MOSTI UNVEILS STARTUP ASEAN, BRIDGING ECOSYSTEM GAPS ACROSS THE REGION

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), and Cradle Fund Sdn. Bhd. (Cradle), Malaysia’s focal point agency for the startup ecosystem, marked a significant milestone today with the announcement of Startup ASEAN. This groundbreaking platform aims to position the ASEAN Member States as leading players in the global startup landscape.

As Malaysia prepares to chair ASEAN in 2025, Cradle has been entrusted to lead the ASEAN Startup Initiative (ASI) under the ASEAN Technology Startup Ignite. This initiative highlights Malaysia’s commitment to bolstering the regional startup ecosystem, aligning with the nation’s Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) 2025 for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI).

The initiative focuses on fostering startup-friendly policies, enhancing ecosystem readiness across the ASEAN Member States (AMS), and driving impactful collaborations to create meaningful partnerships and synergies within the region.

The first initiative under the ASEAN Technology Startup Ignite is a platform curated by a task force from all ten (10) ASEAN Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Ahead of its official launch in Q2 2025, Startup ASEAN is inviting startups and ecosystem partners from all ASEAN countries to join the platform. Entrepreneurs can now submit their interest at www.startupasean.org and be part of the region’s next leap in innovation.

The soft launch of Startup ASEAN was officiated by YB Tuan Chang Lih Kang during the Malaysia-China Summit 2024, witnessed by key stakeholders from across the startup ecosystem.