KILSA、Viction、Communeなどのアジアのスタートアップが、イノベーション、ローカリゼーション、戦略的拡大によってグローバル展開をどのように再定義しているかをご覧ください。

インドは世界最大のスタートアップエコシステムの本拠地であり、さまざまな分野で急速な成長を遂げています。政府の支援と技術革新は、この拡大の中心にあります。インドのスタートアップエコシステムにおける機会とトレンドを探ってみましょう。

This article will showcase the 4 recent startups founded after 2020 that managed to get through this big boundary and made it possible to stand out within the competitive and strict startup developing environment.

Kabuk Style’s HafH redefines travel through subscription-based pricing, leveraging fintech, blockchain, and partnerships with JAL and JR West to make purposeful, affordable travel accessible. Explore how they’re reshaping tourism and inspiring connections globally.

South Korean entrepreneurship education company, underdogs, launched its first "Act-preneur Boot Camp", offering hands-on, locally adapted training that earned high praise for its execution-focused approach. Curious why their program was so well-received in Japan? Click to find out!

WasteX, a Singapore startup, transforms agricultural waste into biochar, improving farm productivity by 95% and halving fertilizer use. By 2035, they aim to support 1 million farmers and cut 10 million tons of carbon emissions.

In this article, I'm going to share with you a roadmap of how to start a corporation in Japan and how other founders actually went about it through a real-life example. Kim Sung-hyun, the engineer at KAERU LLC, will explain it in a simple interview format.

India can be considered the most active market for unicorn IPOs recently. It presents a unique case where its unicorn companies are achieving success by listing on domestic exchanges rather than overseas. One of the key factors behind the rise of India’s stock market as a hub for unicorn IPOs is the remarkable growth of Zomato, the country’s first unicorn to go public.

Pecco, a Japanese cooking app, rose to second place on "my best" by offering AI-powered recipe suggestions using ingredients at home. Launched in 2018, it targets beginners with simple, eco-friendly recipes and no paid products, focusing on convenience. With 500,000 users by 2023, its success comes from strong branding, daily social media content, and B2B services, becoming a lifestyle app for home cooks.

Angus Cheng shares the journey of creating multiple indie games and projects, highlighting both successes and failures. Notable failures include "Let's Get Fiscal" and "Rock Bottom," where poor sales and lack of collaboration led to struggles. Successful ventures include "Get Rich or Die Gaming" and "Girlfriend Plus," the latter earning over $300,000 across app stores.

In the AI era, traditional hierarchies of authority are being replaced by data-driven decision-making and transparent accountability. Organizations must earn trust through clear data rather than seniority or subjective experience. AI enables workers to bypass middle management, driving a shift toward decentralized, transparent, and efficient structures. Companies need to adapt their cultures to embrace these changes or risk losing relevance in the modern workplace.

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), a renowned international institution, has been at the forefront of entrepreneurship education through its Entrepreneurship Center (AIT EC). To gain deeper insights into AIT EC's contributions to this growing ecosystem and its entrepreneurial activities, we met with Dieter Trau, the founding director of AIT EC.

The Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) at SMU fosters entrepreneurship in Singapore through incubation, internships, and venture capital programs. Located in The Greenhouse, a co-working space, IIE connects startups with mentors, investors, and industry experts. Ranked #11 globally for "Entrepreneur Spirit," IIE supports Singapore's startup ecosystem with a focus on urban solutions and sustainability.

In this article, we’ll highlight the top 20 startups in Japan, as recognized by Failory in 2024. Whether they are disrupting industries with blockchain, artificial intelligence, or green technologies, these startups are set to redefine how we live and work.

Forbes Asia has released its 2024 list of 100 notable startups, highlighting companies from 16 countries across 10 industries, including enterprise technology, robotics, and energy. India leads with 20 companies on the list, followed by Singapore with 15, China with 10, and Japan with 9.

