Kuala Lumpur, 26 October 2025: ERIA successfully concluded the One ASEAN Startup Award 2025, with the grand finale held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) as part of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2025.

The competition celebrated outstanding startups from across Southeast Asia, recognising their contributions to innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation. Through this initiative, ERIA continues to foster entrepreneurship and cross-border collaboration within the ASEAN startup ecosystem.

This year’s programme focused on two transformative categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Zero Emission. AI represents ASEAN’s next wave of digital growth, while Zero Emission highlights ERIA’s commitment to sustainability through the Asia Zero Emission Center (AZEC), promoting clean and energy-efficient innovations for the region’s low-carbon future.

In his opening remarks during the grand finale, Salvador Buban, Senior Policy Fellow at ERIA, underscored the vital role of startups in advancing these key areas:

‘At ERIA, we believe that startups are catalysts of transformation – bridging innovation with impact. By championing sectors such as AI and Zero Emission, we affirm our commitment to nurturing the next generation of changemakers who will shape a more inclusive, digital, and sustainable ASEAN. These areas are not only engines of economic growth but also pathways to building a region that thrives responsibly and collaboratively in the face of global challenges.’

Six finalists – winners of pre-events held in Viet Nam, Thailand, and Malaysia – competed in the grand finale, presenting their pitches before a panel of judges comprising startup industry experts and academics.

ERIA proudly announced the grand winners of the One ASEAN Startup Award 2025:

• AI Category: MUI Robotics (Thailand) – an AI-powered sensory nose for odour data in quality control and environmental monitoring.
• Zero Emission Category: N&E Innovations (Singapore) – a startup that turns food waste into Vikang99, a safe and sustainable antimicrobial solution.

Both startups received a US$10,000 research grant to refine and scale their innovations.

This year marked the second consecutive time the One ASEAN Startup Award grand finale was held as part of ABIS, demonstrating the strong partnership between ERIA and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the organiser of ABIS. ABIS 2025 gathered over 1,000 world leaders, CEOs, and senior executives from multinational and regional corporations, reinforcing ASEAN’s role in global economic integration and highlighting the private sector’s influence on regional policy and innovation.

The awards were presented during the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) 2025, where ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe honoured and congratulated the winners for their outstanding achievements and contributions to ASEAN’s innovation landscape.