Bangkok, 6 August 2025: Building on the momentum of the Ho Chi Minh round, ERIA hosted another One ASEAN Startup Award Pre-Event in Bangkok, Thailand, on 6 August 2025. This session was held as part of the prestigious Techsauce Global Summit 2025 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

The pre-event brought together more than 100 participants, including entrepreneurs, startup ecosystem players, policymakers, and academics to highlight standout startups operating across ASEAN. As in the Ho Chi Minh pre-event, special emphasis was placed on cutting-edge innovations in AI and impactful solutions that advance the region’s climate ambitions and raise the profile of green technology entrepreneurship.

In his opening address, Dr Aladdin D. Rillo (Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations at ERIA) introduced the award programme, which is led by the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC). E-DISC serves as a platform for cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange amongst innovation ecosystem stakeholders to promote sustainable economic growth, social progress, and environmental stewardship across ASEAN and East Asia.

‘In the ASEAN region, we have seen a growing number of AI startup verticals contributing to the advancement of digital transformation domestically. At the same time, there has been an increase in startups developing new technologies that have also helped to drive the energy transition. This is the primary reason why, for this year’s One ASEAN Startup Award, we have decided to focus on two important areas: AI and the energy transition, including zero-emission categories,’ Dr Rillo said.

ERIA co-organised this pre-event with JETRO and Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa). Mr Warin Ratchananusorn, Acting Senior Executive Vice President and Director of the Digital Startup Institute, highlighted how the initiative aligns with the agency’s mission to support Thailand’s growing innovation ecosystem.

‘Depa is proud to co-host the One ASEAN Startup Award 2025 Pre-Event as part of the Techsauce Global Summit, which has become a flagship platform for tech and startup leaders in the region. This initiative perfectly reflects our commitment to accelerating Thailand’s digital transformation by promoting cross-border collaboration, supporting deep-tech entrepreneurship, and attracting international opportunities to Thai startups,’ Mr Ratchanusorn said.

‘We have seen strong growth in early-stage funding with 35% rise in the past year and increased interest in emerging areas like AI and green tech. This is a clear sign of the ecosystem’s maturing strength and global ambition,’ he added.

During the selection process for this pre-event, startups were given the opportunity to nominate themselves or be nominated by others, and ERIA received 163 nominations in total. Following a thorough review by a panel of experts and academics, ERIA shortlisted five finalists each for the AI and Zero Emission categories.

At the pre-event, these finalists pitch their business solutions to a panel of judges comprising policymakers, startup leaders, and experts from across ASEAN.

ERIA is pleased to announce the winners, each awarded a US$10,000 research grant:

• MUI Robotics (Thailand): Winner of the AI category. MUI Robotics is an AI-powered sensory nose for odour data in quality control and environmental monitoring.
• N&E Innovations Pte Ltd (Singapore): Winner of the Zero Emission category. The startup turns food waste into Vikang99, a safe and sustainable antimicrobial solution.

Presenting the awards, Dr Rillo extended his congratulations to the winners while expressing confidence in their potential to become both valuable ERIA research collaborators and catalysts for innovation in their respective communities. He also expressed appreciation to the co-organisers and partners for their invaluable support.

The two winners will advance to the final round of the One ASEAN Startup Award 2025, scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur later this year. They will join finalists from the Ho Chi Minh (May) and Kuala Lumpur (October) rounds.

In addition to the pitch session, the Thailand pre-event featured a panel discussion centred on AI and zero-emission innovation. Officials from the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology, Brunei Darussalam’s Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), and Malaysia’s Cradle Fund also delivered presentations, offering participants an opportunity to learn more about their organisations and their respective support for startups.

Applications for the upcoming Kuala Lumpur pre-event are open. Nominations are welcome from the startups themselves – particularly those focusing on AI and zero-emission solutions and meeting ERIA’s eligibility criteria – or from third-party nominators.