In this edition, we'll explore what changes are needed to make your organization more compelling in the age of AI, specifically the first key element of becoming an employer of choice for AI talent. We'll talk about the changes that adopting AI technology will bring to your organization, especially the new innovations that AI will create.‍

LAFS, a digital marketing agency, balances full-time and freelance employees through a flexible work schedule and uses tools like Trello to manage tasks. They focus on team culture through internships and detailed feedback, overcoming recruitment challenges in Vietnam. By implementing checklists and KPIs, they maintain quality and foster growth. Despite operational challenges, LAFS aims to expand its services and develop new marketing platforms.

Angus Cheng simplifies purchases with anonymous buying, creates a custom pricing API, and experiments with social share buttons, which yield minimal results. Collaborative projects like Social Media Monitor stall, while a new venture, "Busty Barrister Barbara," remains in progress. Throughout, Cheng reflects on balancing innovation, personal life, and the challenges of solo entrepreneurship.

SPACE-F, Thailand's first global food tech incubator and accelerator, is driving innovation in the country's food and agri-tech sectors. Established through a collaboration between Thai Union Group, the National Innovation Agency of Thailand, and Mahidol University, SPACE-F supports startups with mentorship, funding, and global connections. It has nurtured over 80 startups, helping them scale their technologies and expand internationally.

AI's rise is sparking job market fears, but the real threat is losing jobs to those skilled in AI. Companies are fiercely competing for top AI talent, offering high salaries and investing in advanced infrastructure. Attracting AI experts requires more than money—it demands challenging, impactful work environments. To succeed, organizations must adapt their structures and cultures to integrate AI effectively.

Wise Steps Group is an Indonesian social enterprise that provides sustainable travel and tourism services , while creating economic opportunities around education, employment, entrepreneurship, and environment(4 E’s) programs through its foundation. We met Ayu Masita, the co-founder of Wise Steps Group and the executive director of Wise Steps Foundation, to follow their meaningful journey.

Imagine this: if non-face-to-face becomes so commonplace, wouldn't it be weird to see AI humans replacing remote humans in the not-too-distant future? In fact, it would be hard to tell the difference without being able to touch them. Particularly, if AI can deliver satisfactory results at a lower cost, users will likely become increasingly indifferent to the distinction. In the coming years, AI will be much more natural, and we will be less resistant to it.

Asia Tomorrow met with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hizmawati Madzin, Director of CEM, to explore the various programs and activities offered by CEM, understand UPM’s entrepreneurial program focused on agriculture, and discuss CEM’s role in the Malaysian entrepreneurship ecosystem.

In June 2022, Maxwell, a SaaS business owner, asked me to create an API for converting PDFs into JSON. Despite initial reluctance, I developed the API, resolved technical issues, and introduced a tiered pricing model while applying for Y-combinator. After negotiations, Maxwell became a paying customer, marking a successful integration of sales and software development.

From seeing students' lack of dreams and interests and launching the Dream Plan project to learning about the reality of passionate and talented youth lacking opportunities and establishing Under Production to fill the gap, I've come full circle. Interestingly, the new blood of Under Production is precisely responding to the initial discovery of the lack of youth creativity.

In response to the challenges, agricultural technology (agtech) is rapidly evolving. Innovations such as vertical farming, precision agriculture, and SaaS for small farmer promise to increase yields while reducing environmental impact. By embracing innovation and adopting sustainable practices, 7 startups in Asia work towards a future by improving productivity of the agriculture sector.‍

After a decade in banking, I left my job in 2014 to start La Violet, a Hong Kong education startup. I aimed to inspire creativity and address educational disparities. Facing initial challenges, I secured contracts through my contacts and focused on creative courses. Diversifying income streams with university collaborations, course resales, and consulting services helped build a sustainable business dedicated to innovative education and social impact.

The Farm-Direct Fulfillment platform, SECAI MARCHE, raised JPY 510 million in its Series A round. With over 1,300 stores in Malaysia, the fresh food supply chain network is expanding rapidly. Along with additional investment from existing shareholders, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., Future Food Fund, and several other companies and VCs have joined, accelerating service expansion to meet the growing needs of F&B customers in Malaysia and Singapore.

