Mahadhir Yunus is the Founder and CEO of Krenovator, a Malaysia-based AI-powered tech expertise platform. Previous to beginning Krenovator, Yunus spent 14 years in software program and expertise, from hands-on coding to main enterprise digital transformations. Krenovator is making an attempt one thing totally different within the crowded tech expertise house, positioning itself on the intersection of two highly effective traits: Southeast Asia’s large pool of underutilized tech expertise and the rising AI agent economic system. The corporate says it has already constructed a neighborhood of over 30,000 builders and serves enterprise shoppers throughout Malaysia, Europe, and the Center East.
On this fascinating interview, performed over e mail, Yunus discusses why Southeast Asia’s tech expertise stays universally accessible however opportunity-limited, the origin of Krenovator, how Krenovator developed from a fundamental expertise matching service to an AI agent-focused ecosystem, the corporate’s lean method to development, strategic selections that helped navigate early challenges, and Krenovator’s ambition to energy a million elite builders throughout Southeast Asia and construct infrastructure for the AI workforce economic system.
The interview comes with a ton of sensible insights about constructing in rising markets and the way to scale a tech firm with out dropping focus. Yunus additionally shares candid classes about widespread founder errors and his philosophy on creating lasting affect by means of expertise.
It is a fascinating learn in its entirety for anybody interested by the way forward for work, AI brokers, or constructing tech corporations in Southeast Asia that provides each strategic insights and tactical recommendation from somebody who’s actively constructing. Take pleasure in!
Future Startup: Please briefly inform us about your self and your journey to what you might be doing.
Mahadhir Yunus: I am Mahadhir Yunus, and I’ve spent over 14 years within the software program and expertise house. Ranging from hands-on coding to main enterprise-scale digital transformation tasks.
My journey uncovered me to a recurring theme: there is not any scarcity of expertise in Southeast Asia, however there is a lack of entry, upskilling, and world publicity.
This led me to discovered Krenovator, a platform designed to unlock the area’s tech potential and now, strategically targeted on enabling the way forward for work by means of AI brokers.
Future Startup: Inform us about how Krenovator obtained began. How did you provide you with the thought and get began? What was the motivation behind beginning Krenovator?
Mahadhir Yunus: Krenovator started as an answer to bridge the chance hole for proficient tech professionals in Southeast Asia. We noticed that regardless of their expertise, many builders had been disconnected from the high-value tasks shaping the way forward for expertise. It began with a conviction: expertise is common, however alternative is just not. We wished to alter that.
Over time, we noticed that the tech panorama was shifting once more this time towards clever, autonomous AI brokers. This turned our North Star: empower Southeast Asian expertise to turn out to be builders and operators within the world AI agent economic system.
The motivation as we speak isn’t just to attach expertise to jobs, however to the way forward for how work might be achieved. We’re increasing our unique mission by specializing in the AI agent economic system serving to skills and enterprises construct, deploy, and scale agentic AI techniques.
Future Startup: Inform us in regards to the thesis behind beginning Krenovator.
Mahadhir Yunus: Our thesis is two-fold: One, tech expertise is Southeast Asia’s most under-leveraged asset and two, AI brokers are the subsequent frontier of digital transformation.
By constructing an ecosystem that develops elite expertise and equips them to construct and function agentic AI techniques, we’re giving each enterprises and people a future-ready benefit.
We’re fixing two elementary issues:
- For skills: lack of entry to world work and cutting-edge expertise, particularly in fast-growing areas like AI agent growth.
- For enterprises: issue in constructing, scaling, and sustaining digital merchandise/options and agentic AI techniques as a result of expertise shortages.
It is a multi-billion-dollar drawback. The rise of AI brokers is altering workflows throughout industries, and the necessity for expert builders, AI operators, and integrators will explode. Our position is to be on the intersection of this want bridging expertise and innovation.
Future Startup: Inform us in regards to the launch story. What went into constructing the preliminary operation/first model of the platform/product/companies?
Mahadhir Yunus: We began lean, matching builders with corporations by means of guide screening and fundamental techniques. The early platform was easy however targeted on high-value outcomes.
As we scaled, we launched our first AI instruments: AI Profession Match, CV Maker, and Interview Coach. These laid the inspiration for the place we’re as we speak constructing infrastructure for AI agent deployment and developer upskilling.
Future Startup: How did you set collectively preliminary funding and different assets to get began?
Mahadhir Yunus: It started with private financial savings, assist from early believers, and a powerful inside group aligned with our mission.
We didn’t chase funding, we chased outcomes. That constructed credibility and allowed us to develop organically whereas setting the stage for our long-term AI agent imaginative and prescient.
Future Startup: Inform us in regards to the main challenges you confronted within the early days.
Mahadhir Yunus: Early on, the largest problem was notion. Firms had been hesitant to belief distant groups, and builders lacked confidence in cross-border work. We spent a variety of time constructing credibility one profitable undertaking at a time.
Now, with the rise of AI instruments and automation, we’re tackling a brand new problem: making ready the expertise to construct with and for AI brokers.
A number of strategic selections and actions helped us in these early days.
