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FEATURE / ANGKASA-X
ANGKASA-X SECURES RM4 MILLION FROM CROWD FUNDING EXERCISE Angkasa-X closes crowd funding exercise with RM4 million in investments.
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ngkasa-X has successfully raised RM4,053,115 from 202 investors for its satellite endeavor. With that, in early January 2022, the company closed its equity crowdfunding (ECF) exercise. The Angkasa-X bid has emerged as the top five most invested ECF campaign in early Dec 2021. This places Angkasa-X on the sure path towards launching its first satellite later this year. PIKOM Chairman, Dr Sean Seah, who is also CEO and Founder of Angkasa-X Holdings Corporation, believes that Malaysia’s space project will spur the development of a network of profitable businesses that create and share resources. “There is potential for Malaysia to host a SpaceTech ecosystem. This will be the first in the ASEAN region. “I believe it is time for us to come together, to collaborate and develop an ecosystem,” he said, speaking to a room full of like-minded space enthusiasts, business people and academics at the launch of Malaysia’s
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SpaceTech event held at Pusat Sains Negara in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. “Malaysia has been at the forefront of the space technology since early 2000 with the setting up of special agencies to spearhead the nascent industry. This has enabled the country to develop the technical expertise and talent for the SpaceTech ecosystem. “The boom in private SpaceTech initiatives in recent years places Malaysia in good stead for the next phase of growth. It makes the SpaceTech industry an extremely prospective and lucrative sector for investors,” he said. The event was graced by Tuan Haji Azlikamil Napiah, Director General Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). In his speech, Hj Azlikamil said Malaysia has had a footprint in the space industry since 1988. Malaysia has been involved in the SpaceTech since the launching of satellites MeaSAT 1 and MeaSAT 2
(1996), TiungSAT-1 (2000), MeaSAT 3 (2006) and RazakSat (2009). RazakSat is a designed-in-Malaysia Earth-observation Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite that was launched into near-equatorial orbit in 2009 by SpaceX’s Falcon-1 rocket. He said the country must move from user to producer of space technology. It must look at how it can champion space technology in the region. “Space technology can contribute to the nation’s economy and wellbeing. MYSA is driving the national development of space technology in the country. By mid-2022, we will launch a strategic plan for this industry.” This, he said, will be closely aligned to the pillars of the National Space Policy 2030 in order to contribute at least RM3.2 billion or 0.3 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product by 2030. It is expected to create 5,000 new jobs. “The Malaysian Space Board Bill 2020, passed in Oct 2021, will
