CEO Of Tech Funding Firm Killed When His Smart Phone Explodes, Burning Down His House

The CEO of Cradle Fund, a Malaysian company that assists entrepreneurs and startups in the tech industry, died in a tragic accident last week when one of his phones exploded and started a fire in his home. Nazrin Hassan had two phones, a Blackberry and a Huawei, according to his brother-in-law. It isn’t clear which one exploded.

It appears that one of the phones exploded while charging in Nazrin’s bedroom overnight, according to a report from the New York Post. It’s believed that when the phone broke into pieces, one of those pieces was thrust at him, causing blunt force trauma to his head. That injury left him unable to move, so he was unable to respond when his home caught fire and smoke filled his room. His brother-in-law says that Nazrin was likely already dead by the time his mattress caught fire. Hassan suffered burns all over his body, and police suspect he died from smoke inhalation. Hassan’s brother-in-law expressed his shock on social media.

“Who would have thought such an innocuous routine procedure is the reason three young kids will grow up without their father by their side,” he posted.

https://www.facebook.com/otimenews/posts/1830191277275501

Nazrin Hassan was the CEO of Cradle Fund in Malaysia. It is associated with the country’s Ministry of Finance and helps tech companies get off the ground. They have funded many successful companies in the area including the Grab app that lets the user book transportation for pick-up in minutes. The Grab app boasts the largest pool of taxis, private cars, and motorbikes in Southeast Asia.

The Financial Express shared this statement from Cradle’s Chief Operating Officer, Razif Aziz.

“Cradle has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Nazrin have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.”

A press note from Cradle Funding also expressed their grief at Hassan’s passing.

“The management of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) with great sadness announce the passing of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Nazrin Hassan. For over 15 years, Nazrin has dedicated his efforts to promoting early-stage funding for technology start-ups.”

Nazrin Hassan was part of the Cradle team when it was first introduced in 2003 under the name Cradle Investment Programme (CIP). He left CIP in 2005 to focus on his own technology start-up, but returned to Cradle in 2007. He had been with the company ever since.