20 Hottest Startups of 2025

Fintech startups dominated the list.

True to the forecast that 2025 will be a breakout year for fintech, the sector takes the lead in this year’s Hottest Startups list, boasting three representatives.

Biotechnology, logistics, and media and information sectors follow closely, each with two representatives.

This year’s list includes startups that have amassed large funding, alongside those recommended by venture capital firms such as Antler and East Ventures, and startup analytics platform Tracxn Technologies.

Here are this year’s Hottest Startups, sorted by year from the most recent.

Aid
Founder/s: Elijah Yang
Total Funding: $3.3m (US$2.5m)
Founding Year: 2024

Aid is a building materials company focused on creating high-quality, multi-functional solutions that enhance aesthetics, acoustics, fire safety, and sustainability. Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Dubai and the United States, Aid specializes in advanced materials like Timberix™ acoustic panels, Polyx recycled PET boards, Alüm aluminium ceiling systems, and Fabrix™ modular fabric acoustic panels. Aid’s expertise is showcased in projects like Grand Hyatt Singapore enhanced its lobby acoustics with Timberix™ Microperforated panels, while SeaWorld Abu Dhabi utilized 12,000 sqm of Polyx acoustic baffles to optimize sound within its marine park. Both projects demonstrate the use of specific acoustic products to improve the auditory experience in large, public spaces. Aid’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation ensures that every project delivers long-lasting performance.

OneTeam
Founder/s: Kevin Boo and Matthew Pay
Total Funding: $3.4m (US$2.6m)
Founding Year: 2024

Headquartered in Singapore, Oneteam offers an innovative employee ownership succession model for SMEs. Backed by Wavemaker Ventures, Oneteam acquires businesses from retiring owners and transitions them into employee-owned entities, ensuring business continuity while empowering the next generation of business leaders and employees. Their mission is to reward one generation of business owners, while empowering the next. With a focus on digital-first solutions, Oneteam provides acquired businesses with the resources they need to thrive in today's dynamic economy, driving innovation, growth, and long-term success.

Earlybird AI
Founder/s: Bhavana Ravindran
Total Funding: $1m (US$800,000)
Founding Year: 2024

EarlyBird AI is re-imagining bookkeeping by making accounting real-time and stress-free for businesses of all sizes. Its AI-driven automation closes the gap for month-end financial close for companies by automating repetitive, manual tasks like document scanning, payments classifications and bank reconciliations. Their proprietary AI agents transform transaction data into Live Ledgers™️, continuous reconciliation & live financial statements that are completely self-driving. The platform helps business owners and finance teams visualise financial activity in real-time, along with all-in-one tax management and a conversational AI finance concierge - freeing up hundreds of hours of manual work that can now be used for more strategic activities. Backed by Antler, EarlyBird AI combines strong founder-market fit—leveraging experience in scaling solutions to 100M+ users —with the perfect market timing as Southeast Asian businesses adopt AI-driven finance. Its integrated accounting and payment solutions position it as a leader in the growing CFO-as-a-Service market.

Wubble.ai
Founder/s: Anand Roy and Shaad Sufi
Total Funding: $532,640 (US$400,000)
Founding Year: 2024

Wubble is revolutionising music creation by enabling businesses to generate high-quality, royalty-free soundtracks instantly. Designed for marketing, gaming, film, retail, and advertising, its AI-powered platform automates the entire music production process—from ideation and composition to editing and mastering. In just 15 seconds, businesses can create unique soundtracks without worrying about copyright infringement. Backed by Antler, Wubble is led by an Emmy-nominated Disney veteran and a seasoned tech entrepreneur. Their enterprise solution addresses the growing demand for commercial music licensing with AI, solving clear pain points in content creation. As an AI Verify Foundation member, Wubble upholds ethical AI standards, training exclusively on royalty-free data to ensure transparency and responsible innovation in Singapore’s dynamic AI ecosystem. Wubble was also invited to the prestigious SXSW Conference in 2025 - the only Singaporean company and one of only 5 Asian companies to be bestowed with that honour. 

k-ID 
Founder/s: Kieran Donovan, Jeff Wu, Julian Corbett, and Timothy Ma
Total Funding: $68.9m (US$51m)
Founding Year: 2023

k-ID enables online services and platforms to create safer, age-appropriate experiences while ensuring compliance with global regulations. Its proprietary, privacy-preserving technology identifies user age and location-specific laws, then automatically configures game features to meet legal requirements. This helps developers avoid hefty fines and streamline compliance while allowing children to access games and services without falsifying their age. k-ID’s system dynamically adjusts access to private chat, AI tools, and advertising based on user age, ensuring a safer online experience. The startup partners with industry leaders like Discord, Roblox, Capcom, and Another Axiom, offering compliance solutions through a scalable subscription model. Available in over 200 markets, k-ID is committed to democratizing child safety online, making regulatory compliance accessible to developers of all sizes.

