Gitex Asia x AI Everything – Singapore brings together the global tech investment elite, with Southeast Asian capital expected to surpass $13 billion by 2025

The thriving startup ecosystem of Southeast Asia (SEA), driven by a booming tech startup scene, is on the threshold of an exciting new phase, with investor interest at a record high. Forecasts from Statistics Research show that venture capital (VC) funding for the region will reach 13.7 billion USD by 2025, while Citigroup projects 10% growth in Asian tech investment capital this year. These trends signal a ripe opportunity for startups in Southeast Asia, giving them access to capital, talent, and a global presence to scale solutions across many sectors.

This momentum will be on full display at GITEX ASIA x AI Everything Singapore, the large-scale technology, startup, and digital investment exhibition debuting in Asia for the first time. Scheduled for April 23 to 25, 2025, at Marina Bay Sands, the event promises to cement the region’s position as a global hub for innovation and investment.

A pivotal platform for collaboration and investment

The event is organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and KAOUN International in cooperation with GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest technology exhibition. Under the theme “Advancing Bold Partnerships in Asia,” the event invites regional and international stakeholders to explore collaboration opportunities, discover cutting-edge breakthroughs, and unlock new markets and sources of capital. At its heart is North Star Asia, a dedicated space for showcasing innovation and facilitating business connections.

North Star Asia brings together more than 350 early-stage technology companies from over 60 countries, including startups from the Series A+ funding round across a wide range of sectors. At the same time, more than 250 global investors managing combined assets worth over 200 billion USD will take part in a series of pre-arranged meetings to drive investment, partnerships, and growth opportunities.

The event also includes a series of expert panel discussions where leading thinkers share their perspectives on the hottest trends in the global startup and investment ecosystem. Topics such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), initial public offerings (IPOs), and the journey to unicorn status will be covered. Yuki Shirato, Managing Director at Techstars Tokyo Accelerator, emphasized Singapore’s strategic importance, noting that it serves as a neutral playground for Western and Eastern companies to collaborate. Shirato said: “Southeast Asia is growing with increasing competition and a young population, and there is plenty of potential for startups to rise to unicorn and decacorn status.”

AI as the driver of regional growth

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, its impact on Southeast Asia’s economic development is undeniable. A report from Kearney estimates that AI could contribute 1 trillion USD to Southeast Asia’s GDP by 2030. Investors are taking notice, with major funds such as Vietnam’s GenAI Fund and global names such as 500 Global and Vertex Holdings pouring large amounts of capital into accelerating the region’s AI push.

Chua Kee Lock, CEO of Vertex Holdings, highlighted the region’s strength in applying AI to local challenges across fields such as financial technology (fintech), healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. He said: “Southeast Asia excels at applying AI technologies to solve regional challenges. By bringing together startups and investors from across the region and beyond, GITEX ASIA enables the exchange of ideas across diverse regulatory environments, opening up new possibilities for everyone.”

North Star Asia: Asia’s largest international startup showcase

North Star Asia will be the largest international startup and scaleup showcase in Asia, gathering a large and diverse group of exhibitors from more than 50 countries. The event will also feature exclusive country-specific showcase areas honoring high-impact startups that are driving digital transformation and attracting investment.

Among the most anticipated exhibitors are Enfarm, an award-winning Vietnamese agritech startup revolutionizing sustainable agriculture with AI-powered tools, and ADT Global VN, a leader in AI-driven interactive technology and virtual brands in Vietnam. Another name making waves is XPanceo, a UAE-based deep tech specialist developing the next generation of computing through wireless smart contact lenses integrating augmented reality technology. Roman Axelrod, founder of XPanceo, shared his excitement about the event: “We’re particularly curious about this first edition in Singapore, as we’ve seen the power of the GITEX platform in bringing together industry pioneers.”

Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem takes off

Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem has reached new heights, with a total market valuation of 454 billion USD in the first half of 2024, the highest ever recorded. At GITEX ASIA, the region’s most promising startups will showcase their disruptive innovations across more than 20 industry sectors, including biotechnology, cybersecurity, green technology, healthcare, and software as a service (SaaS). The AI 100 zone, sponsored by Nebius, will bring together 100 award-winning AI startups from 30 countries, while Singapore 100, supported by SGTech and Ace.SG, will present the 100 most promising local businesses.

ADT Global’s AI assistant Nomi wins an award at GITEX Asia: Vietnamese AI Assistant Wins at Asia’s Leading Technology Event – ADT Global — AI, Physical AI & Interactive Technology

North Star Asia will also host the Supernova Challenge, a world-class fundraising competition that gives founders the chance to pitch their projects and compete for a share of a total prize pool of 100,000 USD, along with additional prizes from Nebius and JTC.

Globally prominent technology events are drawing enormous flows of investment capital, opening breakthrough opportunities for organizations with outstanding R&D capabilities. To fully capture this advantage, standardizing a strategy for taking part in international AI exhibitions is an essential stepping stone that helps businesses position their brands. A practical demonstration of global competitiveness is that ADT Global made a strong impression by showcasing its AI assistant at GITEX Dubai with an impressive response speed, affirming the quality of Vietnamese technology before an international investment elite.

From the core technology achievements demonstrated around the world, organizations’ next goal is to commercialize and bring these solutions into their internal operating structures. Proactively following 2026 AI trends is pushing many corporations to move from standalone applications to a comprehensive, seamless enterprise AI platform. By integrating an intelligent multi-agent architecture, this platform enables the automation of complex process flows, optimizes data analysis capabilities, and establishes a sustainable governance ecosystem in the digital era.

By Nurin Sofia – ECHEDT