Astro, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) has launched ‘INNOVATHON’, a reality competition show based on economy, technology and innovation to showcase the skills and innovative ideas amongst Malaysians.
This competition witnessed an impressive total of 1,033 entries from participants across the country, marking the first time Astro has seen such a large-scale response, with participants as young as seven years old and the oldest being 73 years old.
A grand total of 56 ideas from participants of diverse backgrounds have been chosen from auditions to compete in ‘INNOVATHON’, an exciting show consisting of 8 episodes that will capture the contestants’ journey as they strive to win the hearts of both the esteemed jury panel and Malaysians.
Regardless of their expertise or capabilities, ‘INNOVATHON’ strives to unearth the most innovative ideas amongst Malaysians, empowering their microeconomic skills and providing them with a competitive platform to develop their ideas. The show aims to elevate these individuals as heroes who have risen from humble beginnings.
This collaboration involves the participation of two Malaysian Cabinet Ministers, namely the Minister of Economy, YB Rafizi Ramli and the Minister of MOSTI, YB Chang Lih Kang, who serves as jury members in ‘INNOVATHON’. Additionally, renowned entrepreneur and popular actress, Nur Fazura also holds the role of a judge in this programme.
Notably, renowned lawyer Datuk Aznil Hj. Nawawi will serve as a mentor in ‘INNOVATHON’, playing a crucial role in guiding and motivating the participants to unleash their full potential in this reality competition. Leading the show as hosts are popular personalities Awal Ashaari and Datin Lisa Surihani, who will skilfully navigate the programme.
PROGRAMME INFO AND FORMAT
In a nutshell, each episode features eight contestants competing against each other but only one or two with the best ideas will be selected to advance to the Final Stage. With the goal of winning investments worth up to RM1,000,000, contestants will introduce and present their ideas in front of 100 potential consumers in each episode.
Contestants will go through:
- Background Introduction
- Guidance
- The 100 Pitch
Background Introduction
Background Introduction is one of the processesthat participants undergo during the audition session, as well as their sessions with the mentor. This session takes place once the participants have been shortlisted for the next round. During this stage, the ideas presented are evaluated based on their potential for development and their feasibility for implementation.
Guidance
Through the Guidance segment, contestants will receive advice and mentorship from personalities who have achieved success in their respective industries. These personalities include entrepreneurs, investors, business icons, celebrities and well-known national personalities. Amongst them are Dr. Sharmila Mohamed Salleh, Prof. Associate Dr. Wan Wardatul Amani Wan Salim, Ammar Zolkifli and many more.
Selected participants who advance to the next stage will receive a face-to-face guidance session with an experienced mentor for at least 4 hours to help them succeed in the pitching session.
The 100 Pitch
The 100 Pitch will see the contestants presenting their ideas to 100 potential users who have been pre-selected from various demographics, whose votes comprise 70% of the overall evaluation. In addition, three to five judges will be selected each week from a pool of mentors and experts where their evaluation will make up 30% of the overall score.
The Final Stage
At the Final Stage, partcipants will present their ideas to a panel of five judges from various fields including entreprenuers, business icons and even potential investors. These panelists will evalute their proposal based on several factors such as viability, technical details and more and provide feedback before selecting the winner.
The winner will take home a cash prize of RM1,000,000.00. The second and third place winners will receive RM80,000 and RM50,000 respectively, followed by RM10,000 for the fourth place winner and RM5,000 for the fifth place winner. All five winners will also receive business development support according to the suitability and scale of their business worth up to RM1,000,000.00
‘INNOVATHON’ will air every Saturday starting 15 July 2023, at 9.00 pm exclusively on Astro Ria (Channel 104), and two weeks after the premiere on other vernacular channels including Astro SHOWCASE, Astro Vinmeen and Astro AEC.
‘INNOVATHON’ can also be streamed via On Demand on the Astro Box and the Astro GO app. Experience the New Astro. Stream no matter rain or shine with the Astro Ultra Box. To subsribe to the Primary Pack, WhatsApp “Get Astro” to 03-9543 3838.