Wenti Labs
Founder/s: Ethan Ow and Tu Nguyen
Total Funding: $337,510 (US$250,000)
Founding Year: 2023

Wenti Labs is transforming construction workflow automation with its AI-powered, mobile-friendly platform. Designed to enhance communication between construction teams, it automates progress and safety reporting, generates quotations, tracks inventory, and minimizes paperwork. By converting unstructured data from emails, chats, and photos into structured reports, the AI ensures teams always have accurate, real-time information, reducing errors and improving efficiency. Integrated with messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, Wenti Labs provides instant updates and document retrieval. With a vision to become the leading AI agent for the construction industry, Wenti Labs aims to expand into markets with growing construction sectors like the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, and China, helping businesses streamline operations and address labor shortages through advanced technology solutions.

Truely Travel
Founder/s: Jean-Patrick Bisson and Simon Landsheer
Total Funding: $4.7m (US$3.5m)
Founding Year: 2023

Truely is transforming global connectivity for frequent travelers with its seamless eSIM solution. Offering access to a network of 700 partner providers, Truely ensures users always get the fastest and strongest signal. Unlike traditional eSIMs, Truely requires a one-time installation and is fully managed through its app, allowing travelers to access local internet at local rates instantly. Designed for long-term travelers, business professionals, and digital nomads, the service supports hotspots and tethering. Truely is introducing an unlimited data model with a fixed daily rate, eliminating the need to estimate usage. The company is also expanding into travel-related services, including insurance and virtual phone numbers, providing an all-in-one connectivity solution that enhances convenience and affordability for global travelers.

Quocia
Founder/s: Daniel Yew
Funding round: Bootstrap/Pre-seed
Founding Year: 2023

Quocia is revolutionizing social media marketing for SMEs with its AI-powered automation tool, providing an affordable and efficient way to boost online presence. For just $118 (US$88) a month, businesses get customized content strategies, automated scheduling, and multi-platform posting across LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more. SMEs answer five simple questions, generating a “brand brief” for market analysis, hashtag research, and content direction in just three minutes. Quocia’s Q-Chat feature acts as a virtual account manager, refining strategies and automating posts. Unlike traditional agencies, Quocia delivers unlimited, scalable content without high costs or talent shortages. Constantly evolving, the platform ensures SMEs stay ahead in the fast-moving digital landscape, making social media marketing accessible, strategic, and cost-effective.

Farmio
Founder/s: Paco Chan and Andrian Kanta
Total Funding: $1.87m (US$1.4m)
Founding Year: 2023

Farmio is revolutionizing Southeast Asia’s food supply chain with AI-driven digital solutions. Founded in 2023, the Singapore-based food tech and eCommerce company serves retailers and F&B businesses while offering Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) solution tools to enhance efficiency. By collaborating with partners from Thailand, Malaysia, Ukraine, and Indonesia, Farmio ensures seamless sourcing, optimized distribution, and automated operations empowered by AI. Backed by Antler, which recognized its strong potential, Farmio combines startup success—leveraging its founder’s experience in a Series B logistics company—with deep supply chain expertise. It seamlessly integrates AI into existing workflows, embedding intelligence at every step without forcing any behavioral changes. Leveraging this AI-driven approach, Farmio is building a robust Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) solution, embedding smart systems into key supply chain functions at every level of the industry. With a global approach and localized execution, Farmio is driving digital transformation and sustainability in the region’s food supply chain.

Revscaler
Founder/s: Alfan Hendro and Darmawan Shi
Funding Round: Seed
Founding Year: 2023

RevScaler acquires high-quality enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies and helps them scale. By partnering with seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals who have built and expanded successful businesses, RevScaler drives sustainable growth. The company leverages its extensive go-to-market expertise and SaaS network to unlock new opportunities. Backed by East Ventures, RevScaler attracted investment due to its founders’ proven execution skills in the SaaS sector and the vast untapped potential in Southeast Asia’s growing software market. RevScaler prioritises responsible stewardship, ensuring businesses retain their strength while benefiting from strategic scaling.

