Kuala Lumpur:At least 50 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups are set to benefit from a RM1 million Intellectual Property (IP) Valuation Financing Fund initiated by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the initiative, announced by Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, aims to assist entrepreneurs by covering the costs of professional IP valuation services. This will enable entrepreneurs to have their intangible assets formally recognized within the banking sector's valuation systems.
The fund is expected to be particularly advantageous for technology-based SMEs that possess valuable IP assets but face challenges in accessing financing due to a lack of traditional collateral such as land or buildings.
Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali emphasized the importance of this initiative during the closing ceremony of the National Intellectual Property Conference and Exhibition (IP CONFEX) 2026, held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. He highlighted that the government had previously launched a RM10 million pilot project in collaboration with Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which allows IP to be pledged directly as collateral, thereby facilitating quicker access to financing.
Furthermore, to bolster confidence among financial institutions, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and MyIPO introduced Malaysia's first IP Valuation Module. This initiative is designed to train and produce accredited local IP valuers, which is expected to reduce valuation costs over time and lessen SMEs' dependence on government funding.
The initiative aligns with the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and the MyIPO NEXTGEN Strategic Transformation Plan (2025-2030), promoting the successful commercialization of local research and development outcomes. The two-day IP CONFEX 2026 event gathered over 500 participants and featured the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between MyIPO and various local and international agencies.