The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) will host the 'WFUNA Impact & Start-up Ecosystem Conference 2024' (WISE Conference 2024) in Geneva, Switzerland, for two days starting on November 4th.

From teaching dolls to leading global sustainability efforts, Maria R. Nindita Radyati, PhD, has revolutionized CSR and ESG education. As President Director of ISA, she has developed innovative programs and tools, influenced national policy, and guided companies in integrating sustainable practices, making a significant impact in Indonesia and beyond.

Freelancer B's Dilemma: "I have an idea but can't decide on a direction. The problem I want to solve isn't clear, and in 1:1 coaching sessions, I mainly ask for specific knowledge about solutions. Additionally, I have many tasks at hand, so resource adjustment is necessary. What should I do?"

N9NE was incubated in Mondragon Team Academy(MTA). MTA consists of over 2,500 team-entrepreneurs and 19 international MTA Labs, creating a global social innovation ecosystem. ‍N9NE is one of these teams and is now known for organizing entrepreneur-focused summits, events, and workshops, as well as building entrepreneurial communities, currently based in South Korea.

Emerging when fertility services were largely unknown and taboo, Zora Health now has more room to innovate as awareness improves and fertility rates decline. As Asia's leading platform, Zora Health integrates corporations providing employment benefits with over 80 clinics in more than 16 countries to simplify and enhance accessibility to healthcare.

underdogs spoke with Marta Allina, the leader of 'Seoul Startups', Korea's largest global entrepreneur community, which has been addressing 'problems faced by foreign entrepreneurs' for over seven years under the slogan "Regardless of borders, nationality".

Asia is witnessing a rise in startups prioritizing environmental and social impact alongside financial growth. This week, we introduce seven innovative ESG companies that are making a difference in the region. These startups are addressing pressing challenges in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and responsible manufacturing.

In this article, Angus Cheng recounts his experiences from November 2021 to May 2022, highlighting his journey with Bank Statement Converter. He discusses the challenges faced with ineffective marketing partnerships, his brief and unfruitful venture into NFTs, and the lessons learned from these diversions.

We are a prospective startup team preparing to launch a new business. We conducted research to understand what each team member thinks the main problem is. As a result, we decided to focus on solving ‘the meal problems’ of students living alone. However, we are having difficulty defining a more precise direction. "I would appreciate any advice on this matter."

Qosmosys, a Singapore-based company, is at the forefront of this transformation, aiming to revolutionize the lunar economy. Founded in 2020, Qosmosys has quickly gained prominence, securing $100 million in seed funding to develop its lunar transportation vehicle, ZeusX, and other essential technologies.

Combined with global conflicts and economic setbacks, Edutech startups are forced to reconsider their businesses seriously. Even the most giant unicorns, like the Unacademy of India, recently announced a massive layoff. However, some companies are still making breakthroughs even in this recession era. From the fast adoption of the latest technologies to the development of unique teaching methods, the seven startups in today’s article are unearthing new opportunities in the field of education. 

The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) successfully hosted the Demo Day for the 'Ulsan-UN City Problem-Solving Startup Competition: Citypreneurs 2024' on June 12 at UNIST's Industry-University Convergence Building.

Over the years, M-DAQ Global has pioneered and delivered cutting-edge financial solutions, crucial for diverse industries such as stock brokerage, e-commerce, and global payments.In an interview with Asia Tomorrow, Richard Koh, the Founder and Group CEO of M-DAQ Global, delved into the inspirations that ignited his passion for eliminating currency boundaries over two decades ago. He shar

API Holdings is India's largest digital healthcare platform, specializing in online pharmacy services and comprehensive healthcare solutions. The company is an integrated platform of PharmEasy, a home delivery system from pharmacy to home, and Ascent, a system that aims to balance demand and supply by managing the procedure

Asia is home to some of the world's leading universities in entrepreneurship education, fostering a new generation of innovators and business leaders. The following article highlights the best universities in Asia for entrepreneurship education, showcasing their significant contributions to research and their influence on the global entrepreneurial landscape. These institutions are ranked based on their exceptional research performance in entrepreneurship.

