6th November 2026 - 3 min read
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) has launched the upgraded Startup ASEAN Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE). The platform helps startups connect with investors, corporates, and partners across all 11 ASEAN member states, and registration is currently free. It also brings together startup programmes and regional market information for businesses looking to expand outside their home markets.
We were at The Arch Galeries in Kuala Lumpur on 4 November 2026 when MOSTI Minister YB Datuk Chang Lih Kang officially launched it at Cradle LIVE! Summit 2026.
Founders can discover and join startup programmes and regional events through the platform. A knowledge base covers markets and regulations across ASEAN, and an AI assistant helps with market entry insights and finding your way around the platform. Members can also claim perks and benefits through its marketplace.
Businesses expanding across ASEAN’s 11 markets can mean scattered information and unfamiliar networks, and the platform is meant to ease that.
Startup ASEAN is operated through Cradle Fund, which was set up in 2003 under the Ministry of Finance to back tech startups through the Cradle Investment Programme. It operates under MOSTI.
At the summit, we learned how the matching tool recommends investors, corporates, mentors, and partners based on criteria such as a startup’s Market Readiness Level and Investor Readiness Level.
Investors get the same matching features, along with a regional database of startups to browse for investment and partnership opportunities.
Figures announced at the summit put the platform’s reach at 10,400 startups from over 150 countries. More than 52,000 people are active on it, and it has supported over 50 regional programmes and events.
Its ASEAN CrossConnect sessions in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have connected more than 250 founders with investors, corporations, and partners. The FAQ lists Alibaba, Amazon, and NVIDIA among its collaborators.
The startup-to-corporate side was also on the summit agenda through The BIG Programme (Bengkel Inovasi GLC). It links startups with government-linked companies, public-listed companies, and Ministry of Finance Incorporated entities to encourage innovation and commercialisation.
The platform serves founders, investors, accelerators, incubators, universities, business associations, and government agencies. We went through its FAQ, which says registration and participation are currently free for startups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners, subject to the platform’s terms and registration requirements.
Startup ASEAN is separate from MYStartup, which remains Malaysia’s national platform for local startups. According to the FAQ, Startup ASEAN covers all 11 ASEAN member states and focuses on cross-border expansion. The DCoE is designed to integrate with national platforms in future, including MYStartup Single Window.
Founders can register on the platform, complete their profile, and get verified.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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