Heymax.ai 
Founder/s:  Jialu Zhong, Joe Lu, Ke Wang, and Sean Dy
Total Funding: $3.5m (US$2.6m)
Founding Year: 2023

HeyMax is redefining loyalty programs and travel rewards by helping businesses attract high-value customers while driving new revenue streams. Its flagship product, Max Miles, enables businesses like SingSaver to offer cost-effective rewards programs without the traditional complexity. With a universal currency, customers can earn Max Miles across 27 airlines and hotels. HeyMax’s solution reduces customer acquisition costs by 50%, while its employee benefits platform helps companies boost satisfaction with travel perks. Backed by January Capital, HeyMax has surged to 100,000 users in Singapore due to strong market demand. With credit card rewards optimization, AI-powered merchant recommendations, and strategic partnerships, HeyMax is revolutionizing how businesses leverage loyalty rewards to enhance customer and employee engagement.

Zolo
Founder/s: Mrat Yussubaliyev, Mark Keong
Total Funding: $1.2m (US$945,000)
Founding Year: 2023

ZOLO is transforming the food supply chain by eliminating inefficiencies in ordering, payments, and deliveries. Designed for food suppliers, its AI-powered assistant streamlines order management on WhatsApp. Instead of forcing change, ZOLO seamlessly converts text-based orders into structured purchase orders, reducing errors by 50% and improving efficiency 100x. Backed by Antler, ZOLO secured investment due to its strong founder-market fit and deep supply chain expertise, having managed procurement portfolios exceeding $500m. Unlike traditional solutions, ZOLO integrates directly with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, eliminating manual re-entry. By optimizing order workflows while preserving buyer behavior, ZOLO offers a scalable, frictionless solution for food suppliers in Southeast Asia’s fast-moving F&B industry.

SmartViz
Founder/s: Dushyant Verma
Total Funding: $299,610 (US$225,000)
Founding Year: 2023

SmartViz is redefining quality inspection with AI-powered defect detection, enabling manufacturers to identify assembly errors, surface imperfections, and anomalies with near-zero misses. Its proprietary deep learning models integrate seamlessly with industrial cameras and existing factory setups, improving production efficiency without requiring costly hardware overhauls. With SmartViz, businesses can automate visual inspections within six weeks, using as few as 2-30 images for AI training. Backed by Antler, SmartViz secured investment due to its hardware-agnostic approach, solving critical pain points in manufacturing quality control. Early traction with system integrators in Singapore and India validates strong market demand. Led by a highly technical founding team with expertise in robotics and IoT, SmartViz is pioneering Industry 4.0 solutions that enhance precision, efficiency, and defect detection in modern manufacturing.

Sogni AI
Founder/s: Alejandro Ramos and Mauvis Ledford
Total Funding: $2.8m (US$2.135m)
Founding Year: 2023

Founded by former CoinMarketCap executives, Sogni AI addresses the growing demand for accessible AI tools in the $300 billion creative economy. Its Supernet offers rendering speeds 176 times faster than traditional cloud services by distributing workloads across a decentralized GPU network. Sogni AI aims to democratize AI-driven content creation, offering modular AI, on-demand GPUs, and an open-source SDK, making AI faster, cheaper, and more accessible. Their platform enables users to generate 16 AI images in under 5 seconds, outpacing centralized AI tools. Sogni AI is set to attract artists, developers, GPU owners, and enterprises seeking cost-effective AI solutions. Their mission is to empower anyone to create professional-grade visuals and videos, revolutionizing AI-driven art and media.

Rize
Founder/s: Dhruv Sawhney
Total Funding: $18.7m (US$14m)
Founding Year: 2023

Rize is an Agri-Tech startup on a mission to revolutionize rice farming in Asia. Formed through a joint venture between Temasek, Wavemaker Impact, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and GenZero, Rize is building a cutting-edge platform to implement the most effective emission-reduction strategies while aligning economic incentives across the rice value chain. Driven by a commitment to make rice farming sustainable, while improving farmers’ livelihood, Rize sets an ambitious goal of eliminating 500 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2040. Starting in Indonesia and Vietnam, Rize is set to scale its impact regionally, working hand-in-hand with farmers, traders, millers, off-takers, institutions, and governments. Through innovation and collaboration, Rize is shaping the future of climate-smart rice cultivation.