A remote-first technique helped unlock cross-border placements. AI-powered instruments helped us to scale developer development and sourcing. And eventually, shifting early into the AI agent house allowed us to align our platform and companies with the way forward for work and clever techniques.
Future Startup: Please inform us about Krenovator’s enterprise mannequin. What do you promote, who’re your clients and what’s your pricing mannequin?
Mahadhir Yunus: We’re a full-stack tech expertise and resolution supplier with a rising specialization in AI agent techniques. Our shoppers embody enterprises in Malaysia, Europe, and the Center East, on the lookout for expertise augmentation, managed companies, or AI enablement.
We cost by way of month-to-month subscriptions for expertise augmentation, and customized undertaking charges for AI agent deployments, system integration, and digital transformation options.
Our income comes from B2B service contracts and enterprise options. Price-wise, we make investments closely in AI R&D, developer neighborhood constructing, and expertise operations. These are long-term bets to place us because the go-to companion within the AI agent economic system.
Future Startup: Please inform us in regards to the services and products you supply. How huge is the enterprise, what number of customers do you’ve gotten as we speak, what’s the income quantity or another quantity, and many others?
Mahadhir Yunus: We’ve over 30,000 builders in our neighborhood, with lively customers throughout Malaysia, and Indonesia. We’ve labored with over 30 enterprise shoppers. AI Instruments for developer on our platform:
- AI CV Maker
- AI Profession Match
- AI Interview Coach
AI Coding Assistant Enterprise companies and product embody:
- Tech Expertise Augmentation
- AI Agent Interviewer
- AI Agent Design & Deployment
Future Startup: How does your distribution and advertising work?
Mahadhir Yunus: We use a community-led GTM mannequin supported by inbound content material, search engine optimisation, partnerships, and B2B outreach. Developer belief is a significant moat.
For enterprise gross sales, we work with channel companions and on-ground consultants in Malaysia, Europe, and the Center East
Future Startup: What are the operational pillars? How huge is the group? How is the corporate structured? What does the tradition seem like, and many others?
Mahadhir Yunus: We’re a 8 particular person group, largely distant, with core hubs in Malaysia. Our construction is lean and agile, optimized for experimentation.
The tradition is a mix of builder power and neighborhood goal.
We’re obsessive about studying quick, failing quick, executing merely, and enabling others to thrive within the AI-driven economic system.
Future Startup: Give us a way of the size and aggressive panorama of the trade by which Krenovator operates.
Mahadhir Yunus: We function within the world tech and AI workforce market, which is already price a whole bunch of billions and rising quickly with the rise of AI brokers.
Whereas globally famend corporations are addressing the broader tech and AI workforce market, our power lies in regional depth, customized AI purposes, and a twin deal with each neighborhood and capability-building. Most opponents are staffing platforms. We’re constructing an AI agent-powered ecosystem.
Future Startup: What aggressive benefit does Krenovator maintain over its opponents?
Mahadhir Yunus:
- SEA-first method – Deeply embedded in regional markets
- AI toolchain – Customized-built instruments for expertise, shoppers, and agent deployment
- Execution layer – Not simply matching expertise, however delivering outcomes
- AI agent frontier – A daring imaginative and prescient that guides each product and group
Future Startup: What are the key challenges of Krenovator as we speak?
Mahadhir Yunus: We’re scaling in a number of markets whereas providing new companies and merchandise for a quickly evolving trade.
Balancing velocity, high quality, and innovation is our greatest problem. Educating each builders and enterprises on the potential of agentic AI additionally takes time.
Future Startup: Inform us about Krenovator’s future plans: short-term priorities and long-term imaginative and prescient.
Mahadhir Yunus:
Within the short-term, we plan to develop our Malaysian and Indonesian developer bases, deploy Ai agent product out there, and shut key enterprise partnerships in Europe and the Center East.
Within the long-term, we intention to turn out to be the main AI agent expertise and deployment companion in SEA, energy 1 million elite builders throughout the SEA area, and construct the infrastructure layer for the AI workforce economic system.
Future Startup: 3 errors you desire to different founders to keep away from.
Mahadhir Yunus:
- Constructing for validation as a substitute of shoppers
- Underestimating the price of alternative
- Scaling earlier than discovering product-market readability
Future Startup: How do you keep productive as a founder?
Mahadhir Yunus: I block time for fitness center, deep work, and delegate with belief. Reflecting every morning helps me keep centered.
Future Startup: 5 books you wish to advocate to our readers.
Mahadhir Yunus:
- The Huge Why by Micheal Winter
- Begin with why by Simon Sinek
- By no means break up the distinction by Chris Voss
- Pitch Something by Oren Klaff
- Adikuasa:Merebut oder duni by Ayman Rashdan Wong
Future Startup: What are some necessary classes you’ve gotten discovered as a founder?
Mahadhir Yunus:
- Give attention to the result
- Get the job achieved
- Be taught quick, fail quick.
Future Startup: Inform us about how you consider life on condition that life is brief and transient.
Mahadhir Yunus: I consider in legacy by means of affect. For me, the query is: What number of lives did we elevate? If Krenovator can assist even one developer construct one thing extraordinary or assist one firm scale with the suitable tech, that is worth that lives on.
That’s what I’m right here for. Nothing roughly. Purely affect.
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