From founding the first unicorn in Malaysia to becoming one of the most inspirational leaders in Southeast Asia

Eric Cheng, co-founder of Malaysia's first unicorn, knows that achieving great success requires dreaming big. Carsome is an online marketplace that allows consumers to sell their vehicles to dealers via an online auction. The marketplace added transparency and consistency to assessing the value of a vehicle, benefiting customers and dealers.

Founding the company in 2015, Eric and his team went from selling 1,000 cars their first year to 100,000 by their fifth. Carsome has become the largest auto sales platform in Southeast Asia. In 2020, they announced a series of partnerships with regional investment giants, launched a B2C segment, and established Carsome as an industry standard with a proprietary 175-point car inspection.

Eric’s Multiplier Effect

Eric joined the Endeavor community in 2019 and has grown and learned a lot from the community.

"My Endeavor mentor has turned his company around with a group of passionate industry experts,” says Eric. “This example inspired me to look at our hiring strategies and how we can empower our people to scale to greater heights."

Eric dedicates many hours to selecting and mentoring new startups with Endeavor Malaysia. He’s given advice to a dozen founders so far, and invested in several others.

He also founded the Carsome Academy to train his employees. This initiative is a way of filling the void of accreditation for motor vehicle inspectors and certified programs. The company reimburses trainees’ tuition after their third year working at Carsome. Efforts like these have likely inspired the 10+ Carsome employees who have started their own entrepreneurial ventures in recent years.

MALAYSIA