The Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (Mavcap) has aspired to be a “thought leader” for women entrepreneurs and innovators. Mavcap chief operating officer Noor Amy Ismail said that the company has pledged to invest in at least 25% of its investment in women-led companies in Southeast Asia. Mavcap said women-led startups need to step up and encourage themselves to be at the forefront of the venture capital (VC) space in order to eliminate the gap that is dominated by male-led startups, which comprised 91% in Malaysia. Mavcap chief executive officer Shahril Anas Hasan Aziz said women have been instrumental in shaping the VC industry and their contributions cannot be overlooked. Shahril said they want to champion women fund managers and start-up founders by providing them with the resources they need and unlocking opportunities for them to grow and thrive.