Join us for the One ASEAN Startup Award 2025: Bridge to Brilliance!

Building on last year’s success, the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) is going to host the One ASEAN Startup Award in 2025 to recognise, award, and promote the brightest innovators that are expected to grow rapidly and work on solving ASEAN-wide issues at the same time. Through this initiative, E-DISC seeks to provide a platform to showcase innovative solutions from the ASEAN region and foster meaningful connections amongst startup ecosystem players. The goal is to drive positive impact, spur innovation, and improve the quality of life.

This year, the One ASEAN Startup Award expands its focus to include Cleantech, aligning with ERIA’s Zero Emission mission. By sharing information, conducting policy studies, and embarking on relevant projects, E-DISC aims to help Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) partner countries develop vision, roadmaps, or policies towards decarbonisation.

In addition to recognising outstanding startups, the 2025 award event will offer more opportunities for business and research collaborations in order to cultivate a collaborative ecosystem that bridges research with real-world impact.

A series of three Pre-Events will be held, each featuring 10 finalist startups. These startups, operating in Southeast Asia and beyond, will pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of experts. Honourable guests from key sectors in the startup ecosystem will join the discussions, offering insights into the evolving ASEAN startup scenes and how these shifts are reshaping the startup game.

Two winners will be selected from each Pre-Event. Each winning startup will receive a US$10,000 research fund, supporting their expansion plans while providing an avenue for the startups to make a significant contribution to ERIA’s research initiatives.

Objectives

• To discover and showcase ASEAN-based startups poised to become future role models
• To identify the opportunities and challenges faced by ASEAN startups

Award Categories

Eligibility Criteria

• Startups must currently have or plan to establish business operations in the target countries designated for each Pre-event. There are no restrictions on based on the location of their headquarters.

Target Countries for Each Pre-Event

• Startups should be at the Pre-Seed to Series B stage, with well-developed ideas regarding their minimum viable product.
• Nominated startups must propose a research topic with a concrete action plan and show a willingness to work together with ERIA experts on research initiatives.

Benefits for Award Winners

• Gain access to the E-DISC network to connect with key players in the ASEAN startup ecosystem, including national agencies from ASEAN member nations, venture capitalists (VCs), incubators, and large corporations.
• Receive an invitation to become an E-DISC research partner and contribute to report and white paper publication, including formulating policy recommendations.
• Pre-Event Prize: US$10,000 will be granted to the winner in each category as research funding, with a commitment to be an E-DISC research partner.
• Final-Event Prize: US$10,000 will be granted to the winner in each category as research funding, with a commitment to be an E-DISC research partner.

Selection Schedule and Mechanism

• Current Round: Viet Nam Round
• Target Countries: Viet Nam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar
• Open Nominations: Anyone – whether the startup itself or a third-party individual/organisation – can nominate startups relevant to this award.
• Deadline: 30 March 2025 for the Viet Nam Pre-event
• Selection: Five startups will be selected as finalists for each category in each pre-event.
• Pre-Event: The finalists will be invited to the pre-event to pitch their ideas in person. Each pitch must include a research proposal relevant to the chosen category.
• Awarding: Prizes will be granted only if the winning startups commit to being E-DISC research partners. Please refer to the acknowledgement and disclaimer written below for the details.

Judging Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria shown below.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer  

By applying to this programme, participants acknowledge that:

1. A startup selected as a One ASEAN Startup Award Winner may not withdraw from the award or discontinue the research project. The One ASEAN Startup Award Winner will be obligated to submit a research report in accordance with ERIA’s guidelines. Withdrawal from or discontinuation of the research project with ERIA will result in the winner’s title being rescinded.
2. The research report shall be the exclusive property of ERIA. Any copyright or intellectual rights held by ERIA related to the research project will apply solely to the research report and not to any business, solution, or product developed or obtained by the startup through the research project.

How to Apply

*Each individual/organisation can nominate more than one startup.

 Register Here

Co-organisers

VC Partners

If you have any inquiries, please send an email to [email protected].