Gokigen Japanese, an innovative online Japanese language and culture learning service, has swiftly risen to prominence, marking its success with significant milestones within a short span of time. Founded in 2022 and operated by 27th Corporation, based in Tokyo, Gokigen Japanese has not only demonstrated the impact and potential of its unique service but also garnered prestigious accolades, such as the Chiyoda CULTURE x TECH Award, and participated in high-profile events such as SusHi Tech Tokyo

The Asian e-commerce landscape is evolving rapidly, shaped by recent global events and economic shifts. Across the region, we're seeing intriguing developments: live commerce is gaining traction in Southeast Asia, super apps are reshaping the Indian market, and new technologies are transforming the shopping experience. Despite the intense competition from established players, several startups are making their mark with unique approaches and solutions.

Meet Juhong Lee, the CEO of a digital marketing agency in Vietnam. With a career spanning marketing agencies, IT companies, foreign enterprises, and venture capital firms, he has accumulated a wealth of experience. Now, he runs a comprehensive marketing agency with a team of 40 people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown, his company, C-Laps, is rapidly expanding. 

Uzum is an e-commerce startup that started as an online marketplace. The nation's first unicorn plans to expand its service to deliveries, finance, and business development. Uzum currently records over 8 million monthly active users(MAUs) and =9,000 merchants in its ecosystem. How did Uzum become Uzbekistan's first unicorn and the nation's representative startup in just a year?

Despite facing discouragement from a family acquaintance, I persisted, raising prices and adapting my approach based on customer feedback. I also grappled with significant advertising costs, ultimately turning off ads and finding success through blogging and a fortuitous feature on Hacker News.

Founded in 2018 by Ami Sugiyama and Shusaku Hayakawa, SECAI MARCHE is a B2B online platform that connects farmers directly with restaurants in Southeast Asia. This innovative approach addresses the significant pain points in the supply chain for perishable goods, ensuring that fresh and high-quality products reach their destinations efficiently.

The Asian tech startup ecosystem has been experiencing a remarkable surge in recent years, with a growing number of companies poised to become the next billion-dollar unicorns. Southeast Asia, in particular, has emerged as a hotbed for promising startups, with countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam leading the charge.

Good Food Technologies has been rocketing through the vegetarian food industry with its outstanding plant-based meat technology. Founded in 2020 in Hong Kong, the plant-based meat alternatives for Asian cuisine is their product, called Plant Sifu. Plant Sifu developed a plant-based pork substitute using konjac, coconut oil, and soybeans and utilized a technology called AROMAX™ as the base for an accurate and satisfying substitute for real meat.

Asia travel startups with exceptional services and growth. From curated experiences to unique offerings, the startups in today’s letter are changing the travel industry landscape. These companies also overcame the unprecedented hardships of COVID-19, which makes them even more noteworthy.

In this interview, we feature Simon Byun, the CEO of Vietnam's No.1 hotel booking service, Go2Joy. Go2Joy is Vietnam's largest hourly hotel booking service, catering to the needs of the young generation.

It seems that education fixated on exams in the Asia region fails to unlock students' potential or enhance the meaning of life. Recognizing these crucial issues, Kit Wong decided to make a bold career change from banking to social entrepreneurship to address these problems.

This is around the time I came up with a very cool idea. Actually the idea was implemented in May 2021, but that month had a lot of stuff going on, so I’ve rolled the “very cool idea” into this month instead. At the time I had a problem. It was coming to the conclusion that a generic bank statement converting algorithm did not exist.

Asia's startup ecosystem is witnessing unprecedented growth and transformation, driven by a combination of government support, venture capital investment, and innovative entrepreneurial spirit. Here’s an in-depth look at some of the key ecosystems within Asia according to Startup Genome report 2024.

