Startup Genome

Did you read our latest newsletter? Our subscribers received an exclusive look at our latest content, including our feature at the World Economic Forum, how Tokyo-based startups are revolutionizing across industries, curated news impacting global startup ecosystems, and a look at upcoming events for startup leaders and policymakers. Don’t miss our next newsletter — subscribe now! https://lnkd.in/eRrC-PqD #startups #innovation #entrepreneurship #startupecosystems

? We’re thrilled to announce that AssisTech Foundation (ATF) won the prestigious Indian Innovation Icons 2025 Award by the Marico Innovation Foundation last week, received by Co-Founder and President of Startup Genome India and ATF Board Member Ravi Narayan, ATF’s CEO & Co-Founder, Prateek Madhav, and Chahat Dubey! ? ATF was recognized for its groundbreaking work in empowering Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India through Assistive Technology (AT). With its mission to create a robust AT ecosystem, ATF has already impacted over 1 million lives through its portfolio of over 450 AT startups and aims to reach 5 million by 2027. "We have built a startup ecosystem around Assistive Technologies, rather than focus on one actor, be it startups, government, academia, corporations, or investors. We have brought everyone together and rapidly increased the reach of the ecosystem by 10x,” said Narayan. “This is the power of building ecosystems. It is not easy, but if you get it right, the results are tremendous. That is what I did in my personal capacity at ATF. Startup Genome does that as an organization across the world with governments and corporations." The Indian Innovation Icons Awards, a biennial recognition platform by MIF, celebrates India's most promising innovations. Launched in 2006, these awards are a benchmark for innovation excellence in India, recognizing game-changing innovators who have the potential to make a significant impact. #MaricoInnovationFoundation #InnovationForSocialGood #IndianInnovationIcons2025 #AssisTechFoundation #AssistiveTechnology #Innovation #ATecosystem #EmpowermentThroughInnovation #PersonsWithDisabilities

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: Kuala Lumpur is well on its way to rebuilding a reputation that once positioned it as a pioneering startup city in the region.The ecosystem is expanding, propelled by ministries and the public along with increasing involvement of private entities to foster high-quality tech startups. Kuala Lumpur’s strong and varied startup support includes: ? Having empowered over 1,000 startups throughout the years, Cradle Fund continues to drive the growth of the Malaysian startup ecosystem by assisting grants and mentorship, partnering with the likes of Microsoft, Petronas, and Maxis to continue to scale startups from Kuala Lumpur and nationwide. ? MRANTI's MATCH program connects Malaysian technology innovators with potential partners and resources to accelerate bringing their ideas to market, ultimately fostering a more dynamic and successful tech commercialization landscape in Malaysia. ? The Gateway, Amplify, Invest, and Nurture (GAIN) program is a cornerstone initiative in accelerating Malaysia's digital economy under the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), empowering Malaysian Technology Companies to expand their global footprint. ? Gobi Partners is an Asia-focused VC firm with $1.6 billion+ in assets under management that has invested in over 380 early- to growth-stage startups across Asia in emerging and underserved markets. ? 500 Southeast Asia is a prominent VC firm, investing in tech startups that drive regional growth. Dana Impak, an initiative by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, is a RM6 billion commitment over five years aiming to address critical national challenges through impact investing. ? Dana Perintis is a Malaysian initiative by Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP Malaysia), a pension fund management company, aiming to support the venture capital ecosystem and startups with a total investment of RM500 million planned over 18-24 months. Learn more about Kuala Lumpur’s startup ecosystem: https://buff.ly/ox8BLIR #KualaLumpur #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: Melbourne is paving the way in several groundbreaking, rapidly-evolving sectors, backed by a strong support network. The region showcases startups thriving across sub-sectors, with major strengths in Life Sciences, Fintech, and AI, Big Data & Analytics. Highlights include: ? Early-stage biotechnology company Aravax raised $42.2 million over three rounds, including a January 2024 Series B. ? The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)’s Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox allows Fintech companies to test their services for up to 24 months without an Australian financial services license. ? Australia will add over eight million square feet of data center space by 2028, when the market is expected to reach $9.49 billion. Discover more about Melbourne’s sub-sector strengths: https://buff.ly/9X7OoFj #Melbourne #LifeSciences #Fintech #AI #BigData #Analytics #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: Tokyo is a vibrant innovation hub with ambitious goals to grow its startup ecosystem. Tokyo’s Startup Strategy "Global Innovation with STARTUPS" aims to create an ecosystem that nurtures startups in Japan by accelerating startups and promoting open innovation. The region showcases startups thriving across sub-sectors, with major strengths in Advanced Manufacturing & Robotics, Fintech, and Life Sciences. Highlights include: ? Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has pledged $13 billion in subsidies to drive investment in its chip manufacturing industry. ? THE FINTECH CENTER of TOKYO, FINOLAB(フィノラボ) provides startup development and growth through community building, a dedicated fund for seed- to early-stage startups, and coworking spaces. ? CIC Japan brings together Life Sciences startups, researchers, governments, and universities to support startups’ overseas expansion. Discover more about Tokyo’s sub-sector strengths: https://buff.ly/NMvfC4g #Tokyo #AdvancedManufacturing #Robotics #Fintech #LifeSciences #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: Sharjah is a pioneering emirate with global stature, supporting continuous growth and significant contributions to the advancement of industry and sustainability in the UAE. The region showcases startups thriving across sub-sectors, with major strengths in Cleantech, Digital & Creative Industry, and Edtech. Highlights include: ? The Sharjah Sustainable City project encompasses 1,250 sustainable villas using zero-emission energy sources and saving residents 50% on utilities. ? Sharjah Media City (Shams) is a free zone and launch pad for young entrepreneurs in media and creativity that supported 50+ SMEs and creatives in market expansion and innovation in February 2024. ? The Sharjah Private Education Authority led a delegation of six governmental and semi-governmental organizations at the BETT UK in London, the world's largest EdTech gathering, where Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) held workshops and showcased its leading Edtech startups. Discover more about Sharjah’s sub-sector strengths: https://buff.ly/CBBnu5K #Sharjah #Cleantech #Digital #Creative #Industry # Edtech #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

