{"id":10234,"date":"2025-07-13T17:13:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/?p=10234"},"modified":"2025-07-13T17:13:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:13:49","slug":"alliance-bank-bizsmart-challenge-launches-the-ultimate-elevator-pitch-malaysias-first-feature-length-sme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/?p=10234","title":{"rendered":"Alliance Bank BizSmart\u00ae Challenge Launches \u201cThe Ultimate Elevator Pitch \u2013 Malaysia\u2019s First Feature-Length SME\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Streaming exclusively on iQIYI starting 18 July, the documentary captures the journey of 13 trailblazing entrepreneurs from the 2024 BizSmart\u00ae Challenge: Accelerator Edition.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuala Lumpur, 26 June 2025<\/strong> \u2013 In a unique and landmark convergence of business, storytelling, and digital streaming, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad today launched The Ultimate Elevator Pitch \u2014 Malaysia\u2019s first feature-length SME business pitch film focused on SME entrepreneurship in conjunction with World MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) Day. The movie premiers exclusively on iQIYI, one of Asia\u2019s leading OTT platforms. Alliance Bank also announced the return of the BizSmart\u00ae Business Conference (ABBBC) \u2014 the Bank\u2019s annual flagship event under the BizSmart\u00ae ecosystem, now in its second year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The documentary-style movie offers unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the Accelerator Edition of the BizSmart\u00ae Challenge \u2014 Alliance Bank\u2019s flagship SME development programme which celebrated 10 years in 2024. Viewers will experience the raw emotions, high-stakes pitches, intense questioning and pivotal breakthroughs that capture the real-life drama of building a business in today\u2019s fast-paced, volatile environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched in 2013, the BizSmart\u00ae Challenge was created to empower local entrepreneurs with access to funding, mentorship, and market exposure. In 2024, the Challenge introduced the 60-second Elevator Pitch as a new and dynamic addition, reinforcing its reputation as a trailblazing platform within Malaysia\u2019s SME ecosystem. Furthermore, strengthening its credentials as the pioneering partner of SMEs, Alliance Bank became the first bank to go beyond offering loans to SMEs and offer venture capital through 1337 Ventures and 5X Capital, as well as cash prizes through Cradle MYStartup and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Left to Right: Kelly Kam (Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad), Natalie Tan (Partner 5X Capital), Bikesh Lakhmichand (CEO & Founding Partner, 1337 Ventures)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor over a decade, we\u2019ve supported entrepreneurs beyond financial services,\u201d said Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank. \u201cThis movie is Malaysia\u2019s first feature-length SME business pitch film that invites the public to witness the grit, vulnerability, and determination behind Malaysia\u2019s SME founders. It\u2019s a portrait of resilience and ambition \u2014 and a celebration of the changemakers building our future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 Alliance BizSmart\u00ae Challenge awarded RM550,000 in cash prizes to 13 outstanding winners. Among them, BioLoop, Gula Cakery, and HiiVolt emerged as the top three, standing out for their innovation, business acumen, and growth potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese winners reflect the creativity, perseverance, and ambition that define Malaysia\u2019s SME sector,\u201d shared Kellee Kam. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone beyond just providing bank funds \u2014 together with our esteemed partners CGC, Cradle\u2019s MYStartup , 1337 Ventures , and 5X Capital, we now offer a range of financial solutions from loans to venture funding. We\u2019ll continue to support SMEs with funding, mentoring, and visibility. As The Bank For Life, our mission is to empower entrepreneurs to make a lasting impact across industries and communities. We\u2019re proud to remain pioneers in this space \u2014 just as we were a decade ago when we launched the BizSmart\u00ae Challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Movie with Purpose, Made for Today\u2019s Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea for The Ultimate Elevator Pitch was sparked by a single insight: entrepreneurship isn\u2019t just strategy \u2014 it\u2019s deeply emotional. It\u2019s best understood through the lived experience of founders. With audiences increasingly drawn to authentic, documentary-style content, the Bank saw an opportunity to bring these stories to life in a way that\u2019s both exciting and real, to inspire the next cohort of Malaysian entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partnering with multi-awarded local agency Ampersand Advisory, the film blends cinematic storytelling with entrepreneurial depth \u2014 capturing moments that rarely make the headlines but define the heart of business building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe see entrepreneurs as heroes, and that\u2019s how we approached this movie. Our client was open-minded and the idea of a movie came in a large part from them. The audience gets a rare front-row seat to some of the struggles and high points that define a founder\u2019s journey,\u201d said Sandeep Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO of Ampersand Advisory, who also directed the film. \u201cYou\u2019ll see the unguarded moments, the investor debates, and the mentorship that shapes growth. It\u2019s raw, relatable, and relevant. These are the stories of Malaysia\u2019s future business leaders, told without filter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Filmed during the intensive