B.O.D. Softlaunch 17 January 2007

Board Of Directors (B.O.D) Reality TV Show Soft Launch
“Don’t Dream It, Live It!”


17th January 2007, Kuala Lumpur – For the first time, the Cradle Investment Programme (CIP) together with Mavcap, will be embarking on a new path of producing a reality TV show tentatively titled the “Board of Directors”.

BOD is an edgy 13-episodes reality TV programme that engages participants and viewers through a dynamic experiential learning – exposing them to the passion and hardship of life at the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey.

Recruits of BOD contestants consists of aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals of varying ages and may even feature ongoing and successful Mavcap or Cradle entrepreneurs. Together, the recruits will compete with one another in the pursuit of the coveted CEO’s seat; of the one winning company that will arise amongst the four competing company teams. The Board of Directors that will scrutinize and penalize the teams based on their weekly performance will even include Kuala Lumpur Business Club (KLBC) members and other industry captain’s guest judges. Over time, recruits will be terminated gradually, leaving just one to fill in the position of the “CEO” that will run the surviving company at the end of the season.

“We want to inspire viewers to pursue their dreams, create an excitement in the community and highlight challenges facing local entrepreneurs.” says Puan Kasmawati Sulong, Vice President, Mavcap.

The BOD series will follow closely how budding Entrepreneurs innovative ideas are managed and their business plans are made. A group of entrepreneurs manage a real-time corporation from the ground up, tackling the types of corporate dilemmas and technical issues that help shape them into the successful budding entrepreneurs found in Malaysia today. If the contestants impress the Board Of Directors with their decision making skills, they are rewarded with new incentives and new tools to keep the company afloat, otherwise it's trouble, with one contestant being voted out by their own colleagues in the boardroom every week, while the rest of the groups live to work another week. Mergers, acquisitions, financial management and stressful competitive environments are just some of the ingredients in store.

For Cradle, The BOD campaign will target over 8 million viewers, bringing tremendous exposure value that will not only accelerate the awareness and profile of Cradle and its ecosystem partners, but its position as the bridge for future aspiring entrepreneurs. Cradle would be able to increase substantially its funding programme applications and deal flows derived from the extensive media coverage.

The programme would be a major platform to bridge the expectations of key stakeholders in the entrepreneurial and funding ecosystem as well. There are over RM 4 billion of funds dedicated towards assisting entrepreneurs and there are several industrial and government backed institutions providing assistance and resources to aid entrepreneurs, however the problem lies in this information not reaching the masses.

There is a limited platform that can reach out, create the awareness and convey the various incentives to the entrepreneurs on the ground and develop the human capital aspects for fundamentally strong international quality entrepreneurs. In order to generate the inflow of entrepreneurial talent needed to achieve what is aspired by the Government as a fully developed nation by 2020, a more aggressive approach has to be initiated.

For the sponsors, the BOD Reality TV Series will be an extensive avenue for companies to engage in community building via entrepreneurial development as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is in line with the efforts of the Securities Commission to promote CSR as a fundamental value in the operations of Public Listed companies.

Furthermore, the weekly television episodes will provide a good branding exposure for them where entrepreneurs are required to undertake the business and skills challenges tailored to be closest to the local market environment as well as incorporate their brand and products. To yield a better value, each premium sponsor will be entitled to an episode customised to the sponsor’s challenge. Each week will be different and unpredictable.

The Cradle Investment Programme (CIP) is a conditional grant program initiated by Malaysia Venture Capital Management Berhad (Mavcap) to help entrepreneurs crystallize their technology-related ideas into commercially viable products and services. CIP offers pre-seed funding of up to RM 50, 000 for technology ideas which includes ICT, biotechnology and life sciences. Other areas such as inventions, creative content, agro tech, and technologies that help develop any industry are also considered. Ideas funded ideally should be those that are either commercially viable, with high growth and investment potential; or has a technology innovation with commercial value.

CIP is based on the philosophy of development funding, which is an alternative form of funding to venture capital funding, especially in the early stages of a venture. Development funding is not solely confined to funds per se but incorporates all other elements which strengthen the viability of early stage technology business ideas or ventures.

The objective behind CIP is to stimulate technology entrepreneurship through an environment conducive for commercialization and to bring out the innovative spirit and talent within Malaysians, especially in technology-related areas, in achieve our national goals like the MSC, Knowledge Economy and Vision 2020. CIP aims to be the catalyst to creating a critical mass of technology exporting entrepreneurs in Malaysia and amongst them, perhaps, the seeds of a few world-class companies, in the future.