??How can governments strike the right balance between regulation and innovation??? Samantha Evans, Startup Genome’s Managing Director MENA, joined an insightful discussion with H.E. Alia Abdulla AlMazrouei and H.E. Dr. Jelena Begovic on translating national innovation strategies into action at Investopia 2025 in Abu Dhabi last week. From the rise of Deep Tech and AI to the global race for talent, the conversation highlighted the key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of innovation-led economies. #Innovation #Policy #StartupEcosystems

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: Sri Lanka boasts a resilient mindset, with problem solving and innovation driven by entrepreneurial activity. The ecosystem attracts global, multilateral investors including VCs, corporations, and angel investors, including early-stage VC nVentures. Sri Lanka’s strong and varied startup support includes: ? Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka is the apex ICT institution of the government. ? BOV Capital is a Sri Lanka/Singapore-based VC fund that invests technology startups from seed stage to Series A and focuses on investing in early-stage ventures with proven product-market fit that can demonstrate scaling. ? Hatch Works Pvt Ltd provides startups with all the guidance and support services they might need to innovate, grow, and succeed. ? John Keells X is a corporate startup accelerator and open innovation program run by John Keells Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka's largest listed conglomerate operating in diverse industry verticals. ? Lankan Angel Network is Sri Lanka's largest network of angel investors. Founded in 2012 with the purpose of bringing together the Sri Lankan investor and mentor community and to scale the startup ecosystem. ? Yarl IT Hub is an organization by the community for the community, focused on being a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation development in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. ? Licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, nVentures aims to be the preferred early-stage VC in South Asia and the gateway for South Asian startups to enter the Southeast Asian ecosystem. Learn more about Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem: https://buff.ly/nNeO8Q9 #SriLanka #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

?? Insights from the #GSER2024: From AI and Machine Learning to sustainable energy and medical breakthroughs, Edmonton’s innovation ecosystem is thriving over a broad spectrum of disciplines driven by a dynamic blend of technology advancement, research, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit. The region showcases startups thriving across sub-sectors, with major strengths in AI, Big Data & Analytics, Life Sciences, and Cleantech. Highlights include: ? In 2024,the University of Alberta, ranked fifth globally for AI and ML research, announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch Artificial Intelligence Discovery Place, which aims to advance AI. ? With a focus on digital health, medical devices, and diagnostics, Edmonton’s Healthtech sector is driven by collaboration among its 284 Life Sciences companies and support organizations like Health Cities and Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API). ? Edmonton is a growing hub for Cleantech, boasting over 400 Cleantech companies such as award-winning sustainable battery storage technology company Grengine. Discover more about Edmonton’s sub-sector strengths: https://buff.ly/sLeTr9J #Edmonton #AI #BigData #Analytics #Lifesciences #Cleantech #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

With all the critical factors for emergence as a tech hub in place, including a world-class university, a data center targeting Africa’s needs for data protection and centralization, innovative leaders supporting R&D, and infrastructure to support startup growth, Benguerir is a premier destination for founders, researchers, and entrepreneurs. As Deep Tech takes the world by storm, Benguerir has positioned itself as an ideal hub for startup development, with UM6P - University Mohammed VI Polytechnic leading the charge to build the vibrant ecosystem. UM6P is more than a university – it is an ecosystem driver with innovation at the core at the forefront of Ben Guerir’s ecosystem growth. Its R&D efforts are a strategic driver, encouraging creativity and meeting challenges by focusing on the applied research, entrepreneurship, and innovation that serves Africa. Read more about Benguerir’s tech developments: https://buff.ly/3Epd7YF