PEXX
Founder/s: Marcus Lim
Total Funding: $3m (US$2.3m)
Founding Year: 2023

Money should move freely, yet slow banks, hidden fees, and outdated systems have created barriers. PEXX eliminates them. PEXX is revolutionizing cross-border payments by offering a borderless virtual USD account that enables users to hold, spend, send, and earn effortlessly. Users can deposit USDT or USDC, earn 4% interest backed by tokenized U.S. Treasury yields, and spend globally with their PEXX virtual Visa Card. With low-cost international remittances to 16+ currencies, PEXX makes global transactions more accessible. Backed by TNB Aura and Antler, the Singapore-based fintech company continues to advance its mission of creating a frictionless, inclusive financial ecosystem.

Pyxis
Founder/s: Tommy Phun
Total Funding: $6m (US$4.45m)
Founding Year: 2022

Pyxis is a maritime tech startup driving the transition to a greener, decarbonized maritime industry. Focused on coastal electrification, Pyxis offers a seamless solution for maritime companies through its three pillars: electric vessels, energy infrastructure, and Electra, an IoT-enabled fleet management system. With a strong presence in Singapore, Pyxis aims to deploy 100 electric vessels and expand to seven international ports by 2030. Backed by industry leaders, Pyxis has raised S$6m (US$4.45m) in funding from investors like Shift4Good and Motion Ventures. Its strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, position Pyxis as a key player in sustainable maritime innovation, helping companies meet global net-zero emission targets while future-proofing their fleets.

ArrowBiome
Founder/s: Boon Chong Goh and Maurice Van Steensel
Total Funding: $1.35m (US$1m)
Founding Year: 2022

ArrowBiome pioneers precise bacterial targeting technologies to treat skin conditions, promote gut health, and combat antimicrobial resistance. Currently focused on personal care, ArrowBiome supplies microbiome-targeted active ingredients to cosmeceutical manufacturers. Instead of adding probiotics or prebiotics, ArrowBiome’s engineered lysins selectively remove harmful bacteria, eliminating over 90% of targeted bacteria within minutes. These lysins are sustainable, non-irritating, and effective at ultra-low concentrations (0.01%). Co-founded by biophysicist Dr. Boon Chong Goh and dermatology professor Maurice van Steensel, ArrowBiome is expanding into solutions for other skin conditions, gut microbiome modulation, and antimicrobial resistance. With strong focus on intellectual property and global scalability, ArrowBiome aims to become a leader in microbiome precision technologies, addressing critical challenges in microbiome health.

Auptimate
Founder/s: Olivier Too, Brandon Doffing, Davin Dedhia 
Total Funding: $578,000 (US$430,000)
Founding Year: 2022

Auptimate is a technology-driven platform transforming how syndicate leads, fund managers and startup founders manage investment structures. By automating the creation and operation of special purpose investment entities (SPVs) and funds, Auptimate simplifies complex deal structuring, reduces administrative burdens, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements. Led by CEO Olivier Too, an industry veteran and ex-lawyer with over 15 years of experience, Chief Product Officer Brandon Doffing, an investment funds lawyer, and Chief Marketing Officer Davin Dedhia, a second time founder, Auptimate combines deep industry expertise with automation. The platform empowers users to design and launch investment structures efficiently. With a strong client base, including Leo Capital, A2D Ventures, Kilde, Ringkas and Baskit, Auptimate is setting new standards in venture investment by prioritizing efficiency, compliance, and scalability.

Axcynsis Therapeutics
Founder/s: Dr Zou Bin
Total Funding: $27.9m (US$21m)
Founding Year: 2022

Axcynsis Therapeutics is a biotechnology company headquartered in Singapore with operations in the United States, developing cutting-edge Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) therapies. The company has developed AxcynDOTTM , a proprietary linker payload platform to advance a pipeline of differentiated ADC candidates aimed at addressing key unmet medical needs. With one potential best-in-class program entering clinical trials this year and another asset nearing IND status, they are poised for significant value creation. Axcynsis recently received FDA IND clearance for AT03-65, targeting CLDN-6 positive solid tumors, and plan to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the U.S. this year. The company is committed to advance effective and targeted oncology therapeutics with breakthrough potential to improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide.

Read more: 20 Hottest Startups of 2024