Startup Village Borneo 2026 showcases future of innovation in Sarawak
KUCHING, 15 September 2026: The 2026 Startup Village Borneo officially concluded on September 10, 2026 in Kuching, reaffirming Sarawak’s growing appeal as a destination for digital nomads, technology builders and entrepreneurs looking for new places to work, collaborate and build.
The five-day builder residency brought together more than 100 participants from Malaysia and around the world, including Vietnam, Korea, India, Nepal, Singapore, the United States and Europe, alongside Sarawakians building at home. The international turnout highlights the potential of Sarawak to attract a new generation of location-independent technology talent, offering an environment where global builders can work alongside local innovators, engage with the community and develop solutions while experiencing Kuching.
“For us, one of the most significant outcomes of Startup Village Borneo is seeing the direction of travel begin to change. Sarawak has traditionally been a place where people leave to find opportunities. This programme demonstrates that Sarawak can also be a place where talented people from around the world choose to come, build, collaborate and create.” “That is the ecosystem we want to help build — one where Sarawakians are not simply consuming technology or being taught by the world, but are building alongside it,” said SOCOE Sdn Bhd in a press statement.
Over five days, participants worked intensively to build products, engage with users in Kuching and prepare their solutions for a final Demo Day and judging session. More than 100 builders participated, supported by mentors from venture capital, funds and the wider Solana ecosystem.
Two Sarawakian teams placed among the top five, demonstrating that local builders can compete directly alongside international participants while addressing challenges relevant to Sarawak and Malaysia. Among the projects presented was Verita, a Sarawak-rooted team developing a solution addressing construction-payment retention issues affecting Malaysian subcontractors. Another project, Bario Seeker, focused on establishing digital provenance for authentic Bario Rice, connecting product information with verifiable origin records and QR-coded packaging.
Jacob Ko, General Partner at Superscrypt, noted the diversity of participants who travelled to Startup Village Borneo and highlighted the performance of Sarawakian teams. “Sarawak is a unique place to host an event like this, and I’m excited for more tech-preneurs to get exposure to this part of the world.”
Anatoly Kondiyakov, Founding & Managing Partner of No Limit Holdings, similarly described the energy in Kuching as exceptional and said he left convinced that Borneo's startup ecosystem deserves greater attention from the global technology community.
SOCOE also sees programmes such as Startup Village Borneo as an opportunity to develop the next generation of technology builders and design engineers in Sarawak. The emphasis is on giving young talent direct exposure to product development, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and international collaboration.
The conclusion of Startup Village Borneo is the beginning of a longer journey — one in which Sarawak is increasingly recognised not only as a place with talented people, but as a place where global talent can come to build.
