CEO of Malaysia's Cradle Fund killed by mobile phone malfunction

According to a statement, the phone was being charged next to Hassan (pictured) at the time of the incident. It is believed to have overheated and started a fire in a closed bedroom as Hassan slept.

Initial reports suggested smoke inhalation as the cause of death, although a post mortem later confirmed it was complications related to explosion injuries. Hassan is survived by a wife and four children, as well as one son from a previous marriage, according to The Star.

“He touched and inspired us, the Cradle family, along with many start-up founders, investors and partners,” Juliana Jan, CIO of Cradle, said.  “He was one-of-a-kind leader and visionary who made an incredible mark in the start-up ecosystem. Our thoughts and prayers for his wife and children.”

Hassan’s work as a lobbyist for entrepreneurship contributed to the creation of Cradle in 2003 as an early-stage investment program under the government’s Malaysia Venture Capital Management (Mavcap). He left Cradle in 2005 to focus on his own start-up and rejoined in 2007 as CEO following the firm’s spin-out from Mavcap.

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• Topics
• Southeast Asia
• People
• Malaysia