KUALA LUMPUR, 16 October 2026 — Alibaba.com, a leading global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, is strengthening its support for Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through artificial intelligence (AI), digital trade initiatives and strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating innovation and international business expansion.

The commitment was highlighted during the B2B AI Seller Summit, co-organised with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in Kuala Lumpur, which hosted the grand finale of CoCreate Pitch 2026 Malaysia. The competition marked Malaysia’s inaugural participation in Alibaba.com’s global product-based startup competition, which expanded this year to include South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia. The summit underscored the growing importance of AI adoption, digital commerce and cross-sector collaboration in helping local businesses strengthen their competitiveness and access international markets.

Celebrating innovation and entrepreneurial excellence at CoCreate Pitch 2026 Malaysia. (From left) Bronze Prize Winner Fadz Subari, Founder and CEO of Eartheories; Gold Prize Winner Pavithran Julieus Sudhave, Co-founder and COO of Lettuboost and Silver Prize Winner Willie Ng, Founder & Managing Director of Global Cerah.

The Malaysian edition attracted more than 2,300 applications from micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), startups, aspiring entrepreneurs and student innovators nationwide. Ten teams advanced to the grand final, where Lettuboost, represented by Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Pavithran Julieus Sudhave, secured first place. Global Cerah, represented by Founder and Managing Director Willie Ng, finished second, while Eartheories, represented by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Fadz Subari, took third place. The top three winners will have the opportunity to attend the CoCreate Global Summit 2026 in London this November. With a total prize pool of RM500,000 awarded to the finalists, the competition aims to provide practical support for entrepreneurs to develop their products and advance their business ambitions.

Shaping the conversation around Malaysia’s next era of global trade, Roger Luo, Head of South & Southeast Asia Business, Alibaba.com, shares his outlook and the future of Malaysia’s exports in the AI era.

Roger Luo, Head of South and Southeast Asia Business at Alibaba.com, said successful product-based entrepreneurship requires more than innovative ideas, highlighting the importance of transforming concepts into market-ready products and connecting them with global opportunities. He noted that participating teams demonstrated how AI could support product development, global supplier discovery, manufacturing partnerships and business planning. Through CoCreate Pitch 2026, Alibaba.com aims to help Malaysian MSMEs and startups translate their ideas into tangible products and establish sustainable businesses in international markets.

A key highlight of the summit was the official launch of Accio, Alibaba.com’s AI-powered business platform designed to help Malaysian SMEs streamline operations and navigate cross-border trade. During this year’s CoCreate Pitch competition, participants used Accio to develop product concepts, refine business strategies and prepare their presentations. The platform supports entrepreneurs throughout various stages of business development, including market research, product planning, supplier sourcing and buyer outreach, helping smaller teams work more efficiently.

Advancing the next chapter of AI-powered business, Jeremy Cai, Director of AccioWork, APAC, Alibaba.com, introduces Accio and its vision to empower businesses with their own AI-powered team.

Designed to simplify complex export processes, Accio offers AI-powered capabilities that enable businesses to automate operational workflows without requiring programming expertise or complicated technical setups. By moving beyond the role of a conventional digital assistant towards more autonomous business support, the platform aims to help SMEs manage cross-border commerce more efficiently, allowing entrepreneurs to concentrate on innovation, strategic planning and business growth.

Beyond technology adoption, Alibaba.com is also expanding its efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s digital trade ecosystem through collaboration with MATRADE. The partnership, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), focuses on improving digital trade capabilities and export readiness among Malaysian businesses. One of its key initiatives is the development of a dedicated Halal Pavilion on Alibaba.com, which aims to showcase certified Malaysian halal products to international buyers and create greater opportunities for market access and sustainable export growth.

The initiative builds on Malaysia’s established position in the global halal economy, providing local companies with an additional platform to improve product visibility and connect with international markets. Through the collaboration, MATRADE seeks to help export-ready businesses leverage digital commerce to strengthen their international competitiveness, particularly within the expanding halal sector.

UOB Malaysia is also supporting the development of the local business community by combining its financial expertise and regional network with Alibaba.com’s global digital commerce ecosystem. The collaboration aims to improve SMEs’ access to financing solutions and digital capabilities, helping businesses expand their operations and reach international customers with greater confidence. Together, these efforts are intended to address key challenges faced by SMEs when entering overseas markets, including operational complexity, access to resources and the need for stronger international business connections.

The successful conclusion of CoCreate Pitch 2026 Malaysia, alongside the launch of Accio and expanded partnerships with MATRADE and UOB Malaysia, reflects Alibaba.com’s broader commitment to supporting Malaysian businesses throughout their growth journey. By combining AI-driven solutions, export development initiatives and access to global commercial networks, the platform aims to empower local entrepreneurs to turn innovative ideas into viable products, strengthen their digital capabilities and pursue new opportunities in the international marketplace.