Alibaba.com Deepens Support for Malaysian SMEs to Drive Innovation and Global Expansion

Unveiling Accio and deepening local ecosystem partnerships to propel digital transformation and entrepreneurial excellence

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alibaba.com, a leading global B2B e-commerce platform, hosted the grand finale of its global product-based startup competition, CoCreate Pitch 2026 Malaysia, during the B2B AI Seller Summit co-organized with MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur. This event marked Malaysia's inaugural participation in the global competition, which has expanded this year to include Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The summit highlighted the vital role of artificial intelligence, digital trade, and cross-sector collaboration in empowering Malaysian enterprises to scale their operations and reach international markets. The overwhelming response to the debut edition clearly demonstrates the vibrant innovative spirit and entrepreneurial ambition thriving within Malaysia's SME community.

More than 2,300 applications were received from MSMEs, startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and student innovators across Malaysia, with 10 teams selected to compete in the Grand Final. Following the judging process, Lettuboost, represented by Co-founder and COO Pavithran Julieus Sudhave, took first place; followed by Global Cerah, represented by Founder & Managing Director Willie Ng, in second place; and Eartheories, represented by Founder and CEO Fadz Subari, in third place. The top three winners will have the opportunity to attend the CoCreate Global Summit 2026 in London this November. The competition featured a total prize pool of RM 500,000, awarded to the finalists to support the next stage of their business growth.

"Product-based entrepreneurship increasingly depends not only on having a strong idea, but also on turning that idea into a real product and connecting it with global market opportunities," said Roger Luo, Head of South and Southeast Asia Business at Alibaba.com. "At the Malaysia Final, we saw teams applying new approaches to product development, including using AI to explore global suppliers, identify manufacturing partners and strengthen their business plans. Through CoCreate Pitch 2026, we hope to help Malaysia's MSMEs and startups turn ideas into tangible products and build sustainable global businesses."

Transforming Trade with Accio

This year's CoCreate Pitch features an AI-centered format, with participants using Alibaba.com's AI agent, Accio, to develop products, refine business concepts, and prepare their pitch materials. Reflecting the broader shift in global trade toward AI-powered business creation, the platform helps lean entrepreneurial teams work more efficiently from market research and product planning to supplier sourcing and buyer outreach.

Building on this momentum, Alibaba.com officially launched Accio at the event, bringing its enterprise-grade agentic AI platform to Malaysian SMEs. More than just a set of tools, Accio serves as an intelligent agentic team designed to run your business. By connecting major e-commerce platforms and automating store operations through a suite of built-in expert tools, it functions as the next operating model for cross-border trade.

Designed for immediate, plug-and-play deployment, the platform empowers SMEs to optimize complex export workflows without the need for programming expertise or complex technical setups. By shifting the role of AI from a passive assistant to an active operational partner, Accio enables Malaysian businesses to autonomously manage end-to-end processes, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on high-level growth and innovation.

Building a Resilient Local Ecosystem

In addition, Alibaba.com is committed to fostering a robust ecosystem that provides Malaysian businesses with the digital infrastructure and strategic connections necessary for long-term success.

This vision is anchored by a new collaboration with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The partnership focuses on advancing digital trade and export readiness, with a primary objective of developing a dedicated "Halal Pavilion" on Alibaba.com. This initiative serves to showcase certified Malaysian Halal products to international buyers, facilitating wider market recognition and sustainable trade expansion.

Building on Malaysia's established leadership in the Halal economy, MATRADE is committed to empowering local companies to capitalize on international market opportunities. The agency recognizes digital trade as a pivotal tool for connecting export-ready businesses with global buyers, while simultaneously enhancing the operational capabilities and market visibility of Malaysian products. This collaboration with Alibaba.com represents a strategic move by MATRADE to explore new avenues for strengthening the international competitiveness of exporters, particularly within the burgeoning Halal sector.

Complementing this effort, UOB Malaysia has reaffirmed its support for the local business community. By integrating its financial expertise and regional network with Alibaba.com's global digital commerce ecosystem, UOB Malaysia aims to provide SMEs with the essential financing solutions and digital capabilities needed to scale operations and reach global customers with greater confidence. Together, these partnerships help SMEs navigate the complexities of international trade, contributing to a more resilient and dynamic local business landscape.

Combined with the launch of Accio and the successful CoCreate Pitch 2026 Malaysia Final, these initiatives reflect a broader effort to help Malaysian SMEs move from ambition to action, equipping them with the technology, market access, and connections required to pursue their next stage of growth.

About Alibaba.com

Launched in 1999 as Alibaba Group's first business, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering all aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently.

About Accio

Accio is a plug-and-play AI Agent team designed to automate end-to-end business tasks for SMEs. Built for business use cases, it supports activities spanning market research, sourcing and negotiation, store management, marketing and customer acquisition. It uses natural-language interaction and provides preconfigured business skills designed to enable business users to execute tasks without requiring a technical background.

About CoCreate Pitch 2026

CoCreate Pitch is a global product-based startup competition organized by Alibaba.com for SMEs, startups, aspiring entrepreneurs and student startup teams around the world. Under the vision 'Anyone can create with Alibaba.com,' it identifies products and business ideas with innovation and market potential and supports participating teams' global market expansion.

SOURCE Alibaba.com