In an interview with Asia Tomorrow, Professor Rie Kang of Hosei University shared her journey as a successful Korean-Japanese entrepreneur, her transition to academia, and insights into Japanese business culture. She emphasizes the unique opportunity for Korean startups to enter the Japanese market.

For the past six years, I've been bootstrapping my business. For a bootstrapper like me, not breaking even means my family cannot afford the living,, which translates to the business failing. This approach has its pros and cons. While it means we can survive like weeds, it also means growth is slow.

Finding thebest ways to implement supplier-to-investor supply chain and global tradethrough next-generation innovative technology, Olea has become an acceleratingventure for the Asian trading industry. Olea is a joint venture that was formedin 2021 with Standard Chartered, a banking group in Singapore, and Linklogis, asupply chain financetechnology provider based in China by Amelia Ng, the CEO of StandardChartered, and Letitia Chau,the Deputy CEO.

‍"A country where young people don't start businesses" This is a phrase I've often heard when seeking advice on entering the Japanese market. It suggests that Japan's prolonged economic stagnation has forced young people to choose safer options, reducing uncertainty.

The AI market in Asia is expected to reach $62 billion in 2023 and grow at an annual rate of approximately 19.46% from 2023 to 2030, reaching $215.3 billion by 2030. Furthermore, the Asia Pacific AI market is projected to grow by 28.58% between 2024-2030, resulting in a market volume of $298.4 billion in 2030.

In startups, I believe the essential key talents are those who "do not just stop at ideas but execute them to achieve results", and "can provide constructive dissent within the organization". Particularly, those who can raise healthy objections and questions are crucial for startups. As startups receive more investment and grow, they begin to form their own domains, and inevitably, "politics" starts to take root.

Umami Bioworks, a Singapore-based biotech startup, is making significant strides in the production of sustainable seafood. Under the leadership of Mihir Pershad, founder and CEO of Umami Bioworks, the company focuses on creating cell-cultivated seafood, aiming to transform the seafood supply chain by offering a sustainable and reliable alternative to wild-caught fish.

It took me until May 7th 2021 to get the app ready to start processing payments. I met up with a friend called Koushal for lunch. At lunch I told him “The app is ready to start making money, how much do you think it’ll make in the first seven days?”

There are also AI companies in Asia with an exceptional focus on specific areas. These startups are interested in resolving practical problems, from fishing to patient diagnosis. Since Asia is still in the early stage of AI adoption, more notable AI startups are expected to emerge shortly.

RecyGlo, a B2B tech startup founded in 2017, exemplifies this spirit by providing innovative waste management and data analytics solutions that help businesses reduce their environmental impact and comply with regulatory requirements.

On May 15-16, the "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024" event took place in Tokyo, Japan. As an entrepreneurship education startup, underdogs participated to promote Korea's education content and services to the global market. In this article, we share our insights into Japan's startup ecosystem gathered from the event.

Our listicle highlights some of the most promising fintech startups in Asia that are poised to shape the future of finance in the region and beyond. From digital banks and neo-lenders to insurance tech and wealthtech platforms, these startups are redefining the rules of the game and ushering in a new era of financial empowerment for the masses.

This Vietnamese startup founder's vision was clear: providing a convenient and reasonable fintech product to Vietnameses. In order to do so, 1Long is building the platform for the customers to keep their savings with various options, not limited to the deposit with a fixed amount of money for a predetermined period of time. If the team can pioneer the banking deposit system in the early stage of the market, it might be a winning game for the startup.

Product-market fit, often termed PMF, is a crucial concept in the startup world. It's the sweet spot where your product perfectly meets your target market's needs. Marc Andreessen, founder of a16z, explained the concept as shown below in 2007:

In this issue of HAPPEN story, we introduce Shota Imamura, CEO of "Nefront", a company developing the indoor AR cloud service IndooAR. Besides his involvement as an ambassador for TSUKUBA CONNÉCT and a session commentator, he has also been selected for an acceleration program through connections from Venture Café.‍

ZIPANG visits the Global Startup Center in Fukuoka. Fukuoka is well-known as the birthplace of SoftBank. In this interview, we explore the unique appeal of Fukuoka City with Mr. Shimada from the Fukuoka Global Startup Center, discussing how the city is attracting global entrepreneurial talents and capital.