BizSmart\u00ae Challenge journey, the film offers never-before-seen access to mentorship sessions, last-minute pitch prep, emotional highs and lows \u2014 and the real stakes faced by entrepreneurs chasing funding and recognition, while managing personal pressures and daily business challenges. \u201cThis is more than a celebration of success. It\u2019s a visual archive and story of what it takes to build a business in today\u2019s Malaysia\u201d, added Sandeep. \u201cWe\u2019re delighted that a local home-grown bank wanted to make a heartwarming film about local entrepreneurs, and picked a local agency like ours to do so. As an entrepreneur I can resonate with the journey of these courageous and diverse founders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streaming Where Malaysians Watch: The iQIYI Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In keeping with today\u2019s digital-first habits, iQIYI and Alliance Bank proudly partnered to host Malaysia\u2019s first-ever film centred around a business pitch programme \u2014 a bold, original concept that celebrates the ambition, innovation, and resilience of local entrepreneurs. The documentary reinforces both brands\u2019 commitment to supporting homegrown talent and inspiring content. Watch it exclusively on iQIYI from 18 July 2025, making it accessible to entrepreneurs, students, and aspiring founders across Malaysia, anytime and anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first time a bank-led SME initiative has been transformed into a cinematic experience that balances heart and ambition, It proves entrepreneurship isn\u2019t reserved for boardrooms \u2014 it highlights the highs, lows and spirit of local founders who are taking bold steps to shape their future to make it more meaningful,\u201d said Evangeline Song, Head of Brand Partnerships, APAC & Middle East at iQIYI. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to bring such authentic, homegrown stories to a wider audience through this collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating 10 Years of the BizSmart\u00ae Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024 also marked a milestone 10th anniversary for the BizSmart\u00ae Challenge, with the introduction of the Accelerator Edition. This 2024 edition attracted a record-breaking 593 submissions \u2014 the highest since the programme began in 2013 \u2014 reflecting the vibrancy and competitiveness of Malaysia\u2019s SME landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The finalists went through months of the programme , including a 4-day Accelerator Programme, business coaching, a 5-minute business pitch, 60-second Elevator Pitch, and the final 3-minute pitch to a panel of industry leaders. The programme ensured each entrepreneur received valuable exposure, insights, and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a first, every finalist from last year walked away with a prize \u2014 reinforcing Alliance Bank\u2019s commitment to inclusive growth and support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Prelude to the 2025 BizSmart\u00ae Business Conference (ABBBC)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking place on 7 October 2025 at W Kuala Lumpur, this year\u2019s BizSmart\u00ae Business Conference (ABBBC) conference is themed \u201cBoundaries Reimagined\u201d and will feature over 35 speakers, including high-growth founders, visionary investors, and BizSmart\u00ae alumni who\u2019ve scaled their businesses across sectors and regions. This year\u2019s line-up includes industry leaders such as CEO of Colony Timothy Tiah, Founder of A Cut Above Winnie Loo, HYGR Co-founders Ivor and Meng, Kee Nguy\u1ec5n Vietnam Coffee Co-founder and director Radius Khor and , past BizSmart\u00ae Challenge winners finalists BioLoop CEO Mah Jun Kit, Gula Cakery founder Nor Arieni and HiiVolt Founder Dr. Jay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agenda will cover real-world topics such as cross-border business expansion, digital disruption, brand-building under pressure, business model evolution, and how SMEs can thrive through change. Participants can also look forward to curated networking, business-matching opportunities, and access to industry-shaping insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mark World MSME Day, a special early bird ticket price of RM88 is available until 3 July 2025 \u2014 underscoring the Bank\u2019s commitment to making high-impact knowledge and access more inclusive for entrepreneurs at every stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the Alliance Bank BizSmart\u00ae Challenge visit www.bizsmart.com.my<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To watch The Ultimate Elevator Pitch movie, visit [insert the link for iQIYI} which goes live on 18 July 2025. Tickets information and other insights to the BizSmart\u00ae Business Conference (ABBBC) 2025, visit www.alliancebank.com.my\/abbbc<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Streaming exclusively on iQIYI starting 18 July, the documentary captures the journey of 13 trailblazing entrepreneurs from the 2024 BizSmart\u00ae Challenge: Accelerator Edition. Kuala Lumpur, 26 June 2025 \u2013 In a unique and landmark convergence of business, storytelling, and digital streaming, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad today launched The Ultimate Elevator Pitch \u2014 Malaysia\u2019s first feature-length […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3102,10,2819,3103],"tags":[3104,3105,3107,3106],"class_list":["post-10234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alliance-bank","category-business","category-challenge-campaign","category-sme","tag-alliance-bank","tag-bizsmart-challenge","tag-iqiyi","tag-malaysias-first-feature-length-sme"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Poster-1-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10236,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10234\/revisions\/10236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}