Southeast Asia startups shine at AppWorks Demo Day in Singapore

The 30th Demo Day for AppWorks in Singapore placed a spotlight on the evolving trends in Southeast Asia's startup and venture capital sector, with 18 startups presenting across AI, Web3, and Deep Tech industries.

As AppWorks Accelerator marked its 15th anniversary, the event brought together over 70 investors and corporates, highlighting milestones that point toward Southeast Asia's growing influence in global technology innovation. The showcased startups ranged from pre-seed to Series B levels, addressing sectors such as space technology, blockchain finance, aquaculture, and artificial intelligence.

Deep tech developments

A significant trend highlighted at the event was the increasing focus on deep tech. Once considered niche, technology domains including space tech, quantum computing, and advanced AI have become more central to the region's entrepreneurial scene. This has been fuelled in part by increased confidence in their ability to address complex global challenges, such as climate monitoring and secure communications.

One example highlighted is Aliena, a Singapore-based startup focused on satellite propulsion. Aliena's compact, low-power MUSIC engines are designed for small satellites operating in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and upcoming missions in very-low-Earth orbit (VLEO). Founded by Dr. Mark Lim and Dr. George-Cristian Potrivitu as a spin-out from NTU research, Aliena aims to broaden access to agile space mobility.

It has secured total funding of $9.3 million, including a recent $5.6 million Series A round. Aliena's propulsion thrusters are already in operation in orbit, supporting applications such as high-resolution Earth observation and real-time communications, and the company has launched an 8,000 square foot production facility in Singapore to meet rising international demand.

Blockchain and Web3

The emergence of blockchain technologies and decentralised finance (DeFi) was another key focus. Startups are working to address the needs of Southeast Asia's underbanked populations by facilitating digital payments, microfinancing, and digital asset management. One such company is Resolv Labs, founded by Ivan Kozlov. Resolv Labs has developed a yield-scaling stablecoin, USR, designed to support delta-neutral yield strategies for both DeFi and traditional finance. This approach, aiming to deliver stable returns while minimising exposure to typical crypto market volatility through advanced hedging, has attracted rapid investor interest and enabled the company to reach a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $350 million. The firm is pursuing institutional-grade solutions with a view to partnering with neobanks and fintech platforms to broaden its reach.

Aquaculture innovation

Addressing pressures such as climate change and rising global demand, startups involved in digital transformation of aquaculture also featured prominently. Indonesian firm JALA is driving the shift to data-driven shrimp farming. JALA's platform offers real-time analytics, harvest forecasting, and farm financing, supporting more resilient and efficient operations for farmers. With over $60 million in shrimp production monitored, the company is cited as an example of how digital tools can enhance both productivity and sustainability.

Artificial intelligence

Adoption of AI continues to accelerate across Southeast Asia, according to a recent report from the World Economic Forum and ADB. Companies such as Indonesia's Peris.ai and Singapore's Omo Protocol are tackling infrastructure issues in cybersecurity and multi-agent orchestration, respectively.

Peris.ai focuses on providing enterprise-grade digital security through automation, allowing mid-sized businesses to manage cyber threats without significant overhead. The company reports annual run-rate revenue of approximately $1.2 million and seeks to support organisations that have not traditionally had access to specialised security teams. Omo Protocol, founded by Ali Hassan, is developing the OMO SDK to support developers in orchestrating and deploying autonomous agents capable of interacting with smart contracts. This facilitates the development of robust, on-chain AI tools - a sector positioned for growth as interest in autonomous digital systems expands.

Ecosystem resilience and reach

AppWorks noted that despite a global slowdown in startup funding, Southeast Asia's ecosystem has remained resilient. The Demo Day event featured 45 startups founded by 78 individuals drawn from 20 nationalities, with 26 serial entrepreneurs among them. Over 60% of participating startups already have a regional presence and are now exploring further expansion.

This international and regional network, with stops in cities such as Taipei and Jakarta, is a core part of the AppWorks approach to scaling solutions for a diverse and fast-growing digital consumer market.

"We are truly proud to be presenting AW#30 startups to the venture investor community in Singapore and the Greater Southeast Asia. The AppWorks Demo Day #30 Singapore cohort reflects this region's maturing ecosystem marked by experienced founders and growing diversity. Approximately 33% of them are serial entrepreneurs, and 18% of AW#30 startups have surpassed US$1 million in annualized revenue, signaling strong execution and market validation with clear paths to profitability. This maturity aligns with current investor preferences for sustainable growth. We are expecting this Demo Day to lead to many quality funding rounds."

AppWorks, which manages $350 million in assets, reports a total of 624 active startups across all cohorts - a 61-startup increase on the previous year. Collectively, these companies are valued at $32.1 billion and generate annualised revenues of $16.3 billion, employing over 27,000 people worldwide. Within the Web3 subset, 146 active startups have now raised a combined $1.3 billion and report annual revenues of $600 million.

The Singapore Demo Day highlighted startups addressing critical challenges and opportunities for the Southeast Asian digital economy, drawing participation from entrepreneurs representing markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Over half of the teams are developing within AI, while a third are active in Web3. The outcomes demonstrate both the maturation of the regional technology ecosystem and the continued demand for scalable solutions catering to local and cross-border consumer needs.