The journey of Angus Cheng and his collaborator, Dom, from conceiving the idea of a PDF-to-CSV bank statement conversion app to its initial launch and subsequent improvements. Despite initial setbacks with ad placements and algorithm limitations, they eventually launched the app, iterated on its functionality, and started gaining users and revenue.

WFUNA has been recognized for focusing on global citizenship education. However, the WFUNA Seoul office has gone beyond typical campaigns and educational efforts, engaging in community-based programs and impact startup acceleration. Notably, through the ‘Citypreneurs’ startup support program, it has consistently focused on entrepreneurs who address urban issues and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Enter Deliver.sg, a rising star in the Singapore delivery startup landscape, quickly capturing this underserved market. Launched in 2020 initially focusing on food delivery, Deliver.sg has since diversified its services to include transporting vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and even offering a subscription model for delivering infrastructure. Today, the company manages about 190 deliveries daily.

For the Korean startup scene, Mongolia might seem an unfamiliar country. However, Mongolia is quickly emerging as a prominent player in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem among Asian countries.

The investments in the Asian biotech sector remained above pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with Series A funding accounting for almost half of all startup funding. The future outlook for the Asian biotech startup ecosystem is promising and optimistic as well. Let’s take a glimpse at the 10 rising biotech startups in Asia. Number is irrelevant to ranking.

I spent some time on HSBC’s internet banking site and realised all they could give me were PDF bank statements. I tried to copy and paste the data into a Google Sheets document but it didn’t work. I then thought “Angus you are a computer programmer, program the computer to do this for you”

After becoming fascinated by startups and joining NAGOYA CONNÉCT as an ambassador, This Japanese startup founder transitioned into a role supporting startups, and started his own business in September 2023. What kind of HAPPEN happened?

Launched with the ambitious goal of restoring the climate balance, the Indonesian startup CarbonEthics is devoted to enhancing blue carbon ecosystems—key areas where coastal and marine environments like mangroves and seagrasses absorb carbon dioxide, thereby mitigating the effects of global crisis.

underdogs is a South Korean startup that has grown its entrepreneurship education as a major service since 2015. By nurturing coaches who have experience starting businesses, underdogs have been planning and operating educational programs, events to provide practical entrepreneurship education. Let's break down the journey of how this education startup started and expanded its business into 10 stages.

A sales battle card can be an answer for you. The tool used by significant startups including Relate and Hubspot, is a customizable template that concisely displays your competitiveness. The card mainly shows core features, key values, pricing, and comparative advantage. With exceptional conciseness and consistency, the sales battle card will boost your B2B sales and your team’s efficiency.

The traditional distribution structure, once centered around physical stores, is being reshaped through online and mobile platforms. This restructuring is spearheading attempts to redefine 'the future of shopping' across the entire retail sector.

NOVI Health is a healthcare startup established in Singapore in 2019, providing personalized health management services with medical and nutrition specialists and health coaches. This tech startup in Singapore aims not only to provide medical services such as drug prescriptions but also to enhance accessibility to holistic approaches to chronic disease treatment.

The landscape of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) startups in Asia is experiencing a dynamic evolution, marked by significant strides in integrating sustainability into the core of business practices and innovations. Let’s take a glimpse at the 10 rising ESG startups in Asia.

'Signature Label', a K-beauty startup, is challenging the competitive global market by facilitating easier international expansion for Korean cosmetics brands. It positions itself as a K-beauty incubator, assisting brands from distribution to branding. The company has even launched its own K-beauty brand, 'ZIGTAG', to demonstrate the overseas potential of K-beauty products.