Elements like domain expertise mentoring, industry-based commercialization partners, a marketplace for ideas to be matched with investors, linkages between corporate, financiers, universities, researchers and entrepreneurs, market penetration efforts and fostering intrapreneurship are all essential components that help early stage ventures succeed.

Yes, it is true that entrepreneurship is tough, but political economic research has shown that entrepreneurship does thrive where at least most, if not all of the above elements are conducive to ideas and entrepreneurship. Countries tend to prosper, where the culture of entrepreneurship is strong. BOD Reality TV Show aims to amplify, encourage and accelerate this.

4 Companies, 20 Contestants. Which company will be the best managed? Which CEO will go on to manage the business after the season is over? Who will reign supreme as the outstanding entrepreneur? Look out for the new Reality TV series, the “Board Of Directors”, daring you to “Don’t Dream It, Live it!”

About Cradle Investment Programme

Cradle Investment Programme (CIP) is Malaysia's first development fund which helps to convert raw ideas into commercial ventures.

The pre-seed funding programme provides conditional grants of up to RM50, 000 for innovative technology and bright commercial value ideas submitted by groups of individuals, focusing on diverse ICT and high growth technology industries, including software and information services; electronics and biotechnology. Funds are provided for the development of prototypes up to proof-of-concepts and business plans.

Under Cradle's mentoring program, which is done in partnership with qualified industry professionals, successful applicants are guided on how to develop their ideas, from research, developing prototypes and business plans to preparing for seed and later stage funding.

The Ideas Bank is a repository of the completed CIP projects funded for presentation to potential investors and venture capital partners for further funding.

Applications for grants are submitted online via Cradle's informative website www.cradle.com.my

Cradle is initiated under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and is managed by Malaysia Venture Capital Management Berhad (MAVCAP). MAVCAP is a wholly owned subsidiary of MoF. Cradle is fully supported by its community partners comprising such industry bodies and associations as:

• Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)
• MCA ICT Resource Centre (MIRC)
• Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (MBC)
• Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia (TeAM)
• National Entrepreneurs Foundation (NEF)
• Talent Ideas Enterprise Malaysia Chapter (TiE)
• Association of the Computer & Multimedia Industry (PIKOM)
• National Association Women Entrepreneurs Malaysia (NAWEM)
• Malaysian Invention & Design Society (MINDS)
• MCA ICT Resource Centre (MiRC)
• Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)
• Microsoft Malaysia
• Oracle and many more industry partners.



About Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd

MAVCAP was incorporated on 19th April 2001 by the Government of Malaysia and was allocated RM500 million by the Minister of Finance Inc for investment in, nurturing and growing the technology sector and the investing and growing of venture capital market in Malaysia. It is a bold Government-initiated and private-sector managed move to continue to bolster and spearhead the country's charge towards a complete knowledge-based economy before 2020.

MAVCAP is a truly unique venture capital company in the way it is set up and managed. It is committed purely to the ICT sectors and will invest in a mix of local and overseas businesses to bring together a successful blend of technologies and entrepreneurial skills.




About LOCOMO:

Locomo’s core service offering can be categorized in 3 different key areas , Human Capital development programs especially in entrepreneurship development and innovation, media design and strategic Innovative technology and information mapping.

Locomo is the management company of the Entrepreneur Competency Center in Kuala Lumpur University providing strategic experiental learning content delivery to breed young aspiring entrepreneurs. Via its partners Locomo provides strategic scenario planning, and unique methodologies of experiental learning in areas of entrepreneurship and technology

Locomo’s media division together with its subsidiary Amedia Sdn Bhd the operator of “Stickonme” outdoor media company brings creative design to the BOD campaign.


About WhiteLogic:

The White Logic Group of Companies provides Media Management Solutions. From Design, Advertising and Promotions Planning, Branding, Content Creation, Production, Broadcast Management, Outdoor and Ambient Media, Events, and Publishing. They provide solutions to expose your brand into full view. White Logic connects your brand with their markets, partners and peers.

White Logic recognizes the needs to adapt quickly to changing market demands. To provide maximum value for our products and services, White Logic will seek new ventures and activities that leverage on our core competencies and resources to further strengthen our value proposition to clients and our position within the industry.


Issued by Cradle Investment Programme