help women navigate menopause. “Menopause has long been underserved and misunderstood — Magnolia exists to change that,” said Lovelin and Yamamoto. “Being part of Alpha Startups™ INNO4HER has been a transformative journey, and this recognition fuels our mission to make menopause care more accessible, empathetic, and data-driven.”
Blissmi named crowd favourite for wellness innovation
The Crowd Favourite Pitch of the Day went to Blissmi, a Hong Kong startup co-founded by Natasha King and Inès Gafsi, which presented a personalised wellness platform that leverages biometrics and AI to support the performance and wellbeing of working women.
Also making waves were finalists Baseline, PLans, and SihatCare, which proposed bold ideas across maternal care, diagnostics, and holistic health. The event was judged by an esteemed panel including Ruslena Ramli, Director of Digital Finance & Islamic Digital Economy at MDEC, Freda Liu, Presenter of The Shift Asia, and Joanne Ho, Founder of Menopause Asia.
Support from ecosystem builders such as WORQ, Disruptive Doctors, FemTech Asia, and Future Fem Health was instrumental in nurturing these early-stage ventures. Their involvement underscores a growing regional consensus: women’s health deserves both innovation and investment.
A platform for founders
The Alpha Startups™ INNO4HER programme not only empowered entrepreneurs but also underscored 1337 Ventures’ broader commitment to fostering innovation across HealthTech, FinTech, and DeepTech.
“By backing FemTech founders, we are not only investing in promising startups but actively contributing to a more inclusive, data-driven, and resilient healthcare ecosystem,” Bikesh Lakhmichand said. He urged pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and corporates to collaborate in future cohorts.
Aspiring entrepreneurs are also encouraged to join the Alpha Startups™ Online programme — a free, end-to-end digital course that guides participants from concept to scale.
Applications are now open for the Alpha Startups™ Pre-Accelerator Cohort 64 (July 2025 Agnostic Batch) at https://1337.ventures/alpha-startups-pre-accelerator.
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