SINGAPORE (August 25, 2026) – Forbes Asia today released the sixth annual edition of the 100 to Watch list, which spotlights small companies and startups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific region. The 100 to Watch list, which can be found here and in the September issue of Forbes Asia, is sponsored by FedEx.
“Forbes Asia’s sixth annual 100 to Watch list continues to highlight startups and small businesses leading the region’s next wave of innovation, mostly powered by AI. Some are providing enterprise technology to help SMEs embed automation into their operations, while others are developing cutting-edge robotics to transform sectors such as eldercare and scientific research. Reflecting investor confidence, the 100 companies on the list have raised a combined total of over US$2.4 billion in funding to date, including almost $1 billion in 2026,” says Rana Wehbe Watson, Editorial Director, Forbes Asia.
There are 16 countries and territories represented on this year’s 100 to Watch list. India leads with 19 companies, followed by Singapore with 15; China with 10; Japan and South Korea with 9 each and Indonesia and Australia with 8 each. Companies on the list are grouped under ten industry categories, with close to a quarter of the entries being enterprise technology firms offering AI-related services. Another sector rapidly picking up speed is robotics, with 10 companies making the cut.
To select candidates for the 100 to Watch list, Forbes Asia solicited online submissions and invited accelerators, incubators, universities, venture capitalists and others to nominate companies. To qualify for consideration, companies must have headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region, be privately owned for-profit ventures, and have no more than $50 million in annual revenue and no more than $100 million in total funding through Aug 15. Forbes Asia editors evaluated each submission, weighing factors such as impact on and contribution to their industry and region, market fit, promising business model, innovation, track record of consistent revenue growth and the ability to attract funding.
For the complete 100 to Watch list, please visit www.forbes.com/100toWatch
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