Yuto Otake started a project to bring back the summer Koshien (well-known for nationwide high school baseball tournament) of 2020, which was lost due to the effects of the coronavirus. He says he learned a lot from Venture Café Tokyo regarding starting a business, starting a project, and managing it. 

According to a UN report, the global population's average age is progressively rising. As a result, aging is bringing two impacts to the venture business ecosystem: the trend of 'active seniors' who venture into entrepreneurship after their 50s, and the emergence of startups targeting the senior market.

Jumbotail is an India-based B2B commerce startup founded in 2015. The company serves over 50,000 clients and has achieved a total investment of $160.4 million. So, how did Jumbotail discover rocket growth opportunities in daily mom-and-pop stores? How did the startup define market problems and design solutions?

Inflow has developed an on-demand platform that tracks the textile manufacturing process in real time. Inflow anticipates that technology and products can simplify and streamline Vietnam's clothing production process. By digitizing the production process, the platform makes it easier for global brands to find and decide on manufacturing partners, and for manufacturers to optimize their production processes and try self-production.

Partnership does not simply mean utilizing an agency. Creating new businesses based on relationships with companies that have a solid footing in Japan and finding a direction that can generate synergies between both parties become the most important.

There are those who say the rules of the game are changing. Ryusuke Komura, a director at Venture Cafe Tokyo, is one of the prominent figures who says, "Japan needs entrepreneurship". Venture Cafe Tokyo, which hosts 'Thursday Gatherings' where entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and university officials all come together, was established in Japan in 2018 with the aim of fostering innovation within Japan through connections.

Asia has a significant number of AI startups, totaling 2,686, indicating a robust and expanding ecosystem. The region's startups are part of a global trend where AI technologies are increasingly influencing various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and retail, showcasing Asia's critical role in the global AI landscape​ ‍

Iris Liu, VP at Taiwan Mobile (TWM), has been instrumental in guiding the company towards being a leader in sustainability within Taiwan's telecom sector since joining in 2014. Her efforts focus on sustainability, brand management, and public relations. Under her leadership, TWM emphasizes inclusive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) planning and annual strategy updates.

In Korea, a national policy has been initiated to connect private investment and loans with support programs not only for startups and venture businesses but also for small business owners and local brands. Recognized for its expertise in investing in over 30 social ventures, local brands, and early startups, NEWKIDS Investment has been selected as a partner in a large-scale project that matches private investment funds and loans with investee companies.

Named Krutrim, this startup was founded in April 2023 and received over 50 million dollars in investment within a year. In December 2023, it garnered attention by unveiling "Ola Krutrim". Bhavish Aggarwal, one of the co-founders of Krutrim, is also the co-founder and CEO of Ola Cabs, a leading mobility app in India. Currently, Bhavish Aggarwal's primary focus is actually on Ola Electric, a new venture that manufactures and sells electric two-wheelers.

Praba Santhanakrishnan, Co-founder and CEO of Cookr, states that three factors(speed, price, quality of healthy diet) can be achieved in balance. You might be able to get a healthy home-cooked meal with an online payment and a motorcycle delivery within a day or so. How are they planning to become a game changer for India’s food problem? Asia Tomorrow met Praba and listened to his journey from Silicon Valley to India’s promising D2C platform.

In the future, how many more cross-border startups will be established and grow in the Japanese market? What should startups from overseas, including Korea, consider when entering Japan? Asia Tomorrow caught up with Ryeoil Kim to learn more about venture investment in Korea and Japan, his focus on helping startups enter the market, and his insights on the characteristics of the Japanese market and new businesses overseas.

I think the change in Japan compared to 2023 was that there were more recruitment, investment market, global expansion, research sector, and startups (including re-startups) as the Japanese startup industry became more active. This made me recognize that there will be further changes in 2024, and I should take advantage of this trend.

Revealed on Wednesday, March 20, the Philippine Venture Capital Report 2024, a collaborative endeavor between Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Foxmont Capital Partners, underscores this remarkable trend. As the Philippines cements its position as a dynamic player in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, this analysis reveals key trends and opportunities shaping